Tarom compensation: up to €600 per passenger

Tarom compensation: when Romania's national airline owes you up to €600

Tarom is Romania's flag carrier, based at Bucharest Henri Coandă (Otopeni). More than 60 Tarom passengers have already come to us, many on London–Bucharest. If your flight landed 3 hours or more behind schedule, was cancelled at short notice or you were bumped, you may be owed €250, €400 or €600 per person.

Because Tarom is licensed in Romania, an EU member state, Regulation (EC) 261/2004 covers Tarom flights leaving the EU and those flying in from outside, such as Cairo or London to Bucharest.

Enter the airports and date and we'll tell you in two minutes: check your Tarom flight.

How much Tarom pays: amounts on the routes we see most

The fare you paid makes no difference. Only the distance to your final destination matters.

Compensation is per passenger, not per booking. Three people on a London–Bucharest flight that arrived 4 hours late can claim €1,200 between them; children with their own seat get the full amount. On our form, add the flight once, then your companions.

Voucher or cash? Tarom offers a higher-value electronic voucher, usable only on Tarom within a year, or Flying Blue miles instead of a bank transfer. Taking the money is your right if you prefer it.

Tarom flight delayed: what to do at the airport

Close to 6 in 10 Tarom claims we handle involve a delay, often on returns to Bucharest from London, Paris and Madrid. The clock stops when the doors open, not at touchdown. While you wait:

1. Keep your Tarom boarding pass and booking reference, paper or on your phone.
2. Ask the Tarom desk why you're delayed and photograph the departures board.
3. Save every email and text Tarom sends about the new times.
4. Keep receipts for food, taxis or a hotel if no vouchers or room were provided.
5. Don't sign anything waiving your rights in exchange for a voucher at the gate.

Care Tarom must provide while you wait

Tarom must give you meals and drinks and, if you're stuck overnight, a hotel and transfers.

Missed connection in Bucharest

Plenty of travellers change planes at Otopeni. On one ticket, what counts is your delay at the final destination, and the amount is based on the whole journey. With separate tickets, each flight is assessed on its own. More in our guide to a delayed Tarom flight.

Tarom flight cancelled: refund, rebooking and compensation

Nearly 3 in 10 of our Tarom claims start with a cancellation. Tarom will offer a refund or another flight, but you may be owed compensation on top.

Retimed flight. If Tarom moved your departure by several hours shortly before you flew, the EU Court of Justice may treat it as a cancellation. See our page on a cancelled Tarom flight.

Tarom overbooking and denied boarding

Over 1 in 10 of the Tarom claims we see is about denied boarding, a high share compared with most airlines. If you had a valid ticket and correct documents and reached the gate on time, compensation is due immediately, along with a new flight or a refund. It isn't owed if the refusal was down to you, such as an expired passport. Read more on Tarom overbooking.

Tarom strikes and staff protests

In July 2024 a large group of Tarom pilots declared themselves unfit to fly in a pay dispute. Flights were cancelled, hundreds of passengers spent the night at Otopeni and Tarom itself announced compensation, in line with EU case law: action by an airline's own staff is part of its normal business (case C-28/20). A strike by air traffic controllers or airport workers is different: no compensation, though meals and rerouting are still owed.

Tarom rejected your claim? The usual reasons

Tarom's most common explanations, and how European courts view them.

Bucharest hub, SkyTeam and flights from outside the EU

Tarom is based at Otopeni, next to Henri Coandă airport, and has been a SkyTeam member since 2010. Journeys to the United States are sold as codeshares with Air France via Paris; for those, the claim goes to whichever airline operated the disrupted leg. As an EU carrier, Tarom is also liable on inbound flights from non-EU countries:

• London–Bucharest, still covered after Brexit
• Cairo–Bucharest
• Beirut–Bucharest and Amman–Bucharest, in both directions

Flights leaving the UK are also covered by UK law, which mirrors the EU rules with amounts in pounds. We'll tell you which one works better for you.

How to claim from Tarom: on your own or with us

You can write to Tarom yourself through the complaints and suggestions section of tarom.ro, quoting your booking reference and the passengers' details.

If Tarom has already turned you down

A rejection isn't final: if Tarom's reason is weak, we start again with a formal demand.

What to have ready

• Ticket or boarding passThe booking confirmation email is fine.
• ID or passportFor every passenger, including children.
• Messages from TaromDelay or cancellation notices and receipts for expenses.

Time limits for a Tarom claim

The Regulation sets no deadline of its own; the limitation rules of the country where you bring the claim apply, as the EU Court of Justice confirmed in case C-139/11. An older Tarom flight may still be claimable: enter the date and we'll check.

How long Tarom takes to pay

If Tarom accepts the claim, payment usually comes within a few weeks. If it disputes it, the formal demand and any court action add a few months. As soon as the money reaches us, we transfer your share.

Lost or damaged luggage on Tarom

Baggage falls under the Montreal Convention rather than Regulation 261. Fill in a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) at the airport, then write to Tarom within 7 days for damage, or within 21 days of getting your bag back if it arrived late.

Tarom contact details and flight status

Registered office

Compania Națională de Transporturi Aeriene Române TAROM S.A., Otopeni (Ilfov), Romania

Complaints

Complaints and suggestions section under passenger assistance on tarom.ro

Flight status

Tarom official website