Flight running late? Separate three questions: when the airline owes care at the airport, when you can choose a refund after a long departure delay, and when cash compensation may be payable. Under applicable EU 261 rules, compensation is usually assessed using the delay on arrival at the final destination, not just the departure delay.

What to do at the airport

1. Record the original and revised departure times, flight number and booking reference.
2. Ask the operating airline for the reason and what assistance it will provide.
3. Keep boarding passes, messages and evidence of the actual arrival time.
4. If care is not supplied and you must buy food or accommodation, keep itemised receipts for reasonable costs.
5. If you have a single-ticket connection, alert the carrier about the missed connection. Separate tickets can involve very different responsibilities.

When does the right to care begin?

For expected departure delays under the applicable EU rules, meals, refreshments and communication become relevant according to flight distance:

Where an overnight stay is necessary, the airline may have to provide hotel accommodation and transport. At five hours or more of departure delay, you may choose not to travel and request ticket reimbursement under the applicable conditions. None of these thresholds automatically means cash compensation is due.

The three-hour arrival rule

If you reach your final destination three hours or more late, cash compensation may be available unless the carrier proves extraordinary circumstances that could not have been avoided despite reasonable measures. Long-distance flights have an important nuance: for certain flights over 3,500 km, compensation may be €300 for arrival delays of at least three but under four hours, and €600 for four hours or more.

This is not a guaranteed payout for every delayed flight. Severe weather, air-traffic-management decisions or security threats may amount to extraordinary circumstances. Routine maintenance-related technical issues and internal airline strikes generally do not automatically release a carrier from compensation obligations.

Connections: one booking or two?

For a protected connection on one reservation, arrival at the final destination is particularly important, even if the initial leg is delayed by less than three hours. With separate tickets, the airline may not be responsible for your self-transfer. Check what you booked before assuming onward protection.

How to claim

Collect the itinerary, boarding pass, delay notifications, receipts and the best available evidence of actual arrival. First submit the claim to the operating carrier. If unresolved, check the national enforcement authority responsible for the flight. In appropriate Bulgarian cases, the Bulgarian Civil Aviation Administration may be relevant.

You can claim directly, without a claims agent. If you choose a third-party compensation service, check its fees and terms first; approval is never guaranteed.

Frequently asked questions

Does a two-hour delay mean I get €250?

Not automatically. Two hours can trigger care on a short flight, while compensation typically depends on arriving at least three hours late and meeting other conditions.

What if bad weather caused the delay?

Standard cash compensation may not be payable, but a duty of care can still apply. Contact the airline and retain evidence of reasonable expenses.

Can I claim care costs and compensation?

They are separate rights assessed on their own facts. Reasonable expenses when care was not provided should not be confused with the standard compensation amount.

Best practical tip: document the disruption in real time. Actual arrival times and airline messages can be much harder to reconstruct later.