How to claim Norwegian delay compensation: amounts, steps and excuses that don’t hold up
Reviewed by José Romero Lara
EU261 aviation lawyer — 5+ years as in-house legal counsel at international airlines
If your Norwegian flight reached its final destination 3 or more hours late, Regulation (EC) 261/2004 entitles you to €250, €400 or €600 per passenger, unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances. This guide covers when the Regulation applies to Norwegian, what you’re owed and how to file the claim.
Was your Norwegian flight delayed?
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Check my flight1When EU261 applies to a Norwegian flight
Norwegian Air Shuttle is a Norwegian airline and Norway is part of the European Economic Area, so the Regulation treats it exactly like an EU carrier. It covers:
All its flights departing an airport in the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland, including Norwegian domestic ones.
Its flights arriving in the EU or the EEA from outside it, such as London–Barcelona.
Connections on a single booking: what counts is the delay on arrival at your final destination.
Flights with a Norwegian number operated by another airline: you claim from the operating airline.
Delays caused by extraordinary circumstances Norwegian can prove, such as a storm or an air traffic control decision that affected your flight.
2How much Norwegian pays for a delay
EU261 compensation per passenger
Up to 1,500 km
Oslo–Bergen, Oslo–Copenhagen, Oslo–Stockholm
Over 1,500 km within the EU, or 1,500–3,500 km
Barcelona–Oslo, Alicante–Oslo, Malaga–Copenhagen
Over 3,500 km outside the EU
Only if your flight is longer than that and not intra-EU
The amounts are set by the Regulation and are the same for every airline. Distance is measured in a straight line between the departure airport and your final destination.
Check how much I’m owed3How to claim from Norwegian, step by step
- 1
Keep your documents
Booking with its reference, boarding pass and Norwegian’s notices about the delay. Keep receipts for food or transport you paid for too.
- 2
Check the actual arrival time
What counts is when the aircraft door opened at your destination, not the landing time (CJEU, C-452/13). You can look it up on tracking services such as FlightAware or Flightradar24.
- 3
File your claim on Norwegian’s website
Use the claim form in its customer service section, with your booking reference, flight number and date, the hours of delay on arrival and the amount you’re claiming. Cite Regulation (EC) 261/2004 and keep the case number.
- 4
Give it a month
If it doesn’t reply or rejects the claim, you can complain free of charge to AESA when the flight departed Spain or arrived in Spain from outside the EU.
- 5
Escalate: AESA, court or AviFly
You can pursue it with AESA, sue yourself (no lawyer up to €2,000) or let AviFly handle the claim with nothing to pay upfront.
4Common excuses and what the law says
To avoid paying, Norwegian has to prove an extraordinary circumstance that affected your flight and that it couldn’t have avoided with reasonable measures.
"It was the weather"
Ask in writing for the weather report for that day and airport. A storm can be an extraordinary circumstance, but Norwegian has to prove it affected your specific flight.
"There was a technical problem"
A fault from maintenance or normal use of the aircraft doesn’t exempt the airline (CJEU, Wallentin-Hermann C-549/07 and van der Lans C-257/14).
"There was a strike"
A strike by Norwegian’s own staff is not an extraordinary circumstance (CJEU, C-28/20). One by controllers or airport staff can be, if it proves the strike affected your flight.
"The aircraft arrived late from its previous flight"
That only exempts the airline if the previous flight was hit by an extraordinary circumstance, there’s a direct link to your delay and Norwegian took reasonable measures (CJEU, C-74/19).
5What to do if Norwegian doesn’t reply or rejects your claim
A rejection doesn’t close the case. You have three options:
AESA
A free online complaint. Attach your claim to Norwegian and its reply, or proof that a month passed with no answer. For flights from 2 June 2023, AESA’s decision is binding: if Norwegian doesn’t pay within a month, you can enforce it in court. It does take AESA 90 to 180 days to decide.
Going to court
No lawyer or court agent up to €2,000. In Spain the generally accepted time limit is 5 years from the flight (Art. 1964 of the Spanish Civil Code).
AviFly
We handle the claim, the negotiation and, if needed, the lawsuit. We only charge if you get your money: 15% + VAT out of court and 30% + VAT in court.
AviFly claims from Norwegian for you
Nothing upfront. We only charge if you recover your compensation.
Claim from NorwegianFrequently asked questions about claiming from Norwegian
Does EU261 apply to Norwegian if Norway is not in the EU?
Yes. Norway is part of the European Economic Area and the Regulation applies there just as it does in the EU. On top of that, any flight departing an EU airport is covered whichever airline operates it.
How long a delay before Norwegian pays compensation?
From 3 hours’ delay on arrival at your final destination. Below that there’s no cash compensation, though you’re entitled to food and drink from 2 hours on flights up to 1,500 km.
Where do I file a claim with Norwegian?
On the claim form in the customer service section of Norwegian’s website. Do it in writing, cite Regulation (EC) 261/2004 and keep the case number.
How long does Norwegian take to reply?
There is no fixed legal deadline. If it hasn’t answered your claim within a month, you can go to AESA or to court.
What if Norwegian cancelled my flight and rebooked me?
Compensation still applies, halved if the replacement flight got you to your final destination less than 2, 3 or 4 hours late depending on distance (Art. 7(2)). If you prefer a refund, it must be paid within 7 days.
Do I have to accept a voucher instead of money?
No. Compensation is paid in money; it can only be paid in vouchers if you agree in writing (Art. 7(3) of the Regulation).