Flight compensation for a family: each passenger counts

Travelling with children, your flight is delayed 4 hours on the way back from holidays. You're tired, you assume it's "one compensation per booking" and you skip the claim. You just left €2,000 on the table.

EC 261/2004 is clear: compensation is per passenger, not per family or per booking. Every paying passenger has their own right — children included.

The rule: each passenger, the full amount

Concrete example: Paris-Dakar family of 4

Air France flight Paris-Dakar (4,200 km, intercontinental). Delayed 4h at arrival. Family of 2 adults + 2 children (10 and 7 years old, paid tickets).

• Each passenger: €600
• Total family: 4 × €600 = €2,400

Children, infants, teenagers: what counts

• Infant on lap (0-2 years): usually free or symbolic ticket (~10% of fare), no own seat. NO compensation in their name.
• Child 2+ with own seat (even discounted): full compensation, same amount as adult.
• Teenager 12+: full ticket, full compensation.

Who claims for the children?

The parent or legal guardian files the claim on behalf of minor children. Documents required:

• Identity document of the child (passport, ID card)
• Family record book or birth certificate (parental authority)
• Tickets and boarding passes in the child's name

Payment is usually consolidated to the parent's account.

Group bookings and separate bookings: same right

Whether you booked the 4 tickets together or separately doesn't change your right. Each booking reference allows a claim:

• Group booking: 1 claim with 4 passengers
• Separate bookings: 4 individual claims

Total compensation: identical.

Multi-leg trip: total distance counts

EC 261 compensation is calculated on the great-circle distance from initial departure to final destination, not segment by segment.

Example: Paris → Madrid → Dakar with the Paris-Madrid leg delayed, causing you to miss Madrid-Dakar and arrive in Dakar 5h late.

• Paris-Dakar great-circle: ≈4,200 km
• Compensation: €600 per passenger
• Family of 4: €2,400 even if only the first leg caused the chain effect

How to file family claim

1. Gather documents for each passenger: ticket, boarding pass, ID. Don't forget the children's identity documents.
2. Calculate total distance initial departure → final destination.
3. Verify all conditions: delay 3h+ on arrival, no extraordinary circumstances, less than 14 days notice for cancellation.
4. File one consolidated claim or one per passenger — same result.
5. Provide one IBAN for consolidated payment, or one per adult if needed.

The trap: airline offering "one voucher per family"

Some airlines, when they finally pay, offer "one voucher worth 4×€400" as a single package. This is not legal:

• Each passenger has their own cash right (article 7 + 8 EC 261)
• Voucher requires individual consent of each passenger (or parent for minors)
• Lumping into one global voucher: refuse, demand individual cash compensations

How Robin des Airs helps families

Family compensation claims are our specialty. We file all the passengers in a single procedure, including the minor children's docs. 25% commission, only on success. A family of 4 on Paris-Lagos delayed 5h, that's €2,400 recovered — minus 25% = €1,800 net for you.

Related: Compensation amounts: €250, €400, €600, Missed connection: how to claim.