The UK's Most Recommended Flight Delay Compensation Company

When Can I Claim For Flight Delay Compensation?

You can claim up to £520 in compensation if your flight has been delayed more than three hours or if your flight has been cancelled.

EU Regulation 261/2004 was written into UK law at the end of the Brexit transition period, meaning you have exactly the same rights to claim flight compensation as you did when the UK were members of the EU.

The only difference is now the compensation will be paid in UK Pounds rather than Euros.

Add your flight details to our calculator below to find out how much compensation you could claim for your flight.

Our comprehensive step by step guide below explains your rights to claiming compensation for delayed flights.

We also provide extensive information and resources such as frequently asked questions, free template letters to download and in-depth guides relating to specific areas of the law on flight compensation.

What Is Flight Delay Compensation?

The European Commission introduced EU Regulation 261/2004 (EU Reg 261) on February 17th 2005, when it immediately became binding law in each EU Member State.

The UK Government wrote EU Regulation 261 into UK law at the end of the Brexit transition period in December 2020. The name of the new law is Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (as amended by The Air Passenger Rights and Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019).” It is now sometimes known as “UK 261.”

UK passengers enjoy the same rights as before. Except now, depending on where they are flying from and to, they are protected by either the UK law or the existing EU version.

The purpose of the regulation is to protect passengers from poor treatment by airlines when flights are delayed, cancelled, or denied boarding.

It was introduced to compensate passengers for the loss of time and inconvenience suffered when they experienced significant disruption to their travel arrangements.

EU Reg 261 requires airlines to compensate passengers when flight delays or cancellations result in passengers reaching their final destination more than three hours later than originally scheduled.

Passengers are only entitled to claim compensation if the delay or cancellation was within the airline’s control. To avoid paying compensation, the airline must prove that the delay was caused by an ‘extraordinary circumstance’, and that it took all reasonable steps to prevent it.

There have been several landmark court cases between debating what is or isn’t an extraordinary circumstance.

How Long Does My Flight Have To Be Delayed To Claim Compensation?

You can only claim compensation if you arrive at your destination at least three hours later than originally scheduled.

The flight must be delayed three hours on arrival rather than departure. This is crucial as airlines often make up time during a flight, particularly on longer routes.

For example, you wouldn’t be able to claim if your flight departed 3 hours 5 minutes late, but the pilot made up 30 minutes during the flight, and you arrived only 2 hours 35 minutes late.

Following a European Court of Justice ruling in 2014, the law states that the definition of arrival time is when the aircraft doors are opened, not when the plane touches down or when it reaches the terminal.

As mentioned by Martin Lewis, one of the easiest ways to find out how long you were actually delayed is to put your flight details into our calculator. Then, we’ll automatically check the flight for you.

Back to top

Under What Circumstance Can I Claim For Flight Compensation?

There are a number of circumstances when you are legally entitled to receive compensation if your flight has been delayed or cancelled.

Claiming Compensation Under UK 261

As UK citizens are now covered by either the UK and EU version of the law, the laws that apply to you will vary depending on your flight route and the airline you flew.

You are covered by the UK version of the law if your flight:

• Departed from the UK
• Arrived in the UK with a UK or EU airline
• Arrived in the EU with a UK airline.

In addition, to make a valid claim, the following must apply.

• The flight departed within the last six years.
• The flight was delayed for more than three hours.
• The delay was not an “extraordinary circumstance.”

Claiming Compensation Under EU Reg 261

The EU Version of EU 261 may apply if you’re travelling in Europe. You can claim compensation if your flight:

• Departed from the EU and arrived in the UK
• Departed from the UK and arrived in the EU with an EU airline.

This means that some flights will be covered by both UK 261/2004 and EU 261/2004. UK passengers should bring their claim to the UK court in these cases.

Additionally, Non-EU citizens, including British citizens, can claim compensation for delayed flights in Europe that do not depart or arrive in the UK. You can claim if your flight:

• Departed from the EU and arrived in the EU
• Departed from the EU with an EU airline.

In these instances, the claim would need to be presented to a European court.

Back to top

How Much Compensation Do You Get For A Flight Delay?

The maximum amount of compensation you can claim is £520 per passenger. The actual amount you can claim is based on the length of your delay and the distance of your flight.

You can claim for each passenger individually. If you were a family of four and were due £520 each, the total amount would be £2080.

The amount you can claim is based on the distance of your flight. The further the distance, the higher the amount of compensation you can claim.

Our table below shows the amount of compensation available for valid flight delay compensation claims.

When claiming under the new UK EU 261 law, the amount of compensation is now a fixed amount in UK Pounds.

Previously compensation was paid only in Euros, and with fluctuating exchange rates over the years, UK passenger’s level of compensation varied considerably.

