EU261 · UK261 · US DOT · Montreal
Claim your flight compensation. Keep 100%.
Free, copy-paste letters for delayed, cancelled and overbooked flights, missed connections, refunds, and lost or delayed baggage — each with the legal citation, the amount you're owed, and how to escalate. No claim agency taking a third.
88 letters & guides
- By airline Aer Lingus Compensation Claim: Delays & Cancellations €250, €400 or €600 from Aer Lingus after a 3-hour arrival delay. Dublin–Madrid is the €250 band, and Aer Lingus Regional has a different defendant. 5 min →
- By airline Air Canada Compensation Claim: APPR Delays & Bumping CAD 400, 700 or 1,000 from Air Canada for a late arrival under the APPR, CAD 900 to 2,400 for denied boarding, and the Air Canada Express trap. 6 min →
- Honest comparisons Claim Agency or Do It Yourself? The Honest Math A quarter-to-a-third fee takes €63–€83 out of a €250 claim and €150–€200 out of a €600 one. When that is worth paying, and the free route step by step. 6 min →
- Your situation, explained Airline Offered a Voucher Instead of Cash: Can You Refuse? Yes. EU261 owes the money in cash or bank transfer within 7 days, US rules owe it in the original form of payment, and a package refund within 14 days. 5 min →
- By airline American Airlines Compensation: DOT Refunds & EU261 American owes no US cash for a delay: the rights are refunds and bumping pay capped at $1,075 or $2,150. Leaving an EU airport, EU261 pays €250–€600. 6 min →
- By airline Austrian Airlines Compensation Claim: Delays & Refusals €250, €400 or €600 from Austrian Airlines, and Vienna–London is the €250 band. C-451/20: a trip that only connects in Vienna falls outside EU261. 5 min →
- Your situation, explained Business Trip Delayed: Who Keeps the Compensation? The €250, €400 or €600 belongs to the passenger who flew, not to the employer who paid the fare. What your travel policy can and cannot do about it. 5 min →
- Your situation, explained Flight Compensation for Children and Lap Infants A child with a paid seat is worth the same €250, €400 or €600 as an adult. A lap infant with no seat and no boarding pass is outside EU261. 5 min →
- Your situation, explained Cheap Ticket, Full Compensation? EU261 Ignores the Fare €250, €400 or €600 are set by distance, not by what you paid, so the fixed sum can be several times the price of a budget ticket. The one exception. 5 min →
- By airline Delta Compensation & Refunds: DOT Rules and EU261 Delta owes no US cash for a delay: the rights are refunds and bumping pay capped at $1,075 or $2,150. Leaving an EU airport, EU261 pays €250–€600 instead. 6 min →
- Your situation, explained Denied Boarding Without Overbooking: Are You Owed? Denied boarding is not limited to overbooking. €250, €400 or €600 is due under Article 4(3) unless the airline had reasonable grounds to refuse you. 5 min →
- By airline Emirates Compensation: EU261 From Europe, Montreal Elsewhere Emirates owes €250–€600 under EU261 leaving an EU airport and £220–£520 leaving the UK. Flying back from Dubai, only the Montreal Convention applies. 6 min →
- By airline Etihad Compensation: EU261 From Europe, Not From Abu Dhabi Etihad owes €250–€600 under EU261 leaving an EU airport and £220–£520 leaving the UK. On the leg back from Abu Dhabi only the Montreal Convention applies. 6 min →
- By airline Eurowings Compensation Claim: Delays & Cancellations €250, €400 or €600 from Eurowings after a 3-hour arrival delay. A flight brought forward by over an hour is a cancellation — Eurowings lost that case. 5 min →
- By airline Finnair Compensation Claim: EU261 Amounts & Deadlines €250, €400 or €600 from Finnair, and €600 across most of its Asian network. Plus two short clocks: Finnair’s two months and the disputes board’s five. 5 min →
- Your situation, explained Flight Cancelled Under 14 Days' Notice: What You Get Cancelled with less than 14 days' notice pays €250, €400 or €600 on top of a refund — unless the replacement flight fits the Article 5(1)(c) time windows. 5 min →
- Your situation, explained Flight Delayed 3 Hours: How Much Compensation? €250, €400 or €600 under EU261 and £220, £350 or £520 under UK261 once you land three or more hours late at your final destination. Set by distance. 5 min →
