Transport

Was Your Flight Delayed To or From Dublin & Shannon? You Might Be Owed €600

Ireland by Locals

26 Aug 2025 — 5 min read

Check if you are eligible for delayed flight compensation in Dublin

The European Union has a lot of laws. Some stupid, most smart. That water bottle cap that you're unsuccessfully trying to break off, that's one of the smart ones.

But my favorite one by far is EC261. It allows for compensation when flights are delayed or canceled. So if you're getting frustrated by a delayed flight and you see someone else smiling and checking their watch, it's because they're hoping the flight gets delayed even further and gets over that magic 3 hour delay mark.

The rules are complicated. Don't worry, I have an easier solution for you but here's when EC 261 applies.

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What Airlines & Airports Does EC 261 Cover?

If you are flying a European airline like Aer Lingus, then it covers all their flights to and from the EU including Dublin & Shannon Airports in Ireland.
If you are flying an American or other non-EU airline, then it only applies when you are departing from a European airport.
- So if you fly Delta from JFK to Dublin and your flight is delayed, no compensation, but if your Delta flight from Dublin to JFK is delayed, then you may get compensation.

What Does EC 261 Not Cover?

If you are only connecting in the EU. So if you fly from JFK-DUB-DOH and your EU flight is delayed, no compensation.

How Much Compensation Do You Get?

It depends on distance of the flight and length of delay. It generally has to be a 3 hour delay which is measured on your actual arrival time at your destination gate compared to your scheduled arrival time.

<1500km = €250
1500-3500km = €400
>3500km =€600

If your flight is canceled within 14 days of the flight, you may be entitled to compensation too.

What Caused the Delay is Important for EC261

If the delay is outside of the airlines hands, like weather delays, strikes then EC 261 doesn't apply

If the delay is due issues within the airlines hands, like a mechanical issue, then it qualifies.

So all this sounds too good to be true, but it's not. However, as we all know dealing with airlines is difficult especially when trying to get money from them. What caused the delay is critical and often a gray area. Literally, your hair will turn gray waiting on the airline trying to fight their way out of the compensation or accept that they have to pay it.

How To Apply For EC Compensation

Most airlines will have a link on their website to apply for it. It is usually well hidden because they don't want to you to find it or apply for it. I did it once with an airline and found it time consuming, they did eventually pay out.
Use a company like Airhelp who will do everything for you. They do all the work and can fight the airline on your behalf. I've used them for my last two claims and was very happy with them. They keep about a third of the cut, but for me, it's worth it. Just enter your flight details on their website and then forget about it.

Some EC 261 Examples

Let's look at 3 real world examples and see why they were or weren't eligible for compensation.

Newark To Dublin on United Airlines

I flew from Newark to Dublin on a very eventful trip. As I was sitting on the plane in Newark, they announced the flight was being cancelled due to mechanical issue. I was rebooked on a later flight and I arrived in Dublin 4 hours later than planned.

Let's check if I was eligible for a nice €400.

Length of delay: Longer than 3 hours ✅
Reason for delay: Mechanical issue ✅
Airline: United - Non EU
Flying to or from the EU: To ⛔

So I wasn't eligible because I was flying from the US on a non-EU airline.

If my United flight was delayed from Dublin, it would have qualified because EC 261 applies when departing Dublin even on a non-EU airline.
If I had been flying Aer Lingus from Newark, I would have got compensation because it was an EU airline.

Denver to Dublin on Aer Lingus

I was leading a walking tour the other day and asked my guest how their flight to Dublin was. He said it was awful, it landed more than 3 hours late. My ears perked up and I asked him what airline he flew. When he said Aer Lingus, I smiled and asked if he knew about EU delayed flight compensation. He didn't.

I explained that he and his two companions were possibly eligible for €1800 in compensation. I got a nice tip at the end of that walk!

Let's see why they were eligible

Length of delay: Longer than 3 hours ✅
Reason for delay: Mechanical issue ✅
Airline: Aer Lingus - EU ✅
Flying to or from the EU: To Dublin Airport on EU Airline ✅

I entered the flight information into AirHelp and got this screen saying the passenger may be entitled to €600 Aer Lingus delay compensation.

Brazil to Ireland on Multiple Airlines

I was in Brazil flying back to Dublin via Miami on two different airlines. My flight to Miami was cancelled and the airline rebooked me on a new itinerary that would take 4 flights and 48 hours to get back to Dublin.

I knew I wouldn't qualify for EC 261 because I was flying a non-EU airline to Dublin. I also didn't want to torture myself on the new itinerary, but I saw that TAP Portugal had a flight to Lisbon leaving in two hours, so I went up their desk and bought a one way ticket back to Dublin. It cost me €1200 but 13 hours later, I was home.

I was comfortable paying this because I had excellent travel insurance. So the lesson here is while EC 261 is great, you always need travel insurance.

I use VisitorsCoverage who have a 4.7 rating on Trustpilot.

Lessons To Learn

Now you know about EC 261 and you'll be one of those people who won't be disappointed with a 3 hour delay anymore!

It can even help you decide which airline to fly with. For EC 261, Aer Lingus has a lot of advantages, but it's not as clear as that.

My rule for Aer Lingus is that if they have a direct non stop flight to Dublin, I will fly them. But if I have to connect within the US, then I'll go with a US airline. I explain more about this here

Note

*I've researched this info and believe it be correct at time of writing, but check yourself for your specific case because rules are always changing. This is why I use Airhelp rather than pursue claims myself. They're experts and I'm not.