Brussels Airlines compensation amounts: EUR 250, 400 or 600

This guide assumes EU261 applies and Brussels Airlines is the responsible operating carrier. Coverage and extraordinary circumstances still need their own assessment.

The EU261 amount table

Distance is measured by the great-circle method. It is not the sum of miles actually flown after diversions, nor the road distance between airports. An itinerary's special treatment as intra-EU can matter: two EU airports more than 1,500 km apart remain in the EUR 400 band, even if their separation exceeds 3,500 km.

Direct-flight examples

A short Brussels Airlines European sector under 1,500 km normally falls in the EUR 250 band. A covered medium route from Brussels to a non-EU destination between 1,500 and 3,500 km normally points to EUR 400. An SN-operated long-haul service between Brussels and a distant African or North American city ordinarily points to EUR 600.

Verify the precise airports rather than relying on country names. Routes to islands, border regions or airports serving a city from another jurisdiction can cross a distance boundary. Do not hard-code current flight numbers or schedules into a claim; the booking and boarding pass identify the actual service.

Connected journeys can change the endpoint

On one reservation, the relevant distance generally extends to the final destination where the passenger suffers the qualifying delay. Suppose a short feeder reaches Brussels late, the traveller misses an SN-operated long-haul flight and arrives at the final African destination the next day. The amount is not automatically limited to the feeder's distance.

The Court of Justice judgment in Bossen v Brussels Airlines confirms that, for a connected journey, distance is calculated between the first point of departure and final destination using the direct great-circle distance. The distances of individual legs are not simply added together.

Separate tickets usually prevent that combined treatment. If booking A ends at BRU and booking B begins later, the amount for booking A is assessed against its own destination unless another contractual protection joins the journeys.

When EUR 600 becomes EUR 300

For a journey over 3,500 km between an EU and non-EU airport, a long arrival delay between three and four hours may lead to a 50 percent reduction. The practical sequence is:

1. confirm the itinerary is in the over-3,500 km band;
2. measure actual final arrival using first door opening;
3. if delay is at least three but below four hours, test EUR 300;
4. if delay reaches four hours, retain EUR 600 as the normal band;
5. assess cause, operating carrier and other conditions.

Cancellation rerouting has its own reduction windows. A replacement that reaches the destination sufficiently close to schedule can halve the applicable standard amount. Do not apply a blanket 50 percent deduction simply because an alternative flight was accepted.

Family, child and award-ticket calculations

Fixed compensation belongs to each affected passenger, not only the person who paid. If two adults and two children hold qualifying reservations and all satisfy the conditions, calculate four amounts. An infant travelling without a paid seat and without a publicly available fare can require a different Article 3 analysis.

Publicly available frequent-flyer award tickets are not excluded merely because miles funded them. Brussels Airlines Miles & More bookings can therefore qualify. The fixed amount is still in euros; it is not converted to the number of miles used. Refund of points and taxes after cancellation is a separate remedy addressed in the Miles & More guide.

What the amount does not include

EUR 250/400/600 is a standard payment for lost time or the qualifying event. It does not replace:

• a ticket refund when reimbursement is chosen;
• rerouting to the final destination;
• reasonable meals, hotel and airport transfer;
• Article 10 reimbursement for downgrade;
• proven baggage expense or loss;
• recoverable additional damage under another legal basis.

List these heads separately. Deducting a meal voucher from fixed compensation, or treating compensation as a substitute for ticket money, confuses distinct duties.

EUR or GBP on United Kingdom routes

UK261 uses GBP 220, GBP 350 and GBP 520, including GBP 260 for a qualifying long-haul delay between three and four hours. A Brussels–UK itinerary can engage EU and UK rules depending on direction and operator. Overlap does not permit two recoveries for the same inconvenience.

Classify the legal regime before writing the currency. The Brussels Airlines UK guide gives direction examples.

A calculation worksheet

Record:

The Brussels Airlines calculator guide converts this worksheet into a decision process. Preserve its inputs rather than submitting only a screenshot of a result.

FAQ

Is Brussels Airlines compensation calculated from my fare?

No. Fixed EU261 payment is normally based on distance and event. Fare matters for ticket reimbursement and some downgrade calculations.

Does every African Brussels Airlines route pay EUR 600?

No. The precise airports and distance must be checked, and entitlement still depends on delay, notice, cause and operator.

How is distance calculated with a connection at Brussels Airport?

For protected connected travel, use the direct great-circle distance from first departure to final destination rather than adding each flown leg.

Can every family member claim the full amount?

Each eligible passenger has an individual claim. Age alone does not remove entitlement when the child travels on a qualifying ticket.

Why might a 3.5-hour long-haul delay pay EUR 300?

EU261 allows the EUR 600 amount to be halved for certain over-3,500 km arrival delays between three and four hours.

Official sources

• Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Article 7
• Court of Justice judgment C-559/16, Bossen v Brussels Airlines
• Brussels Airlines passenger rights
• UK CAA flight-delay guidance