Does Emirates have to pay EU261 if it cancels my flight?

Only if the flight departs from an EU/EEA airport. A Milan-Dubai is covered by EU261; a Dubai-Milan is not, because Emirates is a non-EU carrier departing from outside the Union. In that case the airline's own policy or local rules apply.

How much is compensation for an Emirates flight from Europe?

Emirates routes from the EU to Dubai are over 3,500 km, so the applicable tier is usually 600 EUR per person, when EU261 applies, the cancellation is the airline's fault, notified less than 14 days ahead and not due to extraordinary circumstances.

Can I get both a refund and compensation?

Yes. They are separate rights: the refund returns your ticket price, compensation is a fixed amount for the disruption. On an EU-departing flight you can claim both.

Can Emirates give me a voucher instead of a cash refund?

It may offer one, but if you request a ticket refund you are entitled to money. You are not obliged to accept the voucher: insist on a cash refund to your original payment method.

Emirates cancelled flight refund: your rights and how to claim

When Emirates cancels a flight, two different things are on the table that often get confused: the refund of your ticket and the compensation set by EU261. Knowing the difference is the first step to not leaving money behind, especially because Emirates is a United Arab Emirates carrier hubbed in Dubai, and European rules do not apply to all of its flights in the same way.

Refund vs EU261 compensation: two separate rights

The refund is the return of the full ticket price when the flight is cancelled and you do not accept an alternative.
EU261 compensation is a fixed amount for the disruption: 250 EUR, 400 EUR or 600 EUR depending on distance, regardless of what you paid.

They stack: on the same cancelled flight you can get the ticket refund and the compensation.

When EU261 applies to Emirates

This is the critical point. Emirates is not a European airline, so EU261 applies only to flights departing an EU/EEA airport.

Milan-Dubai, Rome-Dubai, Paris-Dubai, Frankfurt-Dubai: departing the EU, so covered by EU261.
Dubai-Milan, Dubai-Rome: departing outside the EU, so not covered. Here Emirates’ commercial policy or local UAE rules apply.

Almost all of Emirates’ European network to Dubai is over 3,500 km, so when EU261 applies the relevant tier is typically the 600 EUR band. Compensation is due if the cancellation was notified less than 14 days in advance, was the airline’s fault and was not caused by extraordinary circumstances (e.g. extreme weather).

How to get a refund from Emirates

Go to “Manage your booking” on the Emirates website, or contact customer service.
State that you decline the alternative flight and request a full ticket refund.
Insist on a cash refund to your original payment method: do not accept a voucher if you prefer money.
For compensation, file a separate claim with the flight number, date, route and amount due.
If the flight departed the EU and Emirates does not respond, escalate to the national enforcement body of the departure country (in Italy, ENAC).

Keep the cancellation email, boarding pass and receipts for any expenses (meals, accommodation, transport).

What FlightGuard does

With FlightGuard you can assess the risk of your Emirates flight ahead of time based on weather, carrier punctuality, ATC delays and other factors. The data sources are listed at /en/sources/.

In short

For a cancelled Emirates flight departing the EU you can get both a ticket refund and EU261 compensation, typically 600 EUR on routes to Dubai. For flights departing Dubai, EU261 does not apply and you rely on the airline’s own policy.