- Your situation, explained Flight Delayed Overnight: Who Pays for the Hotel? Article 9(1)(b) puts the hotel and the transport to it on the airline once a night becomes necessary — with no cap, and whatever caused the delay. 5 min →
- By airline LOT Polish Airlines Compensation Claim (EU261) €250, €400 or €600 from LOT, and Warsaw–London lands 31 km inside the €250 band. Plus the two Court of Justice judgments that carry LOT's own name. 5 min →
- By airline Norwegian Compensation Claim: EU261 Through the EEA Norway sits outside the EU but EU261 still applies: €250, €400 or €600 by distance. Norwegian is a Community carrier, so the flight home is covered too. 5 min →
- By airline Pegasus Airlines Compensation Claim: EU261 & UK261 EU261 pays €250 or €400 on a Pegasus flight out of Europe and nothing on the way back from Turkey. Article 3(1)(b) is why, and what you can do instead. 5 min →
- By airline Qatar Airways Compensation: EU261 Out, Montreal Back Qatar Airways owes €250–€600 under EU261 leaving an EU airport and £220–£520 leaving the UK. Flying back from Doha, only the Montreal Convention applies. 6 min →
- Your situation, explained When Does an Airline Owe You Meals and a Hotel? Care starts after a 2, 3 or 4-hour wait set by distance under Article 6(1) — and it is still owed when the cause was extraordinary. 5 min →
- By airline SAS Compensation Claim: Crew Strikes Still Pay Out €250, €400 or €600 from SAS after a 3-hour arrival delay, and its own crew’s strike is no excuse (C-28/20). Three Scandinavian complaint routes compared. 5 min →
- Your situation, explained Separate Tickets, Missed Connection: What You Can Claim One booking puts €250–€600 on the table; two tickets do not. What the first airline still owes you, and what a self-transfer guarantee is really worth. 5 min →
- By airline Swiss Compensation Claim: Delays & Cancellations €250, €400 or €600 from Swiss. Switzerland is in neither the EU nor the EEA: Regulation 261/2004 reaches it through Decision No 1/2006 of October 2006. 5 min →
- By airline Transavia Compensation Claim: Delays & Cancellations €250, €400 or €600 from Transavia: Amsterdam–Hurghada is €600, Gran Canaria €400. Transavia France is a separate airline with a separate regulator. 5 min →
- Honest comparisons Travel Insurance vs EU261: Which Pays for a Delay? EU261 pays a fixed €250, €400 or €600 from the airline with no proof of loss. Insurance pays a proven loss to a policy limit. How to use both. 5 min →
- By airline Turkish Airlines Compensation Claim: EU261 & UK261 EU261 pays €250–€600 on a Turkish Airlines flight out of Europe and nothing on the way back. Article 3(1)(b) is why, and what you can claim instead. 5 min →
- By airline United Airlines Compensation: DOT Refunds and EU261 United owes no US cash for a delay: the rights are refunds and bumping pay capped at $1,075 or $2,150. Leaving an EU airport, EU261 pays a fixed €250–€600. 6 min →
- By airline WestJet Compensation Claim: APPR Delays & Cancellations CAD 400, 700 or 1,000 from WestJet for a late arrival under the APPR — the amounts WestJet publishes itself, plus the strike exception that cancels them. 6 min →
- Your situation, explained Flight Cancelled? What to Do at the Airport Now Five things before you leave the terminal, in the order that protects the €250, €400 or €600 — and why a voucher only counts if you sign for it. 5 min →
- By airline Air France Compensation Claim: Delays & Cancellations Claim €250, €400 or €600 from Air France. It was a defendant in the 2009 judgment that created the three-hour delay right, and the DGAC hears refusals. 5 min →
- By airline Iberia Compensation Claim: Delays & Cancellations Claim €250, €400 or €600 from Iberia — but check first whether Iberia Express or Air Nostrum flew you, because the operating carrier owes the money. 5 min →
- By airline KLM Compensation Claim: Delays & Cancellations Claim €250, €400 or €600 from KLM through its own compensation form. KLM lost the CJEU case that says an unexpected technical fault is not extraordinary. 5 min →
- By airline Lufthansa Compensation Claim: Delays & Cancellations Claim €250, €400 or €600 from Lufthansa — £220 to £520 from the UK. Lufthansa lost the case that fixed the three-hour rule, and the LBA hears refusals. 5 min →
- By airline TAP Air Portugal Compensation Claim (EU261) Claim €250, €400 or €600 from TAP Air Portugal through its own complaints form. Its own CJEU case sets the limits on the knock-on-delay defence. 5 min →
