Flight Compensation Calculator: How Much Are You Owed?

Wondering how much compensation you're entitled to for your delayed or cancelled flight? Under EU Regulation EC 261/2004, the amount is based on one simple factor: the distance of your flight.

Not the ticket price. Not your class of travel. Not the length of the delay (as long as it's 3+ hours). Just the distance.

Here's exactly how it works — plus tables showing compensation for the most common routes from Portugal.

The Three Compensation Tiers

EC 261 divides flights into three distance categories:

| Flight Distance | Compensation Per Person | |----------------|----------------------| | Short-haul: Up to 1,500 km | €250 | | Medium-haul: 1,500 – 3,500 km | €400 | | Long-haul: Over 3,500 km | €600 |

These amounts are fixed. They don't change based on:

• How much you paid for the ticket
• Whether you flew economy, business, or first class
• How long the delay was (above the 3-hour minimum)
• Whether you can prove financial loss

Every passenger with a confirmed booking gets the same amount — including children with their own seat.

How Distance Is Calculated

The distance is measured as the great circle distance (shortest straight-line path between two points on the globe) between your departure and arrival airports.

For direct flights, it's straightforward: origin airport to destination airport.

For connecting flights booked on a single reservation, the distance is measured from your first departure airport to your final destination. So a Lisbon → Frankfurt → Bangkok itinerary uses the distance from Lisbon to Bangkok — not the sum of each leg.

This matters because connecting routes often push you into a higher compensation tier. A Lisbon to Bangkok connection is over 10,000 km, putting you firmly in the €600 bracket.

Compensation Tables: Common Routes from Portugal

From Lisbon (LIS)

Short-Haul (Up to 1,500 km) — €250

| Destination | Approx. Distance | |-------------|-----------------| | Madrid (MAD) | 502 km | | Seville (SVQ) | 314 km | | Barcelona (BCN) | 1,009 km | | Porto (OPO) | 274 km | | Faro (FAR) | 226 km | | Málaga (AGP) | 508 km | | Paris Orly (ORY) | 1,451 km | | Toulouse (TLS) | 1,073 km | | Lyon (LYS) | 1,405 km | | Bordeaux (BOD) | 968 km | | Marrakech (RAK) | 1,324 km | | Casablanca (CMN) | 838 km |

Medium-Haul (1,500–3,500 km) — €400

| Destination | Approx. Distance | |-------------|-----------------| | London Heathrow (LHR) | 1,586 km | | London Gatwick (LGW) | 1,579 km | | Amsterdam (AMS) | 1,862 km | | Frankfurt (FRA) | 1,901 km | | Munich (MUC) | 1,976 km | | Zurich (ZRH) | 1,780 km | | Brussels (BRU) | 1,714 km | | Rome (FCO) | 1,864 km | | Milan (MXP) | 1,695 km | | Berlin (BER) | 2,317 km | | Dublin (DUB) | 1,646 km | | Copenhagen (CPH) | 2,598 km | | Stockholm (ARN) | 2,879 km | | Vienna (VIE) | 2,300 km | | Warsaw (WAW) | 2,746 km | | Athens (ATH) | 2,854 km | | Istanbul (IST) | 3,108 km | | Tel Aviv (TLV) | 3,444 km | | Funchal/Madeira (FNC) | 978 km* |

*Madeira is under 1,500 km (€250) despite feeling like a longer trip.

Long-Haul (Over 3,500 km) — €600

| Destination | Approx. Distance | |-------------|-----------------| | New York (JFK) | 5,427 km | | Newark (EWR) | 5,389 km | | Boston (BOS) | 5,337 km | | Toronto (YYZ) | 5,740 km | | São Paulo (GRU) | 7,942 km | | Rio de Janeiro (GIG) | 7,725 km | | Recife (REC) | 5,744 km | | Luanda (LAD) | 6,019 km | | Maputo (MPM) | 8,531 km | | Dakar (DSS) | 2,900 km* |

*Dakar is actually medium-haul — included here as a common misconception.

