Flight compensation under EU 261 is a fixed amount of EUR 250, 400 or 600 — roughly SEK 2,800, 4,500 or 6,800. Which of the three amounts you can claim is decided by two things: how long the flight was and how late you arrived at your final destination. It is not decided by what the ticket cost. The calculator below combines those figures and shows an estimate — and further down we explain step by step how it works, so the result is not a black box.
<div class="seomatrix-image-placeholder">Interactive calculator: flight distance, delay length and cause in — estimated compensation amount out.</div>
What the calculator asks for — and why
The calculator asks only a few questions, and each one corresponds to a condition in the regulation.
Departure and arrival airport. From these the flight distance is calculated in kilometres. The distance is measured as the crow flies between the two airports (great-circle distance), not as the route actually flown. It is the distance that places you in the right distance tier.
How long the delay was. What counts is the delay on arrival at the final destination — that is, when the aircraft door opened — not how late the plane took off. The threshold is three hours. If you are less than three hours late, there is normally no right to compensation, however irritating the wait was.
What kind of disruption it was. A delay, a cancelled flight and denied boarding are assessed slightly differently. A cancelled flight announced at short notice is not handled exactly like a long delay.
What the airline gave as the cause. This is the question most people underestimate. If the disruption was caused by an extraordinary circumstance beyond the airline's control — extreme weather, an air traffic control strike, a security threat — the right to compensation disappears even if the delay was long. If it was caused by something the airline is responsible for, such as a technical fault or staff shortage, the compensation stays in place.
EU 261 splits flights into three distance tiers — EUR 250, 400 and 600.
How the amount is worked out — the distance tiers
EU Regulation 261/2004 splits flights into three tiers by distance. The calculator uses exactly the same split:
| Flight distance | Compensation | Roughly in SEK | Typical example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | EUR 250 | ≈ SEK 2,800 | Stockholm–Copenhagen, Gothenburg–Oslo |
| 1,500–3,500 km (and all flights within the EU over 1,500 km) | EUR 400 | ≈ SEK 4,500 | Stockholm–London, Stockholm–Rome |
| Over 3,500 km, between the EU and a non-EU country | EUR 600 | ≈ SEK 6,800 | Stockholm–New York, Stockholm–Bangkok |
The euro amount is the legally binding one — it is the sum the airline must pay. The SEK amounts are approximate and move with the exchange rate, so treat them as a guide, not an exact figure.
One detail that is often missed on the longest tier: on a flight over 3,500 km between the EU and a non-EU country, the airline can halve the compensation to EUR 300 if you were re-routed and arrived with a delay of less than four hours. The calculator takes this into account when you enter the actual arrival delay.
Compensation is not a refund
Before you trust a figure, it is worth knowing what the figure is. The calculator works out compensation — the fixed flat-rate amount for the disruption itself. It does not work out a refund, meaning the money back for a ticket you no longer intend to use.
These are two separate rights. If your flight is cancelled, you can choose re-routing or a refund of the ticket — and on top of that you may be entitled to compensation of EUR 250–600. Airlines sometimes offer a refund and let it sound as if the matter is therefore closed. The calculator keeps the two items apart, and so should you. More on the distinction in our overview of passenger rights under EU 261.
When the calculator says no — and when it can still be wrong
If the result comes out at zero, it is usually for one of three reasons: the delay was under three hours, the airline has cited an extraordinary circumstance, or the flight was entirely outside EU 261's geographic scope.
Here is an honest caveat. The fact that an airline calls a cause extraordinary does not automatically make it extraordinary. A technical fault that is part of normal maintenance is generally not counted as a circumstance beyond the airline's control, even if the airline claims it is. If the calculator shows zero because of the cause — but you suspect the airline is stretching the term — the matter is not settled. Read what actually applies on the page about extraordinary circumstances before you drop the claim.
And regardless of whether the compensation falls away: the right to care does not. The airline must still cover meals, drinks and, if needed, a hotel during the wait.
