EU261 9-Month Deadline: New 2026 Filing Rule Explained
The EU261 reform adds a 9-month deadline to claim flight compensation. Here is what changed, when it applies, and how to check your window.
On 7 July 2026, the European Parliament voted 646 to 12 in favour of the first major overhaul of EU261, the regulation governing flight delay and cancellation compensation, since it was introduced in 2004. Headlines have focused on one change in particular: a new 9-month deadline for filing a compensation claim, measured from the date of the flight.
If you've been putting off checking an old flight, or you're worried this new rule might already apply to you, here's what you actually need to know, including the parts most coverage of this story is glossing over.
The reform isn't law yet
This is the single most important fact missing from a lot of the coverage circulating right now: the 9-month deadline is not in force. The July 2026 vote was the European Parliament's approval, not final enactment. Before it becomes binding law, several more steps need to happen:
- The Council of the EU needs to give its own confirmation
- Once confirmed, the regulation enters into force 20 days after publication in the EU's Official Journal
- Airlines are then given a further full year to implement the new rules operationally
Putting that timeline together, the 9-month filing deadline realistically won't be binding on any flight until the second half of 2027 at the earliest, and quite possibly later, depending on how quickly the Council process moves.
What's actually changing, and what isn't
Compensation amounts are staying the same. The reform preserves the existing tiered structure:
- €250 (£220) for shorter flights
- €400 (£350) for medium-haul flights
- €600 (£520) for long-haul flights over 3,500km with a 4+ hour delay
The 9-month filing deadline is new. Once in force, passengers will have 9 months from the date of their flight to submit a compensation claim directly to the airline. This is a change from the current situation, where there's no EU261-specific deadline and claimants instead rely on each country's general limitation periods, in England and Wales, that's typically up to 6 years.
Cabin bag pricing transparency is also part of the package, though it's a separate issue from compensation. Airlines will be required to show the price of a personal-item cabin bag allowance clearly and included in the upfront fare, rather than burying it as a later add-on.
Why this matters even before it's law
Even though the rule isn't binding yet, its passage through Parliament signals a clear direction for EU air passenger rights policy, tightening timelines and closing loopholes airlines have historically used to slow-walk claims. Two things are worth watching:
First, once in force, it will apply specifically to EU-departing flights under EU261. The UK's parallel UK261 framework is separate, post-Brexit UK law, and there's no indication yet that the UK will mirror this specific change. If you're flying UK-departing routes, the current position is unaffected by this reform regardless of when it takes effect.
Second, a 9-month window, while shorter than the multi-year limitation periods claimants currently enjoy, is still a genuinely workable timeframe for anyone who checks their flight reasonably promptly after travelling. It's really only a problem for people who let claims sit for a year or more before acting.
What this means for you today
If you have a flight from earlier in 2026, or even from previous years, that you haven't checked yet, the 9-month rule doesn't apply to it, has never applied to it, and won't apply to it retroactively even once it comes into force. EU regulations of this kind aren't made retroactive; they apply from their effective date forward. Your existing claim window, based on your country's standard limitation period, remains exactly what it was before this reform was announced.
Don't let a headline about a "new 9-month deadline" push you into either false urgency or false despair about an older flight. Both reactions are based on a misunderstanding of when this rule will actually bite.
Frequently asked questions
Does the 9-month deadline apply to my flight right now? No. The reform hasn't received final Council confirmation, hasn't entered into force, and even once it does, airlines get a further year before it applies operationally.
Will this affect UK261 claims too? Not directly. UK261 is separate UK legislation and this EU reform doesn't automatically apply to it.
Is €600/£520 still the maximum I can claim? Yes, the compensation tiers are unchanged by this reform.
I have a flight from a few years ago I never checked, is it too late? Not necessarily. In England and Wales, the standard limitation period is up to 6 years, and this reform doesn't shorten that retroactively.
Had a delayed or cancelled flight recently?
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