Air passenger rights

Passenger rights are not one single rule and they are not only fixed compensation of 250, 400 or 600 euros. In practice, every case separates three questions: whether fixed compensation is available, whether refund or rerouting is required, and whether the airline owed care during the wait.

For delays, arrival at the final destination matters most. For cancellations, the timing of notice and the replacement flight matter. For missed connections, one booking is often decisive. For baggage, the same EC261 logic does not apply; reports, deadlines and actual costs become central.

This page is a map. If you know what happened, go straight to the relevant main guide. If you are not yet sure whether the problem is a delay, cancellation, connection or baggage issue, start with this overview.

Travelers from Serbia often think nationality decides whether compensation is possible. In most cases, the more important facts are departure airport, arrival airport, operating carrier and whether the journey was bought as one booking.

A flight departing from the EU is usually covered more broadly regardless of airline. A flight from Serbia to the EU can be stronger when operated by a European carrier. Flights from the EU to Serbia often have a good basis too. For journeys through European hubs, one booking can be decisive because arrival at the final destination is assessed.

If you are unsure, do not give up immediately. Keep the itinerary, booking reference, boarding pass and airline messages. A good assessment starts with the route and booking, not with a general feeling that the airline is or is not responsible.

Fixed compensation is a set amount that may be owed when conditions are met and the airline does not have a successful extraordinary-circumstances defence. Refund is repayment of the ticket price when travel was not performed properly or when you choose to cancel in an allowed situation. Care means meals, refreshments, communication, hotel and transfer during the wait.

This distinction matters because you can lose fixed compensation because of fog or air traffic control, but still have a right to meals, hotel or rerouting. You can also receive a ticket refund without automatically closing the compensation question.

In every claim, separate what you are asking for: fixed compensation review, ticket refund, reimbursement of care costs or a combination. A structured request is clearer and harder to reject with one generic sentence.

The best evidence is the evidence saved while you are still at the airport. Boarding pass, booking confirmation, airline SMS or email, app screenshot, departures-board photo, receipts for meals or hotel and the airport where the issue happened often matter more than a long explanation weeks later.

If gate staff state the reason, write down the exact wording and time. If the airline changes the reason, for example first technical fault, then slot, then crew, save every version. A changed reason does not automatically prove compensation, but it is a strong signal that the case should be checked carefully.

The main guides on this page cover each topic to medium depth: enough to understand whether the case makes sense and what the next step is. The detailed blog articles below them go deeper into subtopics such as bad weather, technical fault, deadlines, documents, vouchers, rejected claims or Serbia-specific routes.

The best path is simple: read the main guide for your disruption first, then open the linked detailed guide if you have a specific airline excuse or special situation. That avoids wandering through the blog archive and moves you from the main rule to the specific proof.