How delaycheck.eu works
We want you to understand within minutes whether you are owed money, and to decide for yourself how to claim it. Here we explain how the check calculates and how we earn money.
What the check can and cannot do
The check applies the rules of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 and the key case law to your details in a standardised way. It gives you a pre-check, not a legal review of your individual case.
It cannot know whether extraordinary circumstances really occurred, whether your details are correct or how a court would decide your case. That is why it shows “possible, but not certain” in unclear cases, and a range instead of a fixed amount where reductions are disputed.
The rules at a glance
| What we check | Legal basis |
|---|---|
| Does the regulation apply to the flight? | Art. 3(1) Reg. 261/2004 |
| Great-circle distance from first departure to final destination | Art. 7(1) and (4); CJEU C-559/16 |
| Compensation for an arrival delay of at least 3 hours | CJEU C-402/07 and C-432/07 |
| Arrival is when a door is opened at the destination | CJEU C-452/13 |
| Notice and alternative flight for cancellations | Art. 5(1)(c) |
| 50% reduction with an alternative flight | Art. 7(2) |
| Extraordinary circumstances, technical faults, strikes by own staff | Art. 5(3); CJEU C-549/07 and C-28/20 |
| Denied boarding | Art. 4 |
| Time limit under German law (3 years from year end) | §§ 195, 199 German Civil Code; CJEU C-139/11 |
If the distance is within 20 km of a band limit, we show both possible amounts. For long-haul flights delayed by 3 to 4 hours we show €300 to €600, because courts disagree on the reduction.
Quality assurance
The rules are implemented as a separate program and tested with automated test cases, including rulings of the European Court of Justice and exact limits such as 179 and 180 minutes or 1,500 km. We review the legal situation regularly and will update the check once the passenger rights reform applies.
Airport data comes from the public-domain OurAirports database. Found a mistake? Write to info@delaycheck.eu.
How we are funded
The check is free and has no ad banners. We earn money when you hire a claims company through a link labelled as an affiliate link. The company then pays us a commission. This does not cost you anything extra.
If you claim yourself or through a dispute resolution body, we earn nothing. We still recommend these options first, because you keep the full compensation.
Independence and order
Whether a claim is likely and which amount is shown depends only on your details and the rules above. Commissions have no influence on this.
We list the three options by what they cost you: the free ones first, then claims companies. Claims companies are sorted by the lowest fee for you, including VAT. That is the only criterion. No company can buy a better position.
We take the companies’ fees from their own published information and check them regularly. The terms on the company’s website at the time you hire them are what counts.
Privacy
The check and the claim letter run entirely in your browser. We do not transmit or store your entries, use no cookies or analytics tools and load no content from third-party servers. Details are in our privacy policy.