The new fixed amounts in UK Pounds offer not only greater clarity but, on average, may be a little higher than the average amount paid over the last couple of years when claiming in Euros.

If your claim is with a European carrier, the compensation amount will remain in Euros.

Are There Other Costs That You Can Help Me Claim For?

Regulation EU 261/2004 deals solely with compensation for long flight delays, flight cancellations and denied boarding. You cannot claim any other form of damages under this particular law.

Therefore, Bott and Co do not handle claims for any additional costs associated with flight delays such as parking tickets, taxis, food etc.

Back to top

I Was Delayed At A UK Airport In The Spring And Summer Of 2022. Can I Claim?

You can claim if the delay was caused by staff strikes or staff shortages, including staff sickness.

However, if you’ve been stuck in the long airport queues and missed your flight, you won’t be able to claim as there is currently no legal basis to claim. These types of delays are the responsibility of the airport, not the airline.

You may be able to claim for any losses through the credit card company you purchased your flight with under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.

What Flights Can I Claim For Under UK 261 or EU 261?

EU Regulation 261 applies to all UK or EU regulated flights. This means it covers all flights departing from a UK or EU airport regardless of the airline you travel on.

Additionally, if you’re flying on a UK or EU based airline, it covers all flights that arrive in the UK or EU irrespective of where they took off.

For example, a flight from London to Dubai on any airline is covered by the rules (because it departs from the UK).

A flight from Dubai to London would only be covered if it was on a UK or EU airline such as British Airways or Air France but would not be covered if it was on a non-EU airline such as Etihad or Emirates.

What Are The Compensation Rules For Cancelled Flights?

The laws protecting airline passengers for cancelled flights are very similar to those for flight delays.

Just as for delays, EU Regulation 261 applies to all cancellations of UK or EU regulated flights. This means it covers all flights departing from a UK or EU airport regardless of the airline you travel on.

Additionally, if you’re flying on a UK or EU based airline, it covers all flights that arrive in the UK or EU irrespective of where they took off.

However, the options open to you to be compensated for a cancelled flight are broader than they are for a delay.

If a flight is cancelled before you are due to depart, irrespective of the reason, you have the right to choose between the two following options;

• You can choose to receive a full refund for your flight.
• You can agree to be re-routed on an alternative flight, either on the same airline or another airline.

These options are open to you even if the cancellation is not the airline’s fault. Read our comprehensive guide on claiming compensation for cancelled flights.

What Are The Compensation Rules For Missed Connecting Flights?

You may be able to claim compensation if you’ve missed your connecting flight due to a cancellation or a delay. There are two key points to consider in these situations.

• If you booked all flights on the same ticket, it is the airline’s responsibility to get you to your final destination as close to the time you would have arrived on your original flight. You can claim compensation if they fail to do so, and the length and cause of the delay mean you’re legally entitled to claim.
• However, if you booked the flights on separate tickets, you can only claim for delays that may occur on each individual flight.

Back to top

How Far Back Can I Claim Flight Compensation?

EU Regulation 261 came into force in 2005. Technically this means you can claim compensation for delayed flights as far back as that date. In reality, however, you are unlikely to recover compensation for delays over six years old.

This is because the statute of limitation in the UK is six years for this type of claim – so any flight delays older than that can’t be taken to court, and therefore there is no way of forcing the airline to pay up.

When you issue court proceedings against an airline, this effectively ‘stops the clock’ on the 6-year limitation period, so it then doesn’t matter how long the legal process takes after that point – as long as you follow the timeframes set by the courts for each stage of the legal process.

We won the landmark Dawson v Thomson case in September 2014 when the Supreme Court dismissed Thomson’s request to appeal our victory in the Court of Appeal earlier that year.

Previous to that ruling, airlines tried to argue you only had two years to bring a claim for flight delay compensation. They argued these cases came under the Montreal Convention – which has a two-year limitation period and covers other travel laws and regulations (including lost baggage claims).

Bott and Co successfully argued that EU261 stated the limitation period for flight delays under the regulation should be whatever the statutory limitation period is in the country the claim is made – which in England and Wales is six years.

Back to top

The Airline Says The Delay Wasn’t Their Fault – Can I Still Claim Compensation?

It is a common misconception that it must be the airline’s ‘fault’ for you to claim compensation.

The regulation states it must be “inherent in the normal activity of an airline” for a claim to be valid. The debate over the wording and terms of the regulation has been present in several high-profile cases we’ve won.

A delay might not be the airline’s fault, but they still have a responsibility to their passengers and the control to do something about it.

To avoid paying compensation, the airline must prove there were extraordinary circumstances and that they took all reasonable steps to avoid a delay.

