Flight Delays and Cancellations from Mallorca: Here’s What to Do

Written By Amy Lancelotte

Last Updated: June 07, 2024

In 2023, based on Eurocontrol data, only 67% of flights from Mallorca’s Palma Airport departed on time. That leaves up to 33% of passengers facing an annoying delay when they fly from Mallorca.

Palma de Mallorca Airport is also not immune to flight cancellations. So far, in 2024, the airport ground staff went on strike in January resulting in Mallorca flights being cancelled. Strikes can also cause flight delays, as was the case at the end of March when the security staff started a work-to-rule strike. This caused significant delays as planes had to wait for passengers to clear the security checkpoints.

Regardless of the type of disruption, it’s never fun to have your plans changed. One small thing you can do to improve the situation is to file a Mallorca flight delay or cancellation claim when you get home. 

To help you navigate the claims process, we’ll cover all your rights and compensation amounts to expect. Plus, we can help you file the actual airline claim, as we have already done for over 330,000 satisfied customers.

Here’s what this post explores:

• Mallorcan flights fall under regulation EU261, which is what sets the rules for flight cancellations and delays.
• The Mallorca flight delay minimum is 3 hours to qualify.
• The cancellation minimum notice period is 14 days to qualify.
• Flight delay compensation Mallorca can be anywhere from €250 to €600.
• Extraordinary circumstances are the most common EU261 exception.
• The Mallorca claim time limit is 5 years.
• Need a trustworthy and effective claim partner? AirAdvisor is the answer.

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Mallorca Passenger Rights - Regulation EU261

EU261 is the regulation that dictates the conditions and payout amounts for flight interruptions. Here is a summary of the key points:

1. Flights delays in Mallorca are eligible for compensation if your plane is delayed by 3 hours or more compared to the originally scheduled arrival time at your destination.
2. For Mallorca flight cancellation compensation, any passenger who is not notified of the disruption at least 14 days prior to the flight also qualifies.
3. Based on the flight distance, actual airline compensation payouts will range from €250 to €600 for Mallorca flight delays.
4. Flights that depart from Mallorca (and anywhere in the EU) apply to the regulation. Additionally, any flight that arrives in Mallorca is also eligible as long as the flight is operated by a Spanish or EU-based airline.

Flight Delay Compensation Mallorca

Delving deeper into flight delay compensation for Mallorca trips, we know that payouts from the airline are distance-dependent. Use the chart below to see where your flight fits in. Then, you know exactly what to ask from the airline.

* If your delay is shorter and closer to the minimum of 3 hours, airlines may try to cut this compensation by 50%. We always attempt the maximum, regardless of delay time.

 

 

Mallorca Flight Disruptions - EU 261 Examples

If the information still isn’t quite sinking in, maybe these examples will help illustrate the point. We’ll look at common flights to and from Mallorca and see why (or why not) they qualify for compensation.

Palma to New York

Let’s say that you get lucky and book a direct flight from Palma de Mallorca Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport. The flight distance for this is 6,300km, well above the maximum of 3,500km. If you arrive late at Newark by at least 3 hours, you can claim flight delay compensation up to €600. 

But what happens if we flip the trip? Then, you’re departing from a non-EU airport and only landing in Mallorca. Then, the same compensation would apply if you were flying with an EU airline like Lufthansa or Iberia. 

London to Palma

EasyJet offers this route to Mallorca from London Gatwick Airport, among others. In this case, your flight is not starting in the EU, but luckily, the UK has regulation UK261, which offers virtually the same rights as EU261. Regardless of which airline you’re flying or whether it’s the outbound or return portion of your trip, compensation is a possibility. 

The flight distance is 1,300km, so if you get delayed by at least 3 hours, you should contact us or the airline to file a claim for €250 per passenger.

Berlin to Palma

Now, we’ll assume that you’re flying from Berlin Brandenburg Airport to Palma de Mallorca Airport. The distance here is just over 1,600km. Let’s say that you’re delayed landing in Palma by 4 hours. In this case, compensation of €400 is possible. Both airports are in the EU, so the airline doesn’t factor in - each way is covered.

