Checked 26 October 2026
How to claim flight compensation yourself, for free
Claiming from the airline costs nothing and you keep the whole amount. There are three stages: the airline's own form, then the free dispute scheme if it refuses, then the county court. Most clear cases end at stage one. This guide gives you the wording, the time limits and the fees for each stage.
Before you start: three checks
- Is the flight covered? Any flight leaving a UK airport, any flight leaving an EU airport, or a flight arriving in the UK or EU on a UK or EU airline. A US airline flying into London from New York is not covered.
- Does the disruption qualify? Arrival 3 hours or more late; cancellation with less than 14 days' notice; or being refused boarding with a valid booking. See the guides on delays, cancellations and denied boarding.
- Is it in time? Six years from the flight in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; five in Scotland.
Then work out the amount: £220 for flights up to 1,500 km, £350 for 1,500 to 3,500 km, £520 over 3,500 km (£260 if a long-haul flight arrived under 4 hours late). Per passenger, including children with a paid seat.
Stage 1: claim from the airline
Every UK airline has an online form, and most will only accept claims through it. The airline pages on this site link to each form directly: Ryanair (through your myRyanair account), easyJet, British Airways, Jet2, TUI and Wizz Air. Have ready:
- Booking reference, flight number, date, departure and arrival airports.
- Names of every passenger you are claiming for, exactly as booked. Airlines pay the person who claims, so the lead passenger usually claims for the booking.
- Boarding passes or check-in confirmation, and anything that shows the actual arrival time (a photo of the arrivals board, the airline's app, the text message it sent).
- The reason the airline gave at the time, if any.
- Receipts for meals, hotels and transport the airline should have provided. Claim these as expenses; they are separate from compensation and are owed whatever the cause.
If there is no form, or you prefer a record, send a letter or email to the airline's customer relations address. Keep it short and factual:
Dear Customer Relations,
I was a passenger on flight [number] from [airport] to [airport] on [date], booking reference [reference]. The flight [arrived at (time), (hours) after the scheduled arrival time of (time) / was cancelled on (date), (days) before departure / was overbooked and I was denied boarding despite presenting at the gate at (time)].
Under Regulation (EC) 261/2004 as retained in UK law I am claiming compensation of £[220 / 350 / 520] per passenger for [number] passengers, total £[amount], and reimbursement of expenses of £[amount] (receipts attached). The cause was within your control; if you consider it an extraordinary circumstance, please state the specific cause and the measures you took to avoid it.
Please pay by bank transfer within 28 days. If I do not receive payment or a substantive reply within 8 weeks I will refer the matter to [AviationADR / CEDR / the CAA] and, if necessary, the county court.
Yours faithfully, [name, address, email]
The last paragraph matters. The airline must prove any extraordinary circumstance; asking it to name the cause stops a vague "operational reasons" reply.
What the airline will say
Three replies are common. "We will pay": give it 28 days, then chase. "Extraordinary circumstances": check the reason against the list. Weather, air traffic control and airport closures are usually valid; technical faults, crew sickness, crew shortages and the airline's own strike are not (Huzar v Jet2.com, 2014; Lipton v BA CityFlyer, 2024). Reply once, in writing, pointing that out and asking for the evidence. Silence: after 8 weeks you can go to stage 2 without waiting any longer.
Not sure whether your flight qualifies?
Check your flightFree to check. If a claim company takes the case it keeps 35% of the payout, VAT included, and nothing if the claim fails. You can also claim it yourself for free.
Stage 2: the free dispute scheme (ADR) or the CAA
Most UK airlines belong to an approved alternative dispute resolution body. It is free to you, you submit the case online with the airline's final reply, and the CAA says a decision typically arrives within three months. If you accept the decision the airline must follow it; if you reject it you can still go to court. You must apply within 12 months of the airline's final reply, or once 8 weeks have passed without one.
| Airline | Where to take it |
|---|---|
| Ryanair, easyJet, TUI Airways, Wizz Air, Virgin Atlantic, KLM, Air France | AviationADR (Consumer Dispute Resolution Ltd), aviationadr.org.uk |
| British Airways | CEDR, cedr-assist.com |
| Lufthansa | söp, the German travel arbitration body |
| Jet2, Aer Lingus, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Loganair, Eastern Airways and others not in a scheme | The CAA's Passenger Advice and Complaints Team (PACT). It reviews the case and takes it up with the airline, but cannot make a binding decision. |
Stage 3: the county court
In England and Wales you use Money Claim Online, and a claim under £10,000 goes on the small claims track, where the loser's exposure to the other side's costs is limited. You pay a fee when you issue the claim, which you ask the court to add to the award:
| Claim value (compensation plus any expenses) | Court fee |
|---|---|
| Up to £300 | £35 |
| £300.01 to £500 | £50 |
| £500.01 to £1,000 | £70 |
| £1,000.01 to £1,500 | £80 |
| £1,500.01 to £3,000 | £115 |
Set out the same facts as your letter: flight, delay or cancellation, the regulation, the amount, and that the airline has not shown an extraordinary circumstance. Attach the airline's replies. The court tells you the date by which the airline must respond. Many airlines settle once a claim is issued; if not, a small-claims hearing is short and informal and you can represent yourself. In Scotland the equivalent is Simple Procedure in the sheriff court.
If you would rather not
A claim company does stages 1 to 3 for a share of the money, usually 30% to 50%. The comparison of claim companies shows what each one keeps. The sensible order is: try stage 1 yourself, and hand it over only if the airline refuses with a reason you cannot easily rebut.
Questions about claiming yourself
Can I claim for everyone on the booking?
Usually the lead passenger can, with the other adults' permission. easyJet's portal says the lead passenger claims for the booking and other passengers can claim only for themselves; Jet2 asks for signed permission from anyone outside your family group. Children with a paid seat are included; infants who flew free are not.
The airline wants me to prove my identity. Is that normal?
Ryanair requires identity verification before it pays a compensation claim, and others may ask for a copy of ID when the bank account name differs from the booking. Send what is asked; it does not affect your entitlement.
Do I have to accept vouchers?
No. Compensation is paid in money unless you agree in writing to vouchers. A refund for a cancelled flight is also money within 7 days unless you choose a voucher.
Can I claim interest or my time?
You can ask the court for statutory interest on the compensation from the date of the flight. The regulation does not pay for your time, and consequential losses such as a missed cruise are a separate contract or insurance matter.
Is there a deadline for the dispute scheme?
Twelve months from the airline's final reply. The six-year court deadline still runs in the background, so a very old claim should go straight to court rather than risk the scheme timing out.