For example, one case we won at court involved the driver of a set of motorised steps used for disembarking an aircraft hitting the side of a plane to cause sufficient damage that the flight was delayed for over 3 hours.

We have also won cases where the aircraft on its previous flight was struck by lightning and needed repairing before taking off again, causing a delay of over 3 hours.

It wasn’t the airline’s ‘fault’ that these events happened, but they are ‘inherent in the normal operation of an airline, and the airline had the ability to plan for these kinds of situations, whether that’s with spare planes and extra crew, or technicians, engineers and spare parts.

The courts say these events are to be expected as part of operating an airline and are therefore inherent in their normal activity and eligible for compensation payments.

Back to top

Flight Delays And Extraordinary Circumstances

Some delays are out of the airline’s control. In these instances, the circumstances are classed as ‘extraordinary’.

This is the only valid defence an airline has against paying compensation for flight delays, and most of the court battles we’ve encountered test the definition of what is an ‘extraordinary circumstance’.

What Are Extraordinary Circumstances?

The term’ extraordinary circumstances’ may apply to events where the delay/cancellation was caused by something out of the ordinary.

In these instances, you may not be able to claim compensation for your delay.

• Certain types of bad weather or extreme weather conditions (e.g. volcanic ash cloud, but not heavy snowfall if expected in a particular location.)
• Hidden manufacturing defects or technical faults with the aircraft that are out of the ordinary.
• Industrial action (such as strikes unrelated to the airline)
• Acts of terrorism or sabotage.
• Security risks.
• Political or civil unrest.

What is classed as “extraordinary circumstances” is often a grey area and something the airlines will review when responding to passengers’ claims directly.

We have won several landmark cases at court to clarify the law for millions of passengers. Still, despite this, the airlines continue to argue over definitions of extraordinary circumstances, including telling passengers that delays were due to ‘hidden manufacturing defects when they were ordinary technical problems that should result in compensation being paid.

What Are Not Extraordinary Circumstances?

If your flight delay was caused by one of the following, you may be entitled to claim compensation.

• Bad weather affecting a previous flight, causing your flight to be delayed.
• The flight is understaffed, or the crew turn up late.
• Airline staff are on strike.
• You are denied boarding due to the flight being overbooked
• The flight is cancelled due to underbooking.
• Technical problems with the aircraft (except hidden manufacturing defects or problems caused by sabotage)

We have comprehensive information on many circumstances that can sometimes be argued as extraordinary. Our guides on claiming due to bad weather, strike action, staff shortages and illness, and technical defects will provide more in-depth information on each area.

It can prove very difficult to establish if the reason for the delay was extraordinary or not, especially if you are pursuing your claim directly with the airline.

One of the advantages of claiming through us is that we will investigate the circumstances of the flight and be able to quickly reach an accurate conclusion if the flight is claimable or not. You can do this instantly by using our flight claims calculator.

Back to top

Stuck At The Airport? You Have Rights During Your Delay

Article 9 of EU Reg 261 provides passengers with a level of “care and assistance” during the delay.

Care and assistance start after delays of 2 hours (for flights under 1,500km) or 3 hours (for flights between 1,500km and 3,500km) or 4 hours for flights over 3,500km, and regardless of the delay reason, the airline must provide you with:

• Food and drink in reasonable relation to waiting time
• Free hotel accommodation when a stay of one night or more is necessary
• Free transport between the airport and the hotel
• Two free telephone calls, emails, telex or fax messages

As part of their ‘care and assistance’ obligations, the airline should cover all these costs at the time of the delay, but we see cases where passengers have had to use their own money to buy food and drink or get taxis to and from the airports.

We recommend keeping all receipts and recording all evidence the airline may provide about the reason for your delay. That could include taking a screenshot of information on your phone or asking for a written note from a staff member. Such information can be used if you end up in a dispute with the airline.

We’ve created a downloadable flash card as a handy reminder to cut out and keep or store on your phone to show to airport staff and let them know you are aware of your rights.

If you have incurred costs such as food and drink, hotel accommodation, or taxi fares as a result of a delay, then it should be possible to recover these expenses as part of your claim for EU261 compensation.

Just let us know in the comments section of the online claim form that you wish to recover expenses as well, and our legal team will look into it on your behalf. Alternatively, you may download our expenses letter template and claim directly from the airline.

Back to top

Simple 4 Step Claims Process

• Check your flight with our free, industry leading calculator
• Add any extra passenger details and make your claim
• We negotiate with the airline on your behalf
• Claim is settled and you receive your compensation

How Long Does It Take To Claim For Compensation?

How long it takes to claim usually depends on how the airline chooses to defend the claim.

