How to file a claim yourself: a step-by-step guide
What to collect, where to send it and what wording to use to get compensation without an intermediary.
Filing yourself is free, and where the case is clear-cut it is the best option: you keep the whole amount. Here is the order of play.
Step 1. Capture evidence before you leave the airport
- A photo of the departures board showing the actual time and status
- Your boarding pass — paper or a screenshot of the mobile one
- Written confirmation of the delay from the airline desk, if offered
- Receipts for food and drink if the airline provided none
- A screenshot of the carrier’s notification stating the cause
Step 2. Work out the amount
The sum depends only on distance: €250 up to 1,500 km, €400 from 1,500 to 3,500 km, €600 beyond 3,500 km. For long-haul flights arriving between three and four hours late, the payout halves to €300. Ticket price is irrelevant.
Step 3. Find the right recipient
The claim goes to the airline that actually operated the flight — not the booking site and not the tour operator. Most European carriers have a dedicated EU261 claim form in their support section.
Step 4. The wording
Dear Sir or Madam,
I was a passenger on flight [number] from [departure airport] to [arrival airport] on [date], booking reference [code]. The flight arrived at its destination [X] hours late.
Under Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 I request compensation of €[amount]. Please transfer the funds to the following account: [details].
Should you reject this claim, please state the specific cause of the disruption and provide documentary evidence of extraordinary circumstances.
Yours faithfully, [name, contact details]
That last paragraph matters: asking for the cause and for documentary proof markedly reduces the odds of a form-letter brush-off.
Step 5. If they refuse or go silent
The usual response window is around 30 days. If you get a refusal citing weather or “technical reasons”, you have three routes: send a second claim demanding evidence, escalate to the national enforcement body in the country of departure, or hand the case to a claim service that works on a percentage and takes on the litigation stage.
When doing it yourself is not the best call
If the airline has already refused, if the carrier sits in a jurisdiction with awkward procedure, or if more than a year has passed, your odds drop and the time cost rises. In those cases a service’s commission is often a reasonable price for a result.
The fee is deducted only from the compensation recovered. No payout — no fee.