EU261 complaint letter generator: free PDF claim letter

1. What happened?

Delayed (3 hours+) Cancelled Denied boarding Missed connection

2. The flight

Airline

Flight number Date of flight

From

To (final destination)

Delay on arrival – hours minutes

3. Booking and passengers

Booking reference (PNR) Amount per passenger

Passenger names – one per line

4. Your details

Name Town or city (for the date line)

Address

E-mail Phone (optional)

5. Where to pay the money

Account holder (if not you) SWIFT/BIC

IBAN

6. Expenses and enclosures (optional) If you did not receive care: expenses, one per line

boarding pass booking confirmation notifications (e-mail, text message) receipts

Would rather not correspond and argue with the airline? Leave it to AirHelp – fee only if successful

How to submit it

Don’t want to write letters, argue or go to court with the airline?

The first reply to a claim is often a template: extraordinary circumstances, a voucher instead of money, or weeks of silence. If the airline holds its ground, it is up to you to go to the enforcement body or to court. If you would rather not do that yourself, leave it to AirHelp: they take over the correspondence, provide the evidence and, if necessary, take the airline to court.

Do it yourself

Free, and you keep the full amount – our letter generator writes the claim letter.
You handle the correspondence, the evidence and the deadlines.
If you are turned down, you take it further: enforcement body, small claims, court.

AirHelp does it

No work and no risk for you, nothing to pay upfront.
Fee only if successful: 35%, at most 50% if it goes to court.
If successful you receive at least 65% of the compensation (at least 50% after court action).

Check compensation Leave it to AirHelp

We receive a commission for successful claims submitted through our AirHelp links; it costs you nothing extra. Details

What if the airline does not reply?

If the airline does not pay within 30 days, or rejects the claim and you disagree, you can complain to the national enforcement body (NEB) of the country where the incident happened, use an alternative dispute resolution body where one exists, and enforce your claim in court. Details: national enforcement bodies and how to enforce your claim. Prefer a template? Complaint letter template as a Word file.

Frequently asked questions

Do you store my data?

No. The letter is created entirely in your browser: nothing is sent to a server and nothing is saved. When you close the page, the data is gone.

How should I send the letter?

If the airline has an online compensation form, submit your claim there – you can paste in the text of the letter and attach the PDF. If the airline has a claims e-mail address, the "Open e-mail" button fills in the subject and the text; you need to attach the PDF and documents yourself. By post, send it by recorded delivery.

Which language is the letter in?

The generator writes the letter in English, which most European airlines accept and answer. If you prefer to write in the airline's own language, you can translate the text – the legal references stay the same.

How much should I claim?

The generator works out the amount from the distance and the applicable rules: up to 1,500 km €250, between 1,500 and 3,500 km (and intra-EU flights over 1,500 km) €400, above that €600 per passenger. On a journey of more than 3,500 km that is not within the EU, a delay of 3–4 hours gives €300. Under UK261 the amounts are £220, £350 and £520. If you cannot find your airport in the list, choose the amount manually.

We checked the official claim channels on the airlines' own websites (10 November 2026); they may change. The letter is an informational template, not legal advice. PDF font: Lexend Deca (SIL Open Font License).