Iberia cancelled your flight: how to claim up to €600 in compensation
Reviewed by José Romero Lara
EU261 aviation lawyer — 5+ years as in-house legal counsel at international airlines
If Iberia cancelled your flight, you are entitled to a full refund of the ticket or an alternative flight, and in many cases also to a cash compensation of €250, €400 or €600 per passenger under Regulation (EC) 261/2004. Whether compensation is owed depends on how much notice Iberia gave you and the timing of the alternative flight it offered, not on how much you paid for the ticket. This guide explains how much you are owed, how to claim it on iberia.com, what to do if Iberia rejects the claim, and how to check the status of a claim you already filed.
Did Iberia cancel your flight?
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Check my flight1When EU261 applies to an Iberia cancellation
Iberia, Iberia Express and Iberia Regional Air Nostrum are Spanish airlines, so EU carriers. The Regulation covers:
Every flight departing an airport in the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland, including domestic flights.
Flights arriving in the EU from outside it, such as Bogotá–Madrid or New York–Madrid.
Connections on a single booking: if the cancellation makes you miss a connection, what counts is the delay on arrival at your final destination.
Flights with an Iberia number operated by another airline (codeshare): you claim from the airline that actually operated the flight.
Cancellations caused by extraordinary circumstances Iberia can prove, such as a storm or an air traffic control decision that affected your flight.
2How much Iberia pays for cancelling your flight
EU261 compensation per passenger, if no exemption applies
Up to 1,500 km
Madrid–Barcelona, Madrid–Lisbon, Madrid–London
Over 1,500 km within the EU, or 1,500–3,500 km
Madrid–Tenerife, Madrid–Gran Canaria, Madrid–Athens
Over 3,500 km outside the EU
Madrid–New York, Madrid–Bogotá, Madrid–Buenos Aires
These amounts are only owed if Iberia doesn’t meet one of the three notice-based exemptions in Art. 5(1)(c): 14 days’ notice or more (no compensation, ever); 7 to 13 days’ notice if the replacement flight departs no more than 2 hours early and arrives less than 4 hours late (no compensation if met; compensation is owed if not); and less than 7 days’ notice if the replacement departs no more than 1 hour early and arrives less than 2 hours late (same logic). Distance is measured in a straight line between the departure airport and your final destination.
Check how much I’m owed3How to claim from Iberia for a cancellation, step by step
- 1
Keep the cancellation notice
Iberia’s email or SMS with the date and time it notified you: that date determines whether one of the notice-based exemptions applies. Keep the original booking with its reference too.
- 2
Choose a refund or an alternative flight
Iberia must offer you both options: a full ticket refund within 7 days (Art. 8) or an alternative flight to your final destination. You choose; Iberia can’t force a voucher on you unless you agree to it in writing (Art. 7(3)).
- 3
File your claim on iberia.com
Under “Reclamaciones y justificantes”, give your booking reference, the cancelled flight’s number and date, when you were notified, and the compensation amount you’re claiming, along with the refund or the cost of the alternative flight if you paid for it yourself. Keep the case number.
- 4
Give it a month
There is no fixed legal deadline for Iberia to reply. If it hasn’t answered your claim within a month, or rejects it, 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 in the juzgado de primera instancia (no lawyer or court agent needed up to €2,000) or let AviFly handle the claim with nothing to pay upfront.
4Common excuses from Iberia and what the law says
To avoid paying compensation, Iberia has to prove an extraordinary circumstance that affected your specific flight and that it couldn’t have avoided with reasonable measures. These replies aren’t enough on their own:
"The cancellation was due to operational reasons"
“Operational reasons” are not an extraordinary circumstance — they are the airline’s normal business. Ask in writing for the specific cause and the evidence; without it, compensation is owed.
"There was a technical problem with the aircraft"
A fault arising from maintenance or the normal operation of the aircraft doesn’t exempt the airline (CJEU, Wallentin-Hermann C-549/07).
"There was a strike"
A strike by Iberia’s own staff is not an extraordinary circumstance (CJEU, SAS C-28/20). One by air traffic controllers or airport staff can be, if Iberia proves it affected your specific flight.
"We offered you an alternative flight, so no compensation is owed"
That only removes compensation if the notice and the timing of the alternative flight also meet the windows in Art. 5(1)(c). If you were notified with less than 7 days’ notice and the alternative flight arrived 3 hours late, for example, compensation is still owed.
5What to do if Iberia rejects your claim or doesn’t reply
A rejection doesn’t close the case. You have three options:
AESA
A free online complaint to Spain’s State Aviation Safety Agency, within one year of your claim to Iberia. It resolves in 90 to 180 calendar days and, for flights from 2 June 2023, its decision is binding on Iberia; if it doesn’t comply within a month, you can enforce it in court. The decision doesn’t bind you: you keep the right to go to court instead.
Going to court
In the juzgado de primera instancia, without a lawyer or court agent for claims 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 with Iberia 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 Iberia for you
Nothing upfront. We only charge if you recover your compensation.
Claim from IberiaFrequently asked questions about claiming from Iberia for a cancellation
How much does Iberia pay for cancelling a flight?
€250 on flights up to 1,500 km, €400 on flights within the EU over 1,500 km or of 1,500–3,500 km, and €600 on flights over 3,500 km outside the EU — unless Iberia gave you 14 days’ notice or more, or the alternative flight it offered met the timing windows in Art. 5(1)(c) of the Regulation.
Iberia cancelled my flight, what should I do now?
First choose between a ticket refund within 7 days and an alternative flight; Iberia must offer both options plus assistance (food, a hotel if you have to wait). Then, if the notice date and the alternative flight’s timing mean compensation is owed, claim it under “Reclamaciones y justificantes” on iberia.com.
How do I check the status of my claim to Iberia?
With the case number you were given when you filed it, on the same “Reclamaciones y justificantes” form on iberia.com, or by replying to the confirmation email. If a month has passed with no answer, you don’t need to wait any longer: you can complain directly to AESA.
Does Iberia have to pay in cash, or can it pay with a voucher?
It has to pay you in money. It can only replace the refund or compensation with a voucher if you expressly agree to it in writing (Art. 7(3) of the Regulation); otherwise, insist on a refund to your original payment method.
Who do I claim from if the flight was operated by Iberia Express or Air Nostrum?
From the airline that operated the flight, even if you bought the ticket from Iberia (Art. 3(5) of the Regulation). Iberia Express and Iberia Regional Air Nostrum are Spanish airlines, so EU261 applies in the same way.
Can I go to AESA if Iberia already rejected my claim?
Yes, and its decision isn’t just an opinion: since 2 June 2023 it is binding on Iberia if it rules in your favour, within a one-month deadline. AESA doesn’t handle baggage claims, which are governed by the Montreal Convention instead.