- By airline Vueling Compensation Claim: Delays & Cancellations Claim €250, €400 or €600 from Vueling through its own complaints form, then take a refusal to Spain's AESA — and know that no UK ADR scheme covers it. 5 min →
- By airline British Airways Compensation Claim (UK261 / EU261) Claim £220, £350 or £520 from British Airways, or €250 to €600 on an EU departure. BA's ADR scheme is CEDR, whose decision binds the airline. 5 min →
- By airline easyJet Compensation Claim: Delays & Cancellations Claim €250–€600 or £220–£520 from easyJet for a delayed or cancelled flight. Two easyJet forms handle compensation and expenses — use the right one. 5 min →
- By airline Jet2 Compensation Claim: Delays & Cancellations Claim £220, £350 or £520 from Jet2.com, or €250 to €600 on an EU departure. Jet2 is in neither CAA-approved ADR scheme, so a refusal goes to CAA PACT. 5 min →
- By airline Ryanair Compensation Claim: Delays & Cancellations Claim €250–€600 from Ryanair for a delayed, cancelled or overbooked flight, through Ryanair's own EU261 route, and escalate to AviationADR if it refuses. 5 min →
- By airline Wizz Air Compensation Claim: Delays & Cancellations Claim €250, €400 or €600 from Wizz Air — £220 to £520 from a UK airport — through its own EC261 form, which Wizz Air's page says it answers in 30 days. 5 min →
- Compensation claims Airline Won't Re-Route You? Article 8 Demand Letter Article 8(1)(b) gives you re-routing at the earliest opportunity, on another airline if needed. Free letter, and how to recover a fare you bought yourself. 4 min →
- Compensation claims Canada APPR Compensation Claim Letter (CAD 400–1,000) Copy-paste letter claiming CAD 400, 700 or 1,000 under section 19 of Canada's APPR, and making the airline name the category and the reason in writing. 5 min →
- Compensation claims Voucher to Cash Letter: Demand the Money Instead Free letter demanding cash instead of a travel voucher: Article 8(1)(a) owes the ticket back within 7 days and Article 7(3) needs your signed agreement. 4 min →
- Compensation claims Cancelled Flight Compensation Letter Template (EU261) €250, €400 or €600 (£220, £350 or £520 in the UK) when a flight is cancelled under 14 days' notice. Copy-paste letter citing Articles 5, 7 and 8. 4 min →
- Compensation claims Flight Delay Compensation Letter Template (EU261/UK261) €250, €400 or €600 under EU261 and £220, £350 or £520 under UK261 when you land 3+ hours late. Free copy-paste claim letter citing Article 7. 4 min →
- Compensation claims Denied Boarding Compensation Letter (EU261 & US DOT) €250–€600 in the EU, £220–£520 in the UK, or 200–400% of your fare capped at $1,075/$2,150 in the US. Two copy-paste bumping letters. 4 min →
- Compensation claims Missed Connection Compensation Letter (EU261/UK261) €250, €400 or €600 (£220–£520 in the UK) when a late first leg cost you the connection and you landed 3+ hours late. Copy-paste claim letter. 3 min →
- Refunds & expenses Airline Refused a Hotel: Article 9 Claim Letter An overnight stay makes the airline pay for the hotel and the transport to it under Article 9(1)(b) — weather included. Letter to claim the night back. 4 min →
- Refunds & expenses No-Show Clause: Airline Cancelled My Return Flight Missed the outbound and the airline voided your return? No CJEU ruling exists, but Spain's Supreme Court struck the clause down. Letter to demand carriage. 4 min →
- Refunds & expenses Paid Extras Refund Letter: Seat, Bag or Wi-Fi Paid for a seat, a bag or Wi-Fi and did not get it? A US carrier owes a prompt automatic refund under 14 CFR 260.4. Letter here, with the EU position. 4 min →
- Refunds & expenses Tarmac Delay Letter: Stuck on the Plane in the US US airlines must let you off before 3 hours domestic or 4 international and give water after 2 — but pay nothing. The letter claims your fees back. 4 min →
- Refunds & expenses Airline Went Bust: How to Get Your Money Back When an airline collapses, EU261 compensation usually dies with it — but ATOL, a card chargeback, UK Section 75 or insurance can still return the fare. 5 min →
- Refunds & expenses Flight Downgrade Refund: EU261 Article 10 Letter A downgrade pays back 30%, 50% or 75% of the price of that flight within 7 days — not the fare difference. Copy-paste letter citing Article 10(2). 4 min →
