Avianca compensation amounts: EUR 600 or GBP 520
Avianca's highest fixed passenger-rights amount is normally EUR 600 per eligible passenger for a covered EU long-haul journey or GBP 520 for a covered UK long-haul journey delayed by at least four hours. Coverage must be proved before distance is calculated: an Avianca-operated departure from Madrid, Paris or London can qualify, while the ordinary Avianca-operated return from Latin America cannot. Lawful rerouting can reduce the long-haul amount to EUR 300 or GBP 260 in defined timing windows.
Free eligibility check
Check your case in the form
Enter your route, date and type of disruption. We will check whether your case qualifies for a claim under EU 261/2004 or UK261.
What happened to your flight?
Claim up to €600 for a delayed or cancelled flight.
Choose the situation that applies to your flight:
Check coverage and distance before multiplying a family total. The airline name alone never guarantees the top band.
First pass: is the Avianca journey protected?
EU261 applies to an Avianca-operated departure from an EU or EEA airport because all airlines are covered at departure. UK261 likewise covers an Avianca departure from a UK airport. Avianca is not an EU or UK carrier, so its inbound flights from Colombia and other third countries normally fail the carrier condition.
| Direction and operator | Continue to fixed amount? |
|---|---|
| Madrid-Bogota, Avianca operated | Yes, test EU amount |
| Paris-Bogota-onward destination, one booking | Yes, test EU final destination |
| London-Bogota, Avianca operated | Yes, test UK amount |
| Bogota-Madrid, Avianca operated | Normally no EU fixed amount |
| Bogota-London, Avianca operated | Normally no UK fixed amount |
If an EU or UK airline actually operated an inbound codeshare, reassess the route. If the disrupted continuous journey originally began in Europe and continued beyond Bogota, preserve the first departure and entire ticket.
EU261 bands and reduction
The EU fixed bands are EUR 250 for journeys up to 1,500 km, EUR 400 for defined medium-distance journeys, and EUR 600 for other journeys over 3,500 km. The route used for distance is the protected continuous journey to the final destination, not a sum of every aircraft leg.
For long-haul delay, arrival at least three hours late can open the EUR 600 band. If arrival remains no more than four hours late, Article 7 allows a 50% reduction, producing EUR 300. For cancellation or denied boarding, a comparable reduction can apply when accepted rerouting reaches the final destination inside the statutory four-hour window.
Do not infer the reduction from departure delay. The controlling comparison is final arrival after the replacement actually used.
UK261 long-haul calculation
UK261 uses GBP 220, GBP 350 and GBP 520 bands. For a covered long-haul delay, an arrival between three and four hours late generally yields GBP 260. An arrival at least four hours late reaches GBP 520.
Cancellation compensation also depends on notice and alternative-flight timing. A flight cancelled at least 14 days before departure usually has no fixed cancellation payment, although refund or rerouting rights remain. Involuntary denied boarding does not require the same advance-notice test.
The Heathrow-Bogota guide explains why London departure qualifies but the ordinary Avianca return does not.
Worked examples
Madrid to Bogota, five hours late. Avianca operates the flight, the journey begins in the EU and the cause is an ordinary airline-controlled operational problem. The initial figure is EUR 600 per eligible passenger.
Barcelona-Bogota-Cali, 3 hours 35 minutes late at Cali. Both sectors form one protected booking. The long-haul EU band starts at EUR 600, but the delay remains within the four-hour reduction window, so EUR 300 per passenger may be the correct fixed amount.
London to Bogota, 3 hours 20 minutes late. UK261 covers the departure. If all other conditions are met, the long-haul delay figure is normally GBP 260 rather than GBP 520.
Bogota to London, six hours late on Avianca. The high delay does not cure territorial scope. An Avianca-operated third-country departure normally falls outside UK261; investigate Colombian and contractual rights instead.
Paris-Bogota-Quito, four passengers, six hours late. One EU-origin booking and a non-extraordinary cause can produce four claims of EUR 600, a potential EUR 2,400 before adding separately proven care expenses.
Who counts as a passenger?
Fixed amounts are individual. Adults and children holding eligible confirmed tickets are assessed separately. A free infant travelling without a reserved seat can require closer analysis of whether the child held a ticket within the regulation's scope.
A public LifeMiles award is not excluded merely because miles paid the fare. EU261 expressly includes tickets issued under frequent-flyer programmes available to the public. The statutory amount is not reduced to taxes paid. Return of miles, taxes and any upgrade instrument is a different account.
Use the LifeMiles guide for award bookings.
Do not confuse four different sums
One disruption can create multiple remedies, but they should not be collapsed into “compensation”.
| Remedy | How it is calculated |
|---|---|
| Fixed EU261 or UK261 amount | Statutory distance, event and timing band |
| Unused-ticket reimbursement | Fare for travel not taken under the applicable choice |
| Care expenses | Actual reasonable meals, hotel and transport with receipts |
| Baggage or delay damages | Proven loss under the Montreal Convention and its limits |
A passenger who takes the rerouted flight cannot normally demand the full unused fare as though no transport was supplied. A voucher accepted for reimbursement does not automatically extinguish the fixed amount unless a valid settlement clearly covers it.
Evidence for the calculation
Attach the complete e-ticket and fare receipt, not only a boarding pass. Show the first protected departure, all direct connections, final destination, operating carrier and actual arrival. For a reduced offer, compare final arrival with the four-hour threshold and ask Avianca to identify the legal basis.
For a group, create one row per passenger with ticket number and amount. Add care receipts in a separate schedule. If a flight was cancelled, include notice date and replacement timings because distance alone cannot decide entitlement.
The claim-form guide turns the calculation into a concise submission.
FAQ
When does Avianca owe EUR 600?
When a covered EU-origin long-haul event meets the delay, cancellation or denied-boarding rules and Avianca cannot establish a valid defence or reduction.
Can EUR 600 be reduced to EUR 300?
Yes. Long-haul compensation may be reduced by 50% when the final arrival after delay or rerouting falls within the statutory four-hour window.
Is three hours late from London worth GBP 520?
Not automatically. A qualifying long-haul arrival between three and four hours late normally yields GBP 260; GBP 520 begins at four hours.
Does each child receive a separate amount?
A ticketed child with an eligible confirmed seat is assessed per passenger. Free infants without reserved seats need closer review.
Are hotel costs deducted from fixed compensation?
No. Reasonable care expenses and the fixed amount are separate remedies when both are due.