How to claim flight compensation yourself

The timeline at a glance

The table shows the usual order of steps. Steps 1–4 are the same everywhere; at step 5 the route splits between EU, EEA and Swiss flights (EU261) and UK flights (UK261). Times are the guideline figures published by the bodies themselves; real cases can be faster or slower.

Step 1: Check that you are eligible

Compensation is fixed by law and does not depend on the ticket price. Before you write anything, check four things:

• Which rules cover the flight. EU261 covers flights departing the EU (plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland), and flights arriving there on an EU airline. UK261 covers flights departing the UK, and flights arriving in the UK on a UK or EU airline. Your nationality and where you live do not matter. Details: the EU regulation and UK261 explained.
• The arrival delay. What counts is how late you reached your final destination – at least 3 hours. For a cancellation or denied boarding different rules apply; see cancelled flights and denied boarding.
• The distance. The amount depends on the great-circle distance: up to 1,500 km, 1,500–3,500 km, or more. Our flight distance calculator shows the band in € and £. For example, Frankfurt–Lisbon (about 1,870 km) and Madrid–Warsaw (about 2,270 km) are in the €400 band; Dublin–Amsterdam (about 750 km) is in the €250 band.
• The cause. The airline does not have to pay if it proves extraordinary circumstances (for example severe weather or an air traffic control strike). Ordinary technical faults and the airline’s own staff problems do not usually count.

The quickest way to check all of this is our free compensation checker.

Step 2: Gather your evidence

Airlines decide many claims from their own data, but the claim is yours to prove. Keep:

• the booking confirmation and e-ticket (it shows the booking reference, the passengers and the operating airline);
• boarding passes, or a screenshot of the mobile boarding pass;
• every message from the airline about the delay or cancellation – text messages, e-mails, app notifications – including any reason given;
• a note or photo of the actual arrival time (when the doors opened) and of departure boards;
• receipts for meals, hotels, taxis or a replacement ticket – expenses are claimed in addition to compensation;
• names of the staff you spoke to and what they said.

Send copies, never originals. If several passengers travelled on one booking, keep a list with everyone’s full name as it appears on the ticket.

Step 3: Claim from the airline through its official channel

Claim from the operating airline – the one that flew the aircraft – even if you booked with another airline, a travel agent or a tour operator. Most airlines have a dedicated online form (Lufthansa, Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air, KLM, British Airways and others). Use it: claims made there are usually handled faster, and a form submission is easy to prove.

If there is no form, or you want to set out your claim with the legal references, use our complaint letter template or the complaint letter generator, which adds the airline’s official claims address. State:

• the flight number, date, route and booking reference;
• the arrival delay or what happened (cancellation, denied boarding);
• the legal basis – UK261 or EU261, Article 7 – and the amount per passenger;
• your bank details and that you want payment in money, not a voucher;
• a deadline for the reply.

Some airlines also accept claims through third-party services such as Resolver, but the CAA warns that not every airline deals with them. The airline’s own form remains the safest first step.

Step 4: Wait – up to 2 months (8 weeks in the UK)

The escalation bodies expect you to give the airline time. In the EU, Your Europe says you can go to the national enforcement body if the airline has not replied within 2 months, or if you are unhappy with its reply. In the UK, both the CAA and AviationADR say you can escalate once you have the airline’s final response (sometimes called a deadlock letter) or once 8 weeks have passed since your written complaint without a resolution.

During this time, keep the paper trail: the confirmation e-mail of your claim, the reference number, and any reply. If the airline rejects the claim citing extraordinary circumstances, ask it in writing for the specific cause and the evidence – you will need it later.

Step 5: Escalate – the national enforcement body, ADR or the CAA

Which body you go to depends on where the incident happened and, in the UK, on the airline.

• Flights from the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland (and EU-airline flights into the EU): complain to the national enforcement body of the country where the incident happened – usually the departure country, or the arrival country for a flight into the EU from outside – or use that country’s ADR body where one exists. Your nationality and home country do not matter. What the body can do varies: since LOT (C-597/20, 2022) some may order the airline to pay, while others, such as Italy’s ENAC, use complaints only for supervision and send compensation claims to an ADR service. Our country guides name the body, the ADR route and the time limit – for example Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands, Ireland, Portugal, Greece, Sweden, Austria or Belgium. The full list is in national enforcement bodies.
• UK flights – the airline is in an approved ADR scheme (for example easyJet, Ryanair, Wizz Air, TUI Airways, Virgin Atlantic and KLM with AviationADR; British Airways and Cathay Pacific with CEDR): refer the dispute to that scheme. It is free, and if you accept the decision, the airline must follow it. See ADR schemes: which airline uses which and our ADR complaint template.
• UK flights – the airline is in no approved scheme: complain to the CAA’s Passenger Advice and Complaints Team. PACT gives an opinion and raises it with the airline, but cannot force it to pay. See how to complain to the CAA.
• Flights to or from Northern Ireland: the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland handles complaints instead of PACT. See Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Mind the time limits. EU enforcement and ADR bodies may have their own deadlines, so check the country guide. In the UK, an ADR complaint to AviationADR or CEDR must normally be made within 12 months of the airline’s final response, and the CAA will not handle a complaint if less than a year remains to take legal action.