From Porto (OPO)

Short-Haul — €250

| Destination | Approx. Distance | |-------------|-----------------| | Madrid (MAD) | 420 km | | Lisbon (LIS) | 274 km | | Barcelona (BCN) | 876 km | | Paris (CDG/ORY) | 1,136 km | | Lyon (LYS) | 1,089 km | | London Stansted (STN) | 1,332 km |

Medium-Haul — €400

| Destination | Approx. Distance | |-------------|-----------------| | London Heathrow (LHR) | 1,365 km* | | Amsterdam (AMS) | 1,575 km | | Frankfurt (FRA) | 1,621 km | | Brussels (BRU) | 1,426 km* | | Dublin (DUB) | 1,396 km* | | Munich (MUC) | 1,711 km | | Rome (FCO) | 1,716 km | | Berlin (BER) | 2,044 km |

*Some routes from Porto hover near the 1,500 km boundary. The exact compensation tier depends on precise airport-to-airport distance.

Long-Haul — €600

| Destination | Approx. Distance | |-------------|-----------------| | Newark (EWR) | 5,337 km | | Toronto (YYZ) | 5,530 km | | São Paulo (GRU) | 7,765 km |

From Faro (FAR)

Short-Haul — €250

| Destination | Approx. Distance | |-------------|-----------------| | Lisbon (LIS) | 226 km | | Seville (SVQ) | 200 km | | Madrid (MAD) | 584 km | | Barcelona (BCN) | 1,072 km | | Marrakech (RAK) | 840 km |

Medium-Haul — €400

| Destination | Approx. Distance | |-------------|-----------------| | London (LGW/STN/LHR) | 1,727 km | | Manchester (MAN) | 1,779 km | | Dublin (DUB) | 1,839 km | | Amsterdam (AMS) | 2,010 km | | Frankfurt (FRA) | 2,025 km | | Paris (CDG) | 1,644 km | | Brussels (BRU) | 1,862 km | | Berlin (BER) | 2,477 km | | Copenhagen (CPH) | 2,748 km |

Multiply by Passengers

Remember: these amounts are per person. Here's what common group sizes could receive:

| Group Size | Short-Haul (€250) | Medium-Haul (€400) | Long-Haul (€600) | |-----------|-------------------|--------------------|--------------------| | 1 passenger | €250 | €400 | €600 | | 2 (couple) | €500 | €800 | €1,200 | | 3 | €750 | €1,200 | €1,800 | | 4 (family) | €1,000 | €1,600 | €2,400 | | 5 | €1,250 | €2,000 | €3,000 |

A family of four on a disrupted transatlantic flight could receive €2,400. That's enough to pay for the next holiday.

The 50% Reduction Rule

There's one exception to the standard amounts. Airlines can reduce compensation by 50% if they offered you re-routing that got you to your destination with only a small delay:

• Short-haul: arrived less than 2 hours late
• Medium-haul: arrived less than 3 hours late
• Long-haul: arrived less than 4 hours late

In practice, this reduction is uncommon. If you were re-routed and still arrived within these windows, the airline may argue for half the amount. But if the re-routing itself was significantly delayed, you get the full amount.

What About Expenses During the Delay?

EC 261 compensation is separate from expenses. On top of the flat compensation, airlines must provide — or reimburse — reasonable costs for:

• Meals and refreshments during the wait
• Hotel accommodation if an overnight stay is needed
• Transport between the airport and hotel
• Two phone calls or emails

Keep your receipts. These are reimbursable regardless of whether you also receive compensation. Read more about your full rights under EC 261.

Don't Guess — Check

The tables above cover the most common routes, but every flight is different. Border cases near the 1,500 km or 3,500 km thresholds can go either way depending on exact airport-to-airport distance.

The fastest way to know exactly how much you're owed? Check your flight with FlightOwed →

Enter your flight number and date. We'll calculate your compensation instantly, verify your eligibility, and — if you want — handle the entire claim process for you. Free to check. No win, no fee.

Learn more: Complete EC 261 guide | 5 things airlines don't want you to know | How FlightOwed works