Air passengers leave billions of euros and dollars on the table every year because they don't know their rights. According to European Commission estimates, only about 5 percent of eligible EU passengers actually claim EC 261 compensation - meaning roughly €5 billion in legitimate claims go unfiled annually. The pattern is identical in the US: the DOT estimates that less than 10 percent of passengers entitled to cash refunds for cancelled flights actually receive them, with the rest accepting vouchers or simply walking away.
At Gyro, we built our entire business on closing that gap. This guide is your single source of truth for what airlines owe you when things go wrong - across delays, cancellations, denied boarding, baggage, and accessibility - and exactly how to claim it.
Your protection depends on where the flight departs, where it arrives, and which airline operates it - not where you live or where you bought the ticket.
Here is what you can claim under each framework, by disruption type:
Multiple frameworks can apply at once. A US passenger on Lufthansa flying from Frankfurt to New York is covered by EU 261 (departing the EU) and the Montreal Convention (international flight), and may have additional protections under US law for the arrival side. From our claims experience: always claim under the framework that gives you the most - they don't replace each other.
Rights escalate by delay length and depend heavily on jurisdiction.
The three-hour threshold is where most of the money sits, and the rules for how long an airline can legally keep you waiting are worth understanding in full - our guide on how long a flight can be delayed breaks down each threshold.
What are my rights when my flight is cancelled?
Cancellation triggers the strongest set of rights across all frameworks - significantly more than a delay.
Airlines almost always push a voucher first, but cash is your right - the full process for getting a refund on a cancelled flight walks through exactly how to demand it and what to do when they stall.
Involuntary denied boarding is the most aggressively compensated event in passenger rights - airlines pay more for this than almost anything else.
From our claims experience: airlines pressure passengers to "volunteer" precisely because volunteering shifts them out of the statutory framework. Never accept a voluntary bump unless the offered compensation clearly exceeds what the involuntary rules would give you. Ask the gate agent what the involuntary compensation would be - they must tell you.
The Montreal Convention applies to nearly all international flights and provides robust baggage protection.
From our claims experience: keep all receipts for emergency purchases (clothes, toiletries, business essentials) during baggage delays. Airlines reimburse "reasonable" expenses up to the Montreal limit, but only with receipts.
Accessibility rights are protected by separate legislation that's significantly stronger than general passenger rights frameworks.
The escalation ladder is the same across all frameworks, and most claims resolve before reaching court.
Step 2 is where most people get stuck, since knowing which regulator handles your complaint - the DOT, an EU national enforcement body, or the UK CAA - determines whether the airline takes you seriously.
Passenger rights are clearer, broader, and more enforceable than airlines want you to believe. Across the EU, UK, US, and international flights, multiple legal frameworks exist specifically to protect you from delays, cancellations, denied boarding, baggage mishandling, and accessibility failures. The compensation amounts are real - €600 for a long delay, $2,150 for denied boarding, €1,500 for lost baggage - and the success rate when you escalate properly is high.
The pattern that emerges from thousands of claims is this: passengers who document everything, demand in writing, cite the specific regulation, and escalate to regulators when needed get paid roughly two to three times more often than those who only argue with the airline by phone. Airlines count on most passengers giving up after the first refusal. The minority who push through win.
If your flight was disrupted in the last 1 to 6 years (depending on jurisdiction), you may still be eligible to claim. The clock is shorter than you think for most countries, and evidence quality decays over time, so the time to file is now.
If your flight was delayed 3+ hours, you may be owed €250 to €600 under EC 261 - or potentially more under the Montreal Convention. Gyro checks your eligibility for free. You keep 100% of whatever the airline pays.
It depends on where you're flying from, to, and on which airline.
For further reading: EC 261 Guide: Everything You Need to Know
Significant compensation — this is the most aggressively compensated disruption.
Yes, up to roughly €1,500 per passenger under the Montreal Convention.
Escalate in stages, since most claims resolve at step 1 or 2.
For further reading: Aviation Regulatory Bodies: Who Protects Passenger Rights?
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