I recently had an American Airlines flight from Barcelona to Miami (direct!) get canceled.
The alternate flights available were terrible..
connections and delay for when I was landing.
The last leg home (JFK -> MIA) was particularly a nightmare.
A friend of mine immediately got to work chatting with Grok AI on what compensation we were entitled to.
Turns out, theres something called EU Regulation 261/2004.
EU Regulation 261/2004 establishes common rules for passenger compensation and assistance in cases of flight disruptions.
Here are the key points:
- It provides air passengers with rights to compensation and assistance when flights are canceled, delayed significantly (3+ hours), or when they’re denied boarding due to overbooking.
- Passengers may be entitled to financial compensation ranging from €250 to €600 depending on flight distance, unless the disruption was caused by “extraordinary circumstances.”
- Airlines must provide affected passengers with meals, refreshments, communication means, accommodation if necessary, and the choice between rerouting or refund.
- The regulation applies to all flights departing from EU airports and flights arriving at EU airports when operated by an EU-based carrier.
- Passengers must be informed of their rights under this regulation when disruptions occur.
It turns out, we were entitled to 600 EUR from American Airlines because of the delay. woo!
So, how did you file the claim?
- Visit American Airline’s Contact Form
- Select Topic: “Compliment and complaints”, Subject: “Complaint”, Reason: “Delayed / canceled flight”
- Fill out the form and write the following message. Make sure to update the [bracket] with your relevant info.
Subject: EU 261/2004 Claim for Flight [Number] Cancellation
Dear American Airlines,
My flight [number] from [location] to [location] on [date], scheduled for [time], was cancelled with notice at [time] (x hours x minutes) due to “operational reasons.” I was re-routed on [new flight number], causing an arrival delay over [x hours]. Under EU Regulation 261/2004, I am entitled to €600 compensation, as the cancellation was within your control and notified less than 7 days prior.
I also incurred expenses for [meals/hotels/transport] due to the delay, as no assistance was provided.
Details:
- Original Flight: [Number], [Date], [Time], [Location-Location]
- Booking Reference: [Number]
- Cancellation Notice: [Time], [Date]
- New Flight: [Number], [Date], Arrival Time [Time]
Please process within 30 days, or I will escalate to AESA.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Contact Info]Now what?
After about 2 hours, I received an email from American Airlines stating they’ll be sending me a check for the delayed flight.
Not even American Airlines credit, but an actual check…
Amazing!
Interested in other travel hacks?
Check our How I “Hacked” Kayak and Booked a Cheaper Flight.
P.S I’m not a lawyer and this isn’t legal advice. Please do you own research before proceeding.