Ethiopian Airlines flight compensation (2026)
Laws current as of July 2026.
US law sets no delay-payout, but an involuntary bump pays cash up to $2,150 (14 CFR Part 250) and a cancelled flight you decline owes an automatic cash refund (14 CFR Part 260). If your Ethiopian Airlines flight qualifies, you can prepare and send the claim yourself and keep 100% of the payout — no commission to a claims company.
If your Ethiopian Airlines flight was delayed 3+ hours, cancelled, or overbooked, you may be legally owed cash compensation under undefined. Here is what the law says, and how to claim it yourself without giving 35% to a claims company.
How much is a Ethiopian Airlines claim worth?
| Situation | What US law owes you |
|---|---|
| Involuntary denied boarding — short delay | up to $1,075 (200% of fare, in cash) |
| Involuntary denied boarding — long delay | up to $2,150 (400% of fare, in cash) |
| Cancelled or significantly changed flight you decline | Automatic full cash refund — not a voucher |
US law has no fixed delay-compensation statute. Denied-boarding compensation is 14 CFR Part 250; the automatic refund rule is 14 CFR Part 260.
Primary source: undefined.
The airline will say "extraordinary circumstances"
That is a defence the airline must PROVE, and it bears the burden. Technical faults, the airline's own staff strikes, and knock-on delays generally do NOT count. Make them show contemporaneous evidence.
How far back can I claim?
Time limits vary by country — e.g. Germany: 3 years, counted from the end of the calendar year of the flight. France: 5 years. England & Wales: 6 years (Scotland: 5). Older flights are often still claimable.
What you get
Run the free checker below. If you're owed, a flat-fee pack gives you a demand letter with the exact citations, a regulator escalation letter, and a rebuttal playbook — you send it and keep 100%.
Open a claim — free