- Refunds & expenses Package Holiday Cancelled? 14-Day Refund Letter A cancelled package must be refunded within 14 days of termination — regulation 14 (UK) and Article 12(4) (EU). Vouchers only if you agree. Letter inside. 4 min →
- Refunds & expenses Flight Delay Expenses: Meals & Hotel Claim Letter Care starts at 2, 3 or 4 hours by distance under Article 6(1) — meals, hotel, transport — and is owed even in extraordinary circumstances. Letter inside. 3 min →
- Refunds & expenses Cash Refund, Not a Voucher: EU261 Article 8 Letter A cancelled flight must be refunded within 7 days in cash or by bank transfer — a voucher only if you agree in writing. Copy-paste Article 8 letter. 3 min →
- Refunds & expenses US DOT Refund Demand Letter (2024 Automatic Refund Rule) Cancelled or significantly changed US flight? 14 CFR Part 260 owes you cash within 7 business days on a card, 20 days otherwise. Copy-paste letter. 3 min →
- Baggage Damaged Wheelchair Claim Letter to an Airline A damaged wheelchair is not ordinary baggage: seven days to complain in writing under Montreal, and on a US flight the baggage cap does not apply at all. 5 min →
- Baggage Items Missing from a Checked Bag: Claim Letter Things taken from a checked bag are damage under Montreal Article 17(2): seven days to complain in writing, up to 1,519 SDR. Letter with an item list. 4 min →
- Baggage Declare a Higher Bag Value: Montreal Article 22(2) Baggage liability stops at 1,519 SDR unless you declare a higher value as you hand the bag over and pay what the airline asks. The declaration to use. 4 min →
- Baggage Airline Damaged Your Bag? 7-Day Claim Letter Damaged checked bag on an international flight: liability up to 1,519 SDR, but Article 31(2) gives you only 7 days to complain. Copy-paste letter. 3 min →
- Baggage Delayed Baggage Claim Letter (Montreal Convention) Late checked bag on an international flight? The airline owes your reasonable replacement costs up to 1,519 SDR, and you have 21 days to write. 3 min →
- Baggage Lost Baggage Claim Letter (Montreal Convention) A bag missing 21 days is legally lost. Claim the bag and its contents up to 1,519 SDR per passenger with an itemised inventory. Copy-paste letter. 3 min →
- Know your rights Canada APPR Compensation: CAD 400, 700 or 1,000 CAD 400, 700 or 1,000 from a large airline for a 3, 6 or 9-hour late arrival under Canada's APPR, plus the control test that decides if you get it. 7 min →
- Know your rights Flight Compensation Time Limit by Country 6 years in England and Wales, 5 in Scotland, 3 in Germany: there is no EU-wide deadline for a 261/2004 claim. Baggage runs on 7-day and 21-day clocks. 7 min →
- Know your rights EU261 Reform 2026: What Changes and When It Applies The €250, €400 and €600 amounts and the three-hour trigger survive the 2026 EU261 reform. It applies 12 months after publication in the Official Journal. 7 min →
- Know your rights EU261 vs Montreal Convention: Which One Pays You? EU261 pays a fixed €250, €400 or €600. Montreal pays proven loss up to 1,519 SDR for a bag. Both can apply to one flight; Article 12 stops double payment. 7 min →
- Know your rights Flight Cancelled by a Strike: Do You Get Compensation? A strike by the airline's own crew still pays €250–€600 under EU261; an ATC or airport strike usually does not. The CJEU cases, and how to prove whose strike. 6 min →
- Know your rights Codeshare Flight Delay: Which Airline Owes You? EU261 puts the €250–€600 on the operating carrier, not the airline whose code you booked. Article 2(b), the wet-lease rule, and when the first-leg carrier pays. 5 min →
- Know your rights Missed Connection Compensation: The Final Destination Rule EU261 measures the three-hour delay at your final destination, not leg by leg, so a missed connection on one booking can be worth €250, €400 or €600. 5 min →
- Know your rights Does EU261 Cover Non-EU Airlines? Emirates, Turkish & More EU261 covers any airline leaving an EU airport but only EU carriers flying in from outside, so the same €600 route pays one way and nothing the other. 5 min →
- Know your rights Flight Distance & EU261 Bands: 44 Common Routes in km EU261 bands run at 1,500 km and 3,500 km great-circle to your final destination. A computed table of 44 routes, the intra-EU €400 cap, and the borderline traps. 6 min →
