FlightRepay

ANSWER · UK 261 AND EC 261

Can I claim compensation for my children?

Each passenger holding a ticket at a fare available to the public counts separately, so a child on a paid seat carries the same €600 top band as an adult. Art. 3(3) excludes passengers travelling free of charge, which is why a lap infant on a nil fare is generally outside the regulation while a child on a paid seat is inside it.

REVIEWED AGAINST RULE SET V6 AND THE CITED PRIMARY SOURCES · UPDATED 7 AUGUST 2026

How a family claim adds up

FOUR PAID SEATS ON ONE BOOKING
DISTANCE BANDPER PASSENGERFOUR PASSENGERS
Up to 1,500 km€250€1,000
1,500 to 3,500 km€400€1,600
Over 3,500 km€600€2,400
Per passenger amounts read from the rule set. The multiplication is arithmetic, not a separate rule.

Where Art. 3(3) bites

The exclusion covers passengers travelling free of charge or at a reduced fare not available directly or indirectly to the public. An infant carried on a parent's lap for no fare falls inside that exclusion. An infant fare sold openly on the airline's website, typically a percentage of the adult fare, is a public fare.

Who signs for a minor

A claim on behalf of a child is signed by a parent or guardian. Our intake collects one signature covering everyone on the booking, which is why a family of four is one claim rather than four.

SOURCES

  1. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 3(3) · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026
  2. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 7 · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026

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