If your Corsair flight was delayed by more than 3 hours or cancelled, you may be entitled to compensation of up to €600 under EU Regulation EC 261/2004. Corsair is a French leisure airline based at Paris Orly, specialising in long-haul routes to the French overseas territories — Martinique, Guadeloupe, Reunion, Mayotte — as well as destinations in West Africa and the Indian Ocean.
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With a fleet of 9 Airbus A330s, Corsair operates some of the longest routes of any French carrier. Because virtually all Corsair flights depart from metropolitan France (an EU country) and cover distances well over 3,500 km, most claims fall into the highest €600 compensation bracket.
When are you entitled to Corsair compensation?
EC 261/2004 applies when all of the following conditions are met:
Flight conditions:
- Your flight arrived at its destination 3 hours or more late (actual arrival time, not departure)
- The flight departed from an EU airport — all Corsair flights from Paris Orly, Lyon or Marseille qualify
- Since Corsair is a French (EU) carrier, flights arriving in France from non-EU destinations are also covered
Passenger conditions:
- You had a confirmed booking on the flight
- You checked in on time (Corsair generally requires check-in 3 hours before departure for long-haul flights)
- You were not travelling on a free ticket or a non-publicly available discounted fare
Overseas territories note: flights between metropolitan France and French overseas departments (Martinique, Guadeloupe, Reunion, French Guiana, Mayotte) are treated as EU flights for the purpose of EC 261/2004, since these territories are part of the EU.
Corsair compensation amounts
The regulation sets fixed amounts based on flight distance:
| Flight distance | Compensation |
|---|---|
| Under 1,500 km | €250 |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | €400 |
| Over 3,500 km | €600 |
Corsair routes and typical compensation:
- Paris Orly → Martinique (6,850 km) : €600 per passenger
- Paris Orly → Guadeloupe (6,750 km) : €600 per passenger
- Paris Orly → Reunion (9,360 km) : €600 per passenger
- Paris Orly → Abidjan (4,730 km) : €600 per passenger
- Paris Orly → Dakar (4,210 km) : €600 per passenger
- Lyon → Martinique (7,090 km) : €600 per passenger
Since all Corsair routes exceed 3,500 km, compensation is almost always €600 per passenger. A family of four on a delayed Paris–Martinique flight would receive €2,400 in total.
How to claim Corsair compensation — step by step
Step 1: Check your eligibility
Before submitting a claim, confirm:
- Was the arrival delay 3 hours or more?
- Was the cause within Corsair's control (not extreme weather, volcanic eruption or air traffic control strikes)?
- Was it a Corsair-operated flight (flight number starting with SS)?
Step 2: Submit your claim via corsair.fr
Corsair has a customer service section on its website:
- Go to corsair.fr → Service client → Réclamations
- Select the relevant claim type (delay, cancellation)
- Provide your booking reference, flight details and contact information
- Clearly state that you are claiming compensation under EC 261/2004
Step 3: Documents to prepare
- Corsair booking reference or e-ticket number
- Bank account details (IBAN)
- Boarding pass or booking confirmation email
- Any delay notification received from Corsair or the airport
Step 4: Response timescale
Corsair is legally obliged to handle your claim within a reasonable timeframe. In practice, responses take 6 to 12 weeks. Long-haul disruptions involving overnight delays tend to be more complex.
Why Corsair sometimes refuses to pay
1. "Extraordinary circumstances" Corsair can legally refuse compensation if the delay was caused by events outside its control. For long-haul Caribbean routes, this commonly includes tropical storms, hurricanes, and volcanic ash. These are legitimate defences only when they directly affected your specific flight.
2. Technical faults Corsair may claim a mechanical issue was unforeseeable. Under EU case law (Wallentin-Hermann, 2008), predictable technical problems from normal operations do not qualify as extraordinary circumstances. A recurring fault on a specific aircraft type, for instance, is foreseeable.
3. Slow or non-responsive customer service Some passengers report difficulty getting timely responses from Corsair's claims department. A non-response is not a rejection — if Corsair does not respond within 8 weeks, you have grounds to escalate.
What to do if Corsair rejects your claim
A rejection from Corsair is not final. You have several escalation options:
Option 1: DGAC (Direction Generale de l'Aviation Civile) The DGAC is the French civil aviation authority responsible for EC 261/2004 enforcement. You can file a complaint online at econsumer.gouv.fr. The process is free.
Option 2: Mediateur Tourisme et Voyage This is the French tourism and travel mediator. After receiving Corsair's final response (or after 60 days without response), you can submit your case. Mediation is free and typically resolves within 90 days.
Option 3: Professional claims service Services like AirHelp handle your entire claim:
- Over 10 million passengers helped since 2013
- They manage correspondence, mediation and court proceedings
- No win, no fee — commission only on successful claims
- Particularly useful for Corsair claims, where the high €600 amount justifies the service fee
Option 4: French court As a last resort, you can file a case with the Tribunal judiciaire or Tribunal de proximite (for claims under €5,000). For EU residents, the European Small Claims Procedure may also apply.
FAQ — Corsair flight delays
Does Corsair actually pay compensation? Yes, but rarely without a formal claim. Corsair does not proactively inform passengers of their rights. You must explicitly cite EC 261/2004 and request the specific compensation amount. Many successful claims are handled through professional services or mediation.
How long does it take to receive Corsair compensation? Direct claims: 2 to 4 months. Claims through mediation: 3 to 6 months. Claims through a professional service: 3 to 9 months, depending on whether court action is necessary.
My Corsair flight to Martinique was delayed — is it covered? Yes. Martinique is a French overseas department and part of the EU. Flights between metropolitan France and Martinique are fully covered by EC 261/2004. At 6,850 km distance, you are entitled to €600 per passenger for delays of 3+ hours.
Corsair rescheduled my flight to a different day — what are my rights? If Corsair changed your flight schedule with less than 14 days' notice and the new time departs more than 1 hour earlier or arrives more than 2 hours later, this counts as a cancellation. You are entitled to compensation and a choice between rebooking or a full refund.
Can I claim for a Corsair flight from last year? In France, the limitation period is 5 years from the date of the flight. You can claim for any eligible Corsair flight within this period.
Not sure how much you can claim? Use our compensation calculator to check your eligibility in under a minute. For a full overview of your passenger rights, see our guide to EC 261/2004.