What a flight!

Airline guide

Eurowings compensation

Eurowings flies Lufthansa Group's short-haul leisure routes from German bases, and German courts have a long, claimant-friendly body of EU261 case law.

Quick answer

Eurowings flies Lufthansa Group's short-haul leisure routes from German bases, and German courts have a long, claimant-friendly body of EU261 case law.

Airline
Eurowings
Main hub
Düsseldorf
Potential compensation
€250–€600 per passenger
Route coverage
EU departures; EU-airline arrivals

Does Eurowings have to pay?

Eurowings flies from EU and EEA airports, so EC Regulation 261/2004 applies to those departures regardless of where the flight is going. Most sectors run from Düsseldorf, Cologne, Hamburg and Stuttgart to the Mediterranean, straddling the 1,500 km line. Most of those routes fall in the €250 band, with longer ones reaching €400.

What usually decides the claim

  • A delay crossing 1,500 km moves you from €250 to €400 — check the great-circle distance.
  • Wet-leased aircraft do not change who owes you: the ticketed operating carrier pays.
  • Germany's Luftfahrt-Bundesamt handles complaints, and Schlichtungsstelle söp offers free arbitration.
  • German courts routinely reject technical faults as an excuse.

How to send your claim

Eurowings uses an online feedback and claim form. German-language claims are processed fastest, but English is accepted.

If they refuse

Airlines often reject a first claim with a one-line reference to extraordinary circumstances. Ask them to state the specific cause and the reasonable measures they took. If the answer is unconvincing or none arrives within 14 days, escalate to the national enforcement body in the country of departure — for Düsseldorf-based flights that is the regulator of that state — or to an approved alternative dispute resolution scheme.

Common questions

What is söp and should I use it?
It is Germany's free arbitration scheme for passengers. If Eurowings refuses, söp is a cheap next step before court.
How long do I have to claim?
It depends on the country whose courts would hear the case: three years in Germany, five in Spain, six in the UK and Ireland, two in some others. Older flights are often still claimable, so it is worth asking.
Does Eurowings charge to process a claim?
No. Claiming under EU261 is free and the airline has to handle it, which is exactly why handing 25–35% to an agency is hard to justify.

Primary sources

Official guidance and legislation used to review this page.