In short: download the template, replace the parts highlighted in yellow, and send it via the airline's compensation form, by e-mail or by post. For delays, cancellations and denied boarding you are entitled to €250, €400 or €600 per passenger, depending on the distance (under UK261: £220, £350 or £520). If the airline does not pay within 30 days, you can take the next step – or hand the case over to a claims agency.
Faster: the complaint letter generator fills in the letter with your details – as a printable PDF, with the airline's official claim address.
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One-page Word file; the parts to fill in are highlighted in yellow. Free, no registration.
The text of the letter
[Your name]
[Address]
[E-mail, phone]
[Airline name]
Customer Relations – EU261 claims
[Airline postal or e-mail address]
[City], [DD Month YYYY]
Subject: Compensation claim under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – [flight number], [flight date], booking reference [PNR]
Dear Sir or Madam,
I was a passenger on the following flight:
- Flight number: [e.g. FR 1234]
- Date of flight: [DD Month YYYY]
- Route: [departure airport] – [arrival airport]
- Booking reference: [PNR]
- Passenger(s): [name, name]
The flight [keep the one that applies]:
- arrived at its final destination [X hours Y minutes] later than scheduled (doors opened at [HH:MM]);
- was cancelled, and I was informed less than 14 days before departure, on [DD Month YYYY];
- I was denied boarding against my will although I presented myself at the gate on time.
Under Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – in conjunction with Article 5 for cancellations, Article 4 for denied boarding and, for delays, Article 6 and the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union in joined cases C-402/07 and C-432/07 (Sturgeon) – I am entitled to compensation of €[250 / 400 / 600] per passenger, €[total] in total.
[For cancellation or denied boarding:] This claim is in addition to my rights to reimbursement or re-routing under Article 8 and to care under Article 9 of the Regulation.
If you intend to rely on extraordinary circumstances (Article 5(3)), please specify them, provide evidence, and describe the reasonable measures you took to avoid the [delay / cancellation].
[If applicable:] I did not receive the care required by Article 9 while waiting, so I also request reimbursement of the following expenses, supported by receipts: [item, amount].
Please transfer the amount within 30 days to the following account:
- Account holder: [name]
- IBAN: [XX00 0000 0000 0000 0000 00]
- SWIFT/BIC: [code]
If I do not receive a substantive reply within this period, I will pursue my claim through the national enforcement body and the courts.
Enclosures: boarding pass, booking confirmation, the airline's notifications, [receipts].
Yours faithfully,
[signature]
[Your name]
How to fill it in
- Flight number and date: you will find them on your boarding pass or booking confirmation (for example FR 1234). If your ticket shows another airline's flight number (codeshare), send the claim to the operating airline – the one that actually flew the aircraft.
- Booking reference: the 6-character code (PNR) on your confirmation.
- Length of the delay: what counts is the arrival time, more precisely the moment the aircraft doors opened – not the landing. If you did not note it, the airline's data and flight tracking websites show it.
- Amount: 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. Under UK261 the amounts are £220, £350 and £520. The calculator works out the distance and the amount.
- Cost of care: if you waited more than 2–4 hours (depending on the distance) and were not given food, drink or accommodation, you can also claim the costs, supported by receipts – this comes on top of the compensation.
- Bank account: in IBAN format (starting with the country code, up to 34 characters) together with the bank's SWIFT/BIC code.
- Enclosures: boarding pass, booking confirmation, the airline's text messages and e-mails about the delay or cancellation, receipts.
Where to send it
Most airlines use an online compensation form – claims are processed faster there than by e-mail. You can paste the main points of the letter into the comments field of the form.
- Wizz Air: in the Help Centre on wizzair.com, on the Contact page, under "Make a claim". According to Wizz Air, it replies within 30 days; you can follow the status of the claim in your WIZZ account.
- Ryanair: using the compensation form on the EU261 page of Ryanair's help centre, with a myRyanair account. Adult passengers have to claim separately; expenses can be reclaimed using a separate form.
- Other airlines: on the airline's website, usually under "Customer relations", "Feedback" or "EU261 claim". If there is no form, send it by e-mail or by recorded delivery to the airline's registered office.
Whichever route you use, keep a record of what you sent and when: the form's confirmation e-mail, a copy of the letter, the proof of postage.
What to expect
- Payment: if the flight really qualifies, many airlines pay within a few weeks.
- "Extraordinary circumstances": the most common reason for rejection. Weather, air traffic control restrictions or an airport strike can indeed exempt the airline – but technical faults and strikes by the airline's own staff usually do not. Ask for the evidence. Details: extraordinary circumstances.
- A voucher instead of money: you do not have to accept it; compensation is due in money.
- Silence: if there is no reply within 30 days, send a reminder, then take the next step.
If you are rejected or not paid
A rejection is not the end. You can complain to the national enforcement body (NEB) of the country concerned, use an alternative dispute resolution body where one exists, and enforce your claim in court – for cross-border claims, the European Small Claims Procedure is available. The steps are explained here: national enforcement bodies and how to enforce your claim.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to write a letter, or is the airline's form enough?
If the airline has an online compensation form (Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air and many others do), use it – claims submitted there are processed faster. You can paste the text of the letter into the comments field of the form. A letter is worth sending if there is no form, if the airline asks for e-mail or post, or if, after a rejection, you want to repeat your claim in writing with the legal references.
Can I write in English?
Yes. Most European airlines accept and answer claims in English, and the legal references in the letter are the same in every language. If you prefer, you can translate the text into the airline's own language.
Should I accept a voucher instead of money?
You do not have to. Under the regulation, compensation is paid in cash or by bank transfer; you only receive a voucher instead if you agree to it in writing (Article 7(3)). If you are offered a voucher and want money, reply that you do not accept it.
How long do I have to send the letter?
Limitation periods are set by national law and vary by country – for example 6 years in England and Wales, 5 years in Scotland and Hungary, and 3 years in Germany (from the end of the year of the flight). AirHelp typically accepts claims for flights up to 3 years old. Airlines and courts decide more easily the fresher the evidence, so it is best to send the letter within a few weeks of returning home. Under the new EU rules applicable from 23 October 2027, claims for later flights will have to be submitted within 9 months.
Can I write on behalf of several passengers?
Yes, if you travelled on one booking – list all passengers, and make the amount the per-passenger compensation multiplied by the number of passengers. Children are entitled to the same amount. Some airlines (for example Ryanair) require each adult passenger to submit a separate claim on their form, however.