- Know your rights How Much Flight Delay Compensation? EU261 & UK261 Amounts EU261 pays €250, €400 or €600 and UK261 pays £220, £350 or £520, fixed by great-circle distance to your final destination rather than by the fare you paid. 6 min →
- Know your rights Extraordinary Circumstances EU261: When You Get Nothing Extraordinary circumstances is the only defence to a €250–€600 EU261 claim: the CJEU cases that decide it, by number, and the refusals that do not stand up. 6 min →
- Know your rights Montreal Convention Baggage Limits & 7/21-Day Deadlines 1,519 SDR is the baggage liability cap on international flights since 28 December 2024, with 7- and 21-day written-complaint deadlines and two years to sue. 5 min →
- Know your rights US Flight Passenger Rights: DOT Refunds & Bumping Pay US rules pay nothing for a delay, but force an automatic refund after a cancellation or a 3-hour domestic change, and pay up to $1,075 or $2,150 for bumping. 6 min →
- If they refuse Airline Not Replying? The 14-Day Follow-Up Letter 14 days, dated, with the escalation route named: the free chaser letter to send when an airline has not answered an EU261, UK261 or US DOT claim. 4 min →
- If they refuse Letter Before Claim: Final Demand to an Airline 14 days to pay before you issue: a letter before claim built to the England and Wales Pre-Action Conduct Practice Direction, plus Scotland and Ireland. 5 min →
- If they refuse Mahnverfahren: Claim Flight Compensation in Germany Three years from the end of the flight’s calendar year (BGB §§195, 199). Two free routes first, then the Mahnbescheid — and what a Widerspruch does. 5 min →
- If they refuse Ask the Airline for the Reason in Writing Article 5(3) makes the airline prove extraordinary circumstances. This letter asks for the cause and the evidence behind it before you escalate or sue. 4 min →
- If they refuse Airline Paid Part of the Claim? Demand the Balance The airline paid some of it, or offered less than Article 7 sets. Take it without prejudice as a part payment and claim the rest — with the exact wording. 4 min →
- If they refuse Money Claim Online: Suing an Airline for Compensation Court fees start at £35 up to £300 and £70 for a claim of £500.01–£1,000, which is where a £520 UK261 claim sits. What to file, the hearing, enforcement. 6 min →
- If they refuse Airline Won't Refund? Chargeback & Section 75 Letter Get your bank to reverse the payment. Chargeback runs on card-scheme rules; UK Section 75 covers credit-card purchases over £100 up to £30,000. 5 min →
- If they refuse Claim It Yourself vs Claim Agencies (Keep 100%) A €250–€600 claim is one letter and, if refused, one free regulator complaint. What an agency does for its cut, and the four cases where paying one wins. 4 min →
- If they refuse Airline Refused Your Claim? Escalate to the Regulator Free routes after a refusal: the national enforcement body, a binding UK ADR decision within 12 months, the DOT, a chargeback, or small claims. 4 min →
The airline owes the money to you — not to a middleman.
For a qualifying EU/UK flight, compensation is a fixed amount set by law (up to €600 / £520) the airline must pay directly once you ask in writing. Claim companies keep 25–35% for sending one letter — this gives you that letter, with the verified amounts and honest eligibility rules.
FAQ
Are these flight-claim letters free?
Yes. Every letter is a free copy-paste template, no account or paywall. This is general information, not legal advice.
How much can I get for a delayed or cancelled flight?
EU261 pays a fixed €250–€600 by distance for a 3+ hour arrival delay, cancellation with under 14 days’ notice, or denied boarding; UK261 is £220–£520. The US has no fixed delay compensation but gives automatic refunds for cancelled/significantly changed flights.
Do I need a claim company like AirHelp?
No. They keep 25–35%. The airline owes you directly — a letter citing the regulation usually gets it paid, so you keep 100%.
When does the airline NOT have to pay?
Only for extraordinary circumstances (weather, ATC/external strikes, security). Most technical faults and the airline’s own-staff strikes still owe compensation. Care (meals/hotel) and refunds apply regardless.
What about a lost or delayed bag?
International: Montreal Convention up to ~1,519 SDR (~$2,100); complain within 7 days (damage) / 21 days (delay), sue within 2 years. US domestic: up to $4,700.