# 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).

- Canonical: https://flightclaimletters.pages.dev/guides/downgrade-reimbursement-letter/
- Section: Refunds & expenses (https://flightclaimletters.pages.dev/guides/#refund)
- Published: 21 Aug 2026 · Updated: 6 Sept 2026 · Figures checked: 6 Sept 2026 · 4 min read
- Source site: flightclaimletters — https://flightclaimletters.pages.dev/ · General information, not legal advice.

An involuntary downgrade pays back 30%, 50% or 75% of the price of the flight you were downgraded on, by distance, within seven days. It is not the difference between the two cabins. Article 10(2) sets the percentages; the Court of Justice in Mennens (C-255/15) settles what the percentage is applied to.

## How much you get back

| Distance of the downgraded flight | Reimbursement |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | **30%** of the price of that flight |
| Intra-EU over 1,500 km, or any other flight 1,500–3,500 km | **50%** |
| All other flights, over 3,500 km | **75%** |

The base is the price of the flight on which the downgrade happened — not the whole itinerary. Where the ticket does not break the price down, [Mennens](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:62015CJ0255) (C-255/15, 2016) sets the base as the proportion the distance of that flight bears to the distance of the whole journey. The same judgment excludes taxes and charges shown on the ticket from the base, as long as neither the duty to pay them nor their amount depends on the class booked. Payment follows Article 7(3): cash or bank transfer, a voucher only with your signed agreement.

```text
[Your full name]
[Your address]
[Email]
[Phone]

[Today's date]

[Airline name] — Customer Relations / Claims
[Airline claims address or online claim form]

Re: Downgrade reimbursement, Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Article 10(2)
Flight [Flight number]
Route [Departure airport] to [Final destination airport]
Date of flight [Flight date]
Booking reference [Booking reference]

Dear Sir or Madam,

I was a confirmed passenger on flight [Flight number] on [Flight date],
booking reference [Booking reference]. I booked and paid for
[Class booked] and I was carried in [Class flown]. I did not ask to be
moved and I was not offered a choice.

Under Article 10(2) of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, an involuntary
downgrade entitles me to reimbursement of [Percentage] % of the price of
the ticket for that flight, the flight covering approximately
[Distance in km] km by great-circle distance.

Following the Court of Justice in Mennens (C-255/15), the base is the
price of the flight on which the downgrade occurred, excluding taxes and
charges whose amount does not depend on the class purchased. The price I
paid for this flight was [Ticket price], so the reimbursement due is
[Reimbursement amount].

Article 10(2) requires payment within seven days, and Article 7(3)
requires it in cash or by bank transfer unless I agree in writing to a
voucher, which I do not. Please pay to: [Payment details]. If your
calculation differs, please set it out in writing.

Yours faithfully,

[Signature]
[Your full name]
```

**How to use it**

1. Work out the price attributable to the downgraded flight. On an unpriced multi-leg ticket, use the distance proportion from Mennens and say so.
2. Take the percentage from the table by the distance of that one flight, not the whole trip.
3. Attach the booking confirmation showing the class paid for and the boarding pass showing the class flown.
4. Send it to the claims team and diarise seven days.
5. If they offer the cabin difference instead, reply with the article and the case, and repeat the figure.

> **The fare difference is not the remedy.** Airlines commonly offer the cash gap between the two cabins, which on a discounted business fare can be a fraction of what Article 10(2) sets. On a long-haul downgrade the article gives 75% of what you paid for that flight. Do not accept the difference as full and final settlement.

## Is a downgrade the same as denied boarding?

No. Denied boarding means you did not fly at all on that service, and it pays the fixed Article 7 sums — see the [denied boarding letter](/guides/denied-boarding-letter/). A downgrade means you flew, in a worse cabin, and it pays a percentage of the fare under Article 10(2). Only one of the two applies to a given flight.

## Do I also get delay compensation?

Only if the flight was late as well. Article 10(2) is triggered by the class you were carried in, not by the clock, so a punctual downgraded flight still owes the percentage. If the same flight also reached your destination three hours or more late, the [delay compensation letter](/guides/delay-compensation-letter/) is a separate claim on top.

## What if the airline moved me for safety or equipment reasons?

The reason does not matter. Article 10(2) has no extraordinary-circumstances defence: an aircraft swap that costs you the cabin you paid for still triggers reimbursement. Say in the letter that you did not consent to the move, since a downgrade you accepted in exchange for compensation is a negotiated deal instead.

If the airline refuses or ignores you, [escalate to the regulator or ADR scheme](/guides/escalate-to-regulator/). For the standard delay and cancellation sums, see the [amounts table](/guides/eu261-uk261-amounts/).