Routes / VIE–ATH
1,279 km great circle · Up to 1,500 km
Vienna VIE to Athens ATH delay compensation
Vienna International Airport to Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport is 1,279 km by great circle, Austria to Greece. Under EU261 that is €250 per passenger, and under UK261 £220, when the rule applies and you arrive 3+ hours late.
- 1Vienna VIE
- 2Athens ATH
- 3Great circle 1,279 km
- 4EU261 band €250
Which rules cover VIE–ATH
Vienna → Athens
Whatever the airline, this direction is covered by EU261 (the flight departs from the EU (Article 3(1)(a)), whatever the airline). On a UK airline it is also under UK261. If the airline refuses, the complaint goes to Agency for Passenger Rights (apf) for EU261 (the flight leaves Austria) or the airline's dispute scheme or the UK CAA for UK261.
Athens → Vienna
Whatever the airline, this direction is covered by EU261 (the flight departs from the EU (Article 3(1)(a)), whatever the airline). On a UK airline it is also under UK261. If the airline refuses, the complaint goes to Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority for EU261 (the flight leaves Greece) or the airline's dispute scheme or the UK CAA for 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 €250 or £220.
What you could be owed by hours late
Arrival delay at ATH (or VIE on the return), for a delay caused by the airline, per passenger, where each rule applies:
| Hours late | EU261 | UK261 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 hours | €0 | £0 |
| 3 h 30 min | €250 | £220 |
| 4 h 30 min | €250 | £220 |
| 6 h 30 min | €250 | £220 |
| 9 h 30 min | €250 | £220 |
At 1,279 km the amount is the same from 3 hours late onwards — there is no extra for longer delays under the EU and UK rules.
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 Vienna International Airport (48.110298, 16.5697) and Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport (37.936401, 23.9445) that is 1,279 km. That is only 221 km below the 1,500 km line between two bands, so this route sits close to a boundary: it is the distance between the two airports that counts, not the longer path the aircraft actually flew. Among the 84 routes on this site in the up to 1,500 km band, it is number 15 by length.
Other routes from Vienna International Airport (LOWW) on this site: New York (6,805 km), London (1,275 km), Frankfurt (621 km).
Other routes from Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport (LGAV) on this site: London (2,427 km), Rome (1,085 km), Paris (2,109 km), New York (7,932 km), Newark (7,956 km), Philadelphia (8,083 km), Amsterdam (2,182 km), Frankfurt (1,816 km), Munich (1,518 km), Santorini (218 km), Mykonos (136 km), Heraklion (309 km).
If VIE–ATH 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 €250 here. If the replacement left within the allowed early margin and landed within the re-routing window, nothing is owed; if it landed within 2 hours but outside those windows, the airline may pay half — €125. 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 2 hours late under EU261 and UK261, and a hotel with transport if you have to stay overnight — whatever caused the delay. 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.
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.
Airport coordinates: OurAirports country file (AT); OurAirports country file (GR). Complaint bodies: European Commission NEB list. Rules: Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (EUR-Lex); UK Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Article 7 (legislation.gov.uk). Checked 2026-10-21. General information, not legal advice.