Compensation for a delayed flight is not luck — it is a fixed right. If your flight is at least 3 hours late when it arrives, you may be entitled to 250, 400 or 600 euros. The rules apply in Norway through the EEA, and it is free to complain. You need neither a lawyer nor a claims company.
The rules are set out in EU Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004, which applies as Norwegian regulation through the EEA Agreement (as of 21 July 2026). Unlike ordinary purchases of goods, flight tickets do not have a right to cancel as other consumer purchases might — but the regulation gives you something else: fixed compensation, meals and practical help when your journey fails. On SamfunnPrep we gather such rights that newcomers to Norway often miss.
How much compensation do you get for a delayed flight?
The amount depends on how far you were going to fly, not what your ticket cost. The delay must be at least 3 hours measured upon arrival at the final destination (as of 21 July 2026). The rates are the same as before — the reform approved in July 2026 has not yet come into force.
| Distance | Delayed arrival | Compensation today (as of 21.07.2026) | From around mid-2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 1500 km | at least 3 hours | 250 euros (approx. 2,800 NOK) | Unchanged: 250 euros |
| Over 1500 km in EEA, otherwise 1500–3500 km | at least 3 hours | 400 euros (approx. 4,500 NOK) | Unchanged: 400 euros |
| Over 3500 km outside EEA | at least 3 hours | 600 euros (approx. 6,700 NOK) | 600 euros, can be halved to 300 euros if re-routed |
The amounts in Norwegian krone are approximate and follow the euro exchange rate. If the airline offers re-routing so that you only land slightly delayed, the compensation can be halved (art. 7 no. 2). If the delay is 5 hours or more, you can instead demand your ticket to be refunded.
Do the rules apply to my flight?
If you fly from a Norwegian airport, the rules always apply — regardless of airline. It doesn't matter whether you fly with SAS, Norwegian, Wizz Air, Turkish Airlines or Qatar Airways.
If you fly to Norway from a country outside the EEA, the rules only apply if the airline is an EEA airline. If you fly home from Istanbul, Doha or Bangkok with an airline outside the EEA, you are not covered.
Here is a trap many fall into. A single booking Oslo–Istanbul–home is counted as one continuous journey, and compensation is calculated based on the total distance (EU Court of Justice, case C-537/17). But that same journey home again, with a non-EEA airline from an airport outside the EEA, is not covered at all. Two separate bookings instead of one can cost you 600 euros.
Meals, drinks and hotel — even without compensation
The right to catering applies regardless of the reason for the delay — even when the airline does not have to pay compensation. You are entitled to meals, drinks and two phone calls, and to a hotel with transport if you have to wait until the next day.
| Distance | Right to meals and drinks after |
|---|---|
| Up to 1500 km | 2 hours |
| Over 1500 km within EEA | 3 hours |
| Other flights | 4 hours |
Today this right has no limit in time or money, not even in bad weather or other extraordinary circumstances (EU Court of Justice, case C-12/11, ash cloud in 2010). If the airline does not cover what you are entitled to, it is important to know that travel insurance covers something completely different from the airline's responsibility.
Cancelled flight and overbooking
With a cancelled flight you choose for yourself between getting your ticket refunded or being re-routed to your destination as soon as possible. Refunds must be made within 7 days. If you are given notice at least two weeks before departure, you are not entitled to standard compensation.
If you are denied boarding because the flight is overbooked, you are entitled to compensation immediately — in addition to a refund or re-routing. Never volunteer to give up your seat without a written agreement about what you get in return.
When does the airline get away with not paying?
Only in the case of extraordinary circumstances that the airline could not have avoided — for example bad weather, terrorism, sabotage or strikes by the airport or air traffic control. The burden of proof is on the airline.
Two common grounds for rejection do not hold up:
- Technical fault. The Civil Aviation Authority is clear: "Technical faults are in principle not an extraordinary circumstance."
- Strike by the airline's own staff. The EU Court of Justice established in case C-28/20 (23 March 2021) that a lawful strike by the airline's own employees does not exempt it from paying compensation.
If a refusal only says "strike", you should ask who was on strike. A strike by the airline's own crew gives you money; a strike outside the airline does not.
Delayed or damaged baggage
Baggage is governed by separate rules (the Montreal Convention), in addition to the compensation above. The deadlines are short, and few know them:
- Damaged baggage: file a written complaint within 7 days.
- Delayed baggage: file a complaint within 21 days; baggage is considered lost after 21 days.
Compensation is limited to 1,519 SDR per passenger — an international amount limit that was raised on 28 December 2024. The Civil Aviation Authority states this as approximately 22,220 Norwegian krone. The amount is in addition to any delayed flight compensation.
How to complain for free — step by step
You can claim the money yourself, free of charge. Claims companies typically charge 25–30 percent of the compensation for work you can do for free.
- Complain in writing to the airline first (by email or form). This is a mandatory first step.
- If you get a refusal, or no final answer within 4 weeks (max 8 weeks with notice), you move the case on.
- Complain free of charge to the Transport Appeal Board – Aviation. The board is funded by the airlines, not by you. The complaint must be sent no later than one year after you complained in writing to the airline.
The Transport Appeal Board is one of several free complaint boards you can use as a consumer. In 2025, 55 percent of complainants received full or partial support (35 percent full support) out of 2,874 aviation cases. Be patient: the average processing time was 140 days. The decisions are advisory, so an airline can refuse to follow them — 124 statements were rejected in 2025.
How long can you wait before claiming?
In Norway the deadline is 3 years. The Supreme Court established on 14 December 2020 (HR-2020-2401-A) that there is no short complaint deadline for such claims — only the ordinary limitation period of three years. Old delays from 2023 onwards can thus still be claimed. But do not wait, as the deadline becomes much shorter under the new rules.
New in 2026: approved, but applies around mid-2027
The EU approved the first major revision of air passenger rights since 2004 in the summer of 2026. The Council gave final approval on 13 July 2026. But nothing changes for you flying today — the new rules are expected to apply around mid-2027, and in Norway only when they are incorporated into the EEA Agreement. Pages that say "new rules from 2026" are wrong.
This is worth noting about the changes:
- The amounts and 3-hour threshold remain. The proposal to raise the threshold to 4 hours and change the amounts to 300–500 euros was voted down.
- Your deadline shrinks from 3 years to 9 months. This is the most important deterioration for you.
- Hotel is limited to a maximum of 3 nights when the cause is outside the airline's control — worse than today.
- The airline must send you a claims form within 4 days and pay or give reasons for rejection within 30 days. Hand baggage is to be included in the price from the first search, and children under 14 are to sit free next to their parents.
Many of these rights are connected to the rules you learn about for the citizenship exam. On SamfunnPrep you can practise free with tools and exercises on consumer and everyday law, so you know your rights before you need them.
