If your flight arrived at its final destination 3 or more hours late, EU261 (or UK261) usually entitles you to a fixed cash amount — regardless of the ticket price — unless the airline proves “extraordinary circumstances”. Look up your exact amount and distance band in the EU261 / UK261 amounts table, then send this.
[Your full name]
[Your address]
[Email] · [Phone]
[Date]
[Airline name] — Customer Relations / Claims
[Airline claims address or online claim portal]
Re: Compensation claim under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004
Flight [flight number] — [origin] to [destination] — [flight date]
Booking reference (PNR): [ABC123]
Dear Sir or Madam,
I was a confirmed passenger on flight [flight number] from [origin] to
[destination] on [date], booking reference [PNR]. I checked in on time.
The flight arrived at my final destination [X hours Y minutes] late — it
was scheduled to arrive at [scheduled time] and actually arrived at
[actual time].
Under Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, an arrival delay of three
hours or more at the final destination entitles me to fixed compensation
of EUR [amount] for this flight (great-circle distance approximately
[____] km, falling in the [up to 1,500 km / 1,500–3,500 km / over
3,500 km] band).
I am not aware of any extraordinary circumstances that would exempt you
from this obligation, and I note the burden of proving any such
circumstances rests with the airline.
Please pay EUR [amount] to the following account within 14 days:
[name on account / IBAN / sort code & account number / or "the card used
to book"]. If you believe compensation is not due, please give your
specific reason in writing.
Yours faithfully,
[Signature]
[Your printed name]
How to use it
- For a UK flight, swap in UK261: change the citation to “UK Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (as retained in UK law)” and the amount to GBP from the amounts table.
- Find the amount and distance band in the amounts table — measure the great-circle distance from origin to final destination.
- Attach your booking confirmation and boarding pass(es); a screenshot of the delay from a flight tracker helps.
- Send via the airline’s official claim form or claims email and keep a copy and proof of sending.
The 3 hours is measured at your FINAL destination — not at departure. A flight that leaves 5 hours late but makes up time and lands under 3 hours late owes no compensation; a flight that lands 3+ hours late does, even if it departed roughly on time. For connections on one booking, only the delay at the journey’s end counts.
If the airline blames weather, strikes, or a technical fault, read extraordinary circumstances before accepting “no” — most technical faults still owe you. If they refuse, escalate to the regulator.