TripRights does not interpret the law from memory or from other websites. Each figure, deadline and condition is checked against the official text, and the page names the article or the case it comes from.
What we use
- EU and EEA: Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 on EUR-Lex, and rulings of the Court of Justice of the EU on CURIA. See EU261.
- United Kingdom: the retained version of Regulation 261/2004 and the 2019 amending regulations on legislation.gov.uk. See UK261.
- United States: Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations on eCFR, mainly Part 250 (denied boarding) and Part 260 (refunds). See US DOT rules.
- Brazil: ANAC Resolution 400/2016, the Consumer Defence Code on planalto.gov.br and consumidor.gov.br. See ANAC 400.
- Baggage and international delays: the Montreal Convention, with its limits as revised in December 2024. See Montreal Convention.
Only official sources are linked: legislation databases, regulators, courts, treaty text and the airlines’ own sites.
How the calculator decides
The rights calculator works from these inputs:
- The country you departed from.
- The country you arrived in.
- The home regime of the operating airline (EU, UK, US or Brazil), not the airline you booked with.
- The great-circle distance between the two airports.
- How late you arrived, not how late you left.
- How much notice you were given of a cancellation or change.
From these it works out which regime applies, which distance band applies, and the fixed amount that regime sets. It then shows the amount as an estimate, not a decision.
What it cannot know
- The cause. Compensation under EU and UK rules can be refused when the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances. The calculator cannot tell whether a given cause qualifies. See extraordinary circumstances.
- Connecting itineraries. Whether a connection counts as one journey depends on how it was booked. See missed connections.
- Court practice. Courts in different countries apply the rules differently, and deadlines vary. We state a national limitation period only when we have confirmed it in an official source.
- Your documents. The calculator does not see your ticket or the airline’s messages.
Verification date
Every page shows the date it was last checked against the sources. If a law has changed since that date, the date tells you to check again.
Good to know
When a reform is proposed but not in force, the page says so and describes only what applies today.
Report an error
If a figure, date or link is wrong, email contact@trip-rights.com with the page and the official text that shows the problem. We check it against the source and correct the page.