Palma de Mallorca Airport flies to over 100 destinations, so if you still find things confusing, our free flight delay checker is the best resource to confirm eligibility for Mallorca flight cancellations or delays.

How Often Are Mallorca Flights Delayed?

As we mentioned at the beginning, we know that in 2023, only 67% of Palma Airport flights departed on time. Is this common? Actually yes. In fact, in 2022, the airport’s on-time percentage was slightly worse at 66%. In 2019, Palma Airport’s numbers were higher at 70% of flights on time, so there is room for improvement.

The good news is that Palma Airport is a little above the European network average for 2023, which was 65%. This airport is the third-busiest in Spain after Madrid and Barcelona, and in 2023, 31.1 passengers passed through. Mallorca is becoming an increasingly popular destination, as this passenger number shows an increase of 9% over 2022 and it’s even slightly more than the pre-pandemic 2019 passenger numbers.

Cancelled Flights Mallorca - What You Need To Know

Have you ever had your Mallorca flights cancelled? If so, make sure you make your claim with the airline. When you don’t receive at least 2 weeks' notice of a Mallorca flight cancellation, EU261 dictates that the airline is responsible for compensation.

It’s a little different from flight delays in that compensation can be as low as €125. Basically, the closer the new flight is to your original arrival time, the smaller the compensation amount. But luckily, this still maxes out at €600 for flights over 3,500km with delays of at least 4 hours.

One thing to note is that if you’re stuck waiting at the airport for a flight, it’s the airline’s responsibility to make sure you’re comfortable. This means meals, drinks, and even accommodation if there’s an overnight delay. See below for the time limits when this right to care applies:

Flight Distance	Flights under 1,500km	Flights between 1,500km and 3,500km	Flights over 3,500km
Airport Wait Time	2 hours or more	3 hours or more	4 hours or more

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Extraordinary Circumstances

The primary exception in EU 261 is called extraordinary circumstances. Your flight can tick all the other boxes and be delayed by over 3 hours on an applicable route, yet your claim might still be denied.

To avoid triggering the extraordinary circumstances exception, the cause for your delay or cancellation must not be something the airline could have prevented. To clarify, if the airline has no control over the situation, they are not responsible for any type of payout. Here are some examples of disruption causes that qualify as extraordinary circumstances:

• Political or civil unrest.
• Security threats, including but not limited to sabotage and terrorism.
• Manufacturer defects with the aircraft.
• Severe weather that prevents the safe flying of the plane.
• Bird strikes.

But if any of the following are the root cause of the interruption, compensation should be possible since these are NOT extraordinary circumstances:

• Airline strikes.
• Aircraft maintenance issues.
• Airline staff shortages.

How To Claim For Mallorca Cancelled Flights (or delays)

Airlines will generally take any out they can to avoid paying claims, whether it’s due to an extraordinary circumstances dispute or insufficient documentation. When you partner with us, we hold the airline accountable for exactly what you’re owed. Take these steps to see just how easy a claim with us can be!

1. Go to our website to file a claim with our airline compensation experts.
2. Provide a few details about your specific flight/situation and how can contact you with questions if needed.
3. Attach the supporting documents you have - we can sort through it all.
4. Submit and wait to hear from us. We’ll keep on top of the claim and let you know as soon as it’s resolved.

We charge a percentage (smaller than the industry standard) on successful claims. But, if we are unable to get you a payout, we don’t get paid, either.

Alternatively, if you prefer to file a Mallorca flight delay claim with the airline directly, check out our guides to complaints for Vueling, Iberia, and Air Europa to get started.

Flight Delay Compensation Mallorca - Claim Time Limit

While the average claim time limit for flight delays hovers around the 3-year mark, Spain’s is quite generous. You can file your flight interruption claim with the airline as much as 5 years after the delay.

It’s really best to initiate a claim ASAP so as not to lose any important documents or details. Plus, if you wait too long, you might forget about the claim entirely.

We assume all legal costs

All you have to do is submit the application and wait for the compensation to be received.

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