If the airline agrees they are at fault, a very quick settlement can be possible. However, they have the legal right to defend each and every claim, and in most cases, they do.

You may be surprised to know that as a firm who have been claiming compensation for flight delays since 2014, we have a very good relationship with each airline. This has come from negotiating thousands of claims each year.

Because we submit so many claims against airlines on behalf of passengers, we have a regular dialogue with their legal departments, making it much more likely that a quick settlement is reached.

Over half of our claims settle within 30 days. If we do not hear from the airline, we issue court proceedings on day 30 as this is the earliest point we can issue and comply with court rules allowing the airlines a fair chance to respond.

We often receive instructions from passengers who have given up claiming directly. This is because they have wasted valuable time and effort after being ignored or fobbed off with a range of excuses by the airlines.

If you were to claim yourself, you might wait weeks, or months, for a response – if you get one at all. You then may well need to issue court proceedings, and this process can take many more months. If you issue proceedings correctly and then you’re successful, it can still take weeks for the airline to pay up.

Our clients believe it’s easier to claim with us and pay a fee than spend wasted time and effort doing it themselves, often without success.

We can say that no other company settles as many claims as quickly as we do – so if you want to receive your compensation quickly and with no hassle, we give you the best chance.

Back to top

Claiming Flight Compensation With Bott and Co

While there are several ways you can claim, we recommend using a specialist solicitor such as Bott and Co. Our no-win-no-fee service protects you from any adverse costs or from being out of pocket when issuing court proceedings against the airline.

Using Bott and Co as the largest flight delay compensation law firm also gives you the benefit of our leading expertise in this area of law in the UK.

No other firm has gone to the lengths we have to take on airlines in securing passenger rights at the highest courts in the land.

Award-Winning Flight Compensation No Win No Fee Solicitors

As your legal representative, we take all of the stress out of the process, handling everything for you.

We also take on the financial risks of claiming, such as court fees and reports associated with your claim.

Since 2013, Our services have scooped up multiple awards within the legal industry, recognised by both The Law Society and the Modern Law Awards; your claim really couldn’t be in better hands.

The Flight Compensation Claims Process

Unlike other organisations, we actually represent you against the airlines. That level of representation goes way beyond issuing letters for you to send to the airlines.

• We’ll issue court papers to the airlines if they don’t respond to your claim within 30 days.
• We’ll represent you in court and pay all court fees.
• We’ll pay for expert reports to combat “technical defect” and “weather” arguments from the airlines.
• We’ll never put you at any financial risk as our services are offered on a no win no fee basis.

Our Fees

Our pricing is displayed as a flat fee, so you can see from the outset how much will be deducted from your compensation to cover our costs if your claim is successful.

If your case requires us to issue court proceedings on your behalf, there will be an increase in administrative fees to cover some of the extra work involved in doing this. All relevant costs associated with your claim are clearly stated in your T&Cs.

If we can’t recover your compensation, you pay nothing, meaning no financial risk to you whatsoever, even if your case goes to court.

Find out more about our fees.

Our Flight Delay Compensation Services At A Glance

For those who wish to claim directly, we offer a free flight delay claim letter for you to use.

---

Back to top

Frequently Asked Questions About Flight Delay Compensation Claims

If My Flight Is Affected By Airports Capping The Number Of Flights, Can I Claim Compensation Or Get A Refund?

If an airline cancels a flight because they’re told to do so by the airport (due to the airport capping the number of flights) then it’s likely to be classed as extraordinary circumstances and therefore you would not be eligible to claim compensation. However, you are still entitled to a full refund or replacement flight on any airline in these circumstances.

Can I Claim If An Airline Books You On A Seat On A Flight, Knowing The Flight Is Affected By Airport Caps, And Then The Airline Cancels The Flight?

Unfortunately in this instance you would not be able to claim under EU Reg 261, but you may be able to ask for a refund or replacement flight directly with the airline.

Do Airlines Have To Tell Passengers The Reason For A Cancelled Flight?

There’s no legal obligation for an airline to tell passengers the reason for a cancelled flight, unless you make a claim for compensation that is denied, in which case they have to explain the circumstances surrounding the cancelled flight and why they believe that absolves them of the obligation to provide compensation.

What Am I Entitled To If I’m Denied Boarding Due To Airport Caps, But The Flight Is Not Cancelled?

If the flight is not cancelled, but the passenger is denied boarding then they have a strong case to claim compensation. In addition they will definitely be entitled to a full refund or replacement flight at the earliest available opportunity and on any airline, not just the airline the original ticket was booked with.

Does It Matter How Much I Paid For My Ticket?

The amount of compensation you can claim for your delay is not affected by how much you paid for your ticket. So, whether you used air miles, paid £50 or £5,000