Step 6: Final demand, then court

If the airline still refuses, or does not follow up, court is the final step. It is less daunting than it sounds: small claims procedures are built for people without lawyers, and the airline often pays once a claim is issued.

1. Send a final written demand. Wherever you sue, a last letter with a deadline shows the court you tried to settle. In England and Wales the Practice Direction on Pre-Action Conduct expects you to set out the claim and give the airline a reasonable time to reply – 14 days in a straightforward case. Use our letter before action template.
2. Choose the right court.
   • EU countries: the national courts – generally those for the place of departure or arrival, or where the airline is based (CJEU, Rehder, C-204/08) – or, for cross-border claims inside the EU (not Denmark, and not the UK since Brexit), the European Small Claims Procedure, up to €5,000 – European Small Claims guide.
   • England and Wales: the County Court small claims track, online through Money Claim Online – small claims court guide.
   • Scotland: simple procedure in the sheriff court, up to £5,000 – simple procedure guide.
   • Northern Ireland: the small claims court, up to £5,000; Republic of Ireland: the District Court small claims procedure, up to €2,000 – Ireland and Northern Ireland.
3. Pay the court fee. Fees are set nationally and are normally recoverable from the airline if you win. In England and Wales, a claim of £500.01–£1,000 costs £70 to issue and £85 if it goes to a hearing (HMCTS fee list EX50, updated 26 October 2026). If you win, the court can order the airline to repay your fees.

When a claims company makes sense

Doing it yourself costs nothing but time, and you keep 100% of the compensation. A claims company takes a share – typically between about 25% and 50% of the compensation including VAT, depending on the company and whether court action is needed. It can still be the better choice when:

• the airline has rejected you citing extraordinary circumstances and you cannot check its evidence;
• the airline is based abroad and you would have to sue in another country;
• several flights or passengers are involved and you would rather not manage the paperwork;
• you simply do not want to deal with forms, deadlines and court.

We compare fees, VAT, legal-action charges and what you actually keep on a €600 or £520 claim in claim companies compared. Please note that we are an affiliate partner of AirHelp – see our affiliate disclosure.

All guides and templates on this route

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a lawyer to claim flight compensation?

No. Airline claim forms, national enforcement bodies, ADR schemes, the CAA complaint form, the European Small Claims Procedure and the small claims procedures in England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland are all designed for people without a lawyer. A lawyer or a claims company only becomes useful if the airline defends a court case hard or you do not want to handle it yourself.

How long does the whole process take?

If the airline pays on the first claim, often a few weeks. If you have to escalate, allow for up to 2 months with the airline (8 weeks in the UK), then several months at a national enforcement body, or roughly 2–3 months at a UK ADR body (AviationADR aims to decide within 60 days of a complete file; CEDR within 90 days), and several months more if you go to court.

Can I go straight to court?

Legally you can sue once you have a claim, but courts expect you to have tried to settle first, and the European Commission's Your Europe portal tells passengers to complain to the airline first. In England and Wales the Practice Direction on Pre-Action Conduct expects a letter before claim with a reasonable time to reply (14 days in a simple case), and you are expected to consider ADR. Skipping these steps can cost you some of your costs or interest.

Can I use ADR and the CAA at the same time?

No. The CAA’s Passenger Advice and Complaints Team (PACT) is generally only for airlines that are not members of an approved ADR scheme. If the airline is a member of AviationADR, CEDR or another approved scheme, you use that scheme instead.

How long do I have to claim?

National law decides, and periods vary: for example 3 years in Germany (from the end of the year), 5 years in France, 6 years in Ireland, 6 years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 5 years in Scotland. Do not leave it late: the CAA will not take a complaint if less than a year remains to take legal action. See our time limits guide.

What if the airline offers a voucher?

Compensation is payable in money. Under Article 7(3) a voucher may only be given instead if you agree in writing. You can refuse a voucher and ask for a bank transfer.

Sources

1. Making a claim – UK Civil Aviation Authority
2. Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) – UK Civil Aviation Authority
3. How the CAA can help (PACT) – UK Civil Aviation Authority
4. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as it applies in the UK, Article 7 – legislation.gov.uk
5. Air passenger rights – claim your rights – Your Europe (European Union)
6. Practice Direction – Pre-Action Conduct and Protocols – Ministry of Justice
7. Make a court claim for money: fees – GOV.UK
8. Civil court fees (EX50) – HM Courts & Tribunals Service
9. Complaints process – AviationADR

We check every rule against the sources above. Spotted an error? Tell us – see our editorial policy.