Ryanair and Lufthansa among worst European airlines for flight compensation, study finds

Ever wondered how European airlines compare when it comes to delay and cancellation compensation? A new AirAdvisor assessment sheds some light by ranking European airlines by how often they successfully resolve compensation claims. 

The worst European airlines for flight compensation claims

According to AirAdvisor, TAROM, AeroItalia, Ryanair, Air Europa and Lufthansa are the five European airlines that are worst at successfully processing flight delay compensation claims.

AirAdvisor analysed 68.283 compensation claims filed with 59 European airlines between January and June 2026. Then, it selected 22 airlines with at least 100 qualifying claims for the final ranking, which analysed a total of 10.760 claims.

These compensation claims were judged based on the “successful claim resolution” under the European Union’s Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (EU261) or the equivalent law in the UK.

The EU regulation is a three-tiered system that entitles passengers to different compensation depending on flight distance and whether their flight is delayed by two hours or more, five hours or more, or delayed until the following day.

AirAdvisor found that of the 122 qualified claims sent to TAROM, just 3,3 percent were successful and 46,7 percent ended up in court. Of the 174 claims sent to AeroItalia, 0,6 percent were successful, and 28,2 percent were taken to court. Of the 991 claims to Ryanair, just 2,1 percent were successful, and 17,8 percent were sent to court.

As such, AirAdvisor designated these airlines as the “least honest” for compensation claims, referring to how airlines handled the claims, but not, as they emphasise, “airline safety, general customer service, corporate ethics, or overall airline quality”.

While Switzerland is not an EU member state, EU261 protections apply to all flights departing Swiss airports (including Zurich, Geneva and EuroAirport Basel) and arrivals on EU/Swiss carriers via the Swiss-EU Air Transport Agreement.

Which airlines pay out? The most reliable carriers for compensation

AirAdvisor ranked TAP Air Portugal, LOT Polish Airlines, Wizz Air, Iberia and Brussels Airlines as the “most honest”. Of the 159 claims sent to TAP, 88,7 percent were successful and just 0,6 percent were sent to court.

Of the 239 claims sent to LOT, 82,8 percent were successful and none were sent to court. Finally, of the whopping 866 claims sent to Wizz, 72,2 percent were successful, and 1,2 percent were sent to court. 

Upcoming 2027 EU rules: Tighter deadlines and baggage protections

Passengers travelling in the EU and Switzerland can soon look forward to greater travel entitlements and improved compensation procedures. On October 23, 2027, the EU will introduce the Regulation (EU) 2026/2202, guaranteeing passengers a free personal item on board, transparent ticket pricing and no penalties for hold luggage.

Airlines will also have to issue cash payouts for delayed and cancelled flights within seven days, and there will be stricter rules on airline travel vouchers replacing cash refunds

Airlines must also re-route passengers who miss a connection booked under a single contract, offering full refunds if they cannot provide alternative travel within five hours.

Finally, passengers will have the right to self-reroute, meaning if an airline fails to offer alternative transport within three hours of a disruption, travellers can book their own ticket and claim reimbursement of up to 400 percent of the original ticket price within 14 days.

This article originally appeared on IamExpat Germany.