Routes / FRA–JFK
6,189 km great circle · Over 3,500 km
Frankfurt FRA to New York JFK delay compensation
Frankfurt Main Airport to John F. Kennedy International Airport is 6,189 km by great circle, Germany to United States. Under EU261 that is €600 per passenger, and under UK261 £520, when the rule applies and you arrive 3+ hours late.
- 1Frankfurt FRA
- 2New York JFK
- 3Great circle 6,189 km
- 4EU261 band €600
Which rules cover FRA–JFK
Frankfurt → New York
Whatever the airline, this direction is covered by EU261 (the flight departs from the EU (Article 3(1)(a)), whatever the airline) and US DOT (the flight arrives in the United States (14 CFR 260.2, "covered flight")).
New York → Frankfurt
Whatever the airline, this direction is covered by US DOT (the flight departs from the United States (14 CFR 260.2, "covered flight")). On an EU airline it is also under EU261. On a UK airline it is also under UK261.
Because both EU and UK rules can reach this route, a passenger may find two rules covering the same trip. Each excludes people already compensated under the other's law for the same event, so the claim is made once, under whichever the airline accepts — in money terms €600 or £520.
What you could be owed by hours late
Arrival delay at JFK (or FRA on the return), for a delay caused by the airline, per passenger, where each rule applies:
| Hours late | EU261 | UK261 | US DOT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 hours | €0 | £0 | Nothing |
| 3 h 30 min | €300 | £260 | Nothing |
| 4 h 30 min | €600 | £520 | Nothing |
| 6 h 30 min | €600 | £520 | Refund if you decline |
| 9 h 30 min | €600 | £520 | Refund if you decline |
At 6,189 km this is a long-haul flight, so the first hour of compensation is reduced: arriving 3 to 4 hours late pays €300 or £260, and the full €600/£520 starts at 4 hours. The US column is the refund right only: an international itinerary needs 6+ hours.
The distance and the band
EU261 and UK261 measure distance "by the great circle route method" between the departure airport and the final destination. From the published coordinates of Frankfurt Main Airport (50.026706, 8.55835) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (40.639722, -73.778889) that is 6,189 km. The nearest band boundary is 3,500 km, 2,689 km below this route, so the band is not in doubt. Among the 18 routes on this site in the over 3,500 km band, it is number 7 by length.
Other routes from Frankfurt Main Airport (EDDF) on this site: London (654 km), Munich (299 km).
Other routes from John F. Kennedy International Airport (KJFK) on this site: London (5,540 km), Paris (5,834 km), Amsterdam (5,848 km), Rome (6,866 km), Toronto (588 km), Los Angeles (3,974 km), Cancún (2,506 km).
If FRA–JFK is only one leg of your booking, measure to the final destination instead: a connection that makes you late at the end is compensated over the whole journey's distance.
If the flight is cancelled
Cancelled with less than 14 days' notice and re-routed to arrive 6 hours late, an EU261 passenger is owed €600 here. If the replacement left within the allowed early margin and landed within the re-routing window, nothing is owed; if it landed within 4 hours but outside those windows, the airline may pay half — €300. On a cancellation you may instead take a refund within 7 days.
Help at the airport while you wait
On a flight of this length, meals and refreshments are owed once the departure is 4 hours late under EU261 and UK261, and a hotel with transport if you have to stay overnight — whatever caused the delay. US law sets no meal or hotel duty; the large US airlines' published commitments do, and they are on the airline pages. Keep receipts for anything you buy: it is claimed back separately from any compensation.
Claiming on this route
Claim from the operating airline directly — it costs nothing.
EU261: If the airline does not reply within two months, or the reply is unsatisfactory, complain to the national enforcement body of the country where the incident happened.
US DOT: If it refuses, file a complaint with the US Department of Transportation's Aviation Consumer Protection office.
UK261: If the airline's final answer is unsatisfactory, or it has not answered within eight weeks, go to the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) body the airline belongs to, or to the CAA's Passenger Advice and Complaints Team if it belongs to none.
Claim pages of airlines based in Germany or United States (whether they fly this exact route varies by season):
US airlines' dashboard commitments: Alaska Airlines · Allegiant Air · American Airlines · Delta Air Lines · Frontier Airlines · JetBlue Airways · Southwest Airlines · United Airlines.
Airport coordinates: OurAirports country file (DE); Wikipedia: John F. Kennedy International Airport (infobox coordinates). Rules: Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (EUR-Lex); 14 CFR 260.2 (eCFR); UK Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Article 7 (legislation.gov.uk). Checked 2026-10-20. General information, not legal advice.