The result — and your two ways forward
The calculator gives you an estimate, not a legal decision. If it says your situation looks eligible for compensation, you have two ways forward, and both are entirely legitimate:
Claim it yourself — costs nothing. You contact the airline directly with the flight number, date and a reference to EU 261/2004, and stand your ground if they say no at first. If you get no response, you can take the matter further to ARN, the Swedish National Board for Consumer Disputes, free of charge. We walk through this whole route in the guide on claiming flight compensation yourself. It takes time and patience, but you keep the full amount. We cover what you are entitled to after a flight delay in a section of its own.
Hand it to a claim service. A service such as AirHelp handles the contact, the paperwork and any dispute — and takes a commission from what is paid out if it succeeds. You get less than the full amount, but you skip the fight itself. Which one pays off depends on how you value your time and how difficult the case looks. We work through that trade-off in claim yourself or use a service. We cover how to pursue the claim on your own in a section of its own.
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<p><strong>Want to hand the case over?</strong> You can let AirHelp check your flight and pursue the claim for you: <a href="/go/airhelp" rel="nofollow sponsored noopener">check your flight with AirHelp</a>. The service works on a commission on the compensation paid out — you only pay if they get the claim through, and you can always pursue the case for free yourself instead.</p>
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<p class="seomatrix-disclaimer">Disclosure: the link to AirHelp above is an advertising link. If you proceed via it, Kravflyg may receive compensation, at no extra cost to you and with no effect on your commission rate. We explain how this works on the <a href="/en/affiliate-disclosure/">affiliate disclosure</a> page.</p>
This is not legal advice
The calculator and the text on this page are based on EU Regulation 261/2004 and institutional sources. This is general information, not an assessment of your individual case — expert review has not yet been carried out. For advice on your specific case, contact Allmänna reklamationsnämnden / ARN (the Swedish National Board for Consumer Disputes) or Transportstyrelsen (the Swedish Transport Agency), the supervisory authority for air passenger rights in Sweden.
A calculated amount is a starting point, not a promise. The final word comes from the airline, ARN or, as a last resort, a court.
Frequently asked questions
How does the calculator work out my flight compensation?
The calculator uses two pieces of information: the length of the flight in kilometres and how late you arrived at your final destination. The distance places you in one of three distance tiers (EUR 250, 400 or 600) and the delay length decides whether the three-hour threshold has been passed. It also asks for the cause, because extraordinary circumstances can remove the right to compensation. The result is an estimate based on EU 261/2004 — not a legal decision.
Does the difference between compensation and a refund matter in the calculator?
Yes. The calculator works out compensation — the fixed flat-rate amount of EUR 250 to 600 for the disruption. It does not work out a refund, meaning the money back for a ticket you are no longer going to use. They are two separate rights. With a cancelled flight you may in some cases be entitled to both at once.
What does it cost to work out the flight compensation?
The calculator is free and needs no login or bank details. It gives you an estimate. Pursuing the claim itself is also free if you do it yourself directly with the airline or through ARN, the Swedish National Board for Consumer Disputes. A claim service such as AirHelp takes a commission on the amount paid out — the calculation itself costs nothing, whichever route you take.
Are the calculator amounts in SEK exact?
No, the SEK amounts are approximate. EU 261 states the compensation in euros — EUR 250, 400 and 600. The SEK amounts of roughly 2,800, 4,500 and 6,800 move with the exchange rate. It is the euro amount that is the legal unit and that the airline must pay.
Is the calculator answer enough to claim the money?
The calculator tells you whether your situation looks eligible for compensation and what amount is involved. It does not file the claim for you. The next step is to contact the airline with the flight number, date and a reference to EU 261/2004 — either yourself or through a claim service. The result is a starting point, not a finished decision.
Sources and further reading
- EUR-Lex — Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (distance tiers and threshold values, Article 7)
- Court of Justice of the EU — Sturgeon and Others, joined cases C-402/07 and C-432/07 (the three-hour rule for delays)
- Transportstyrelsen — Passenger rights (the supervisory authority in Sweden)
- Konsumentverket — Delayed and cancelled flights (the Swedish Consumer Agency)
- Allmänna reklamationsnämnden / ARN — the Swedish National Board for Consumer Disputes, which examines disputes free of charge for the consumer
Last reviewed: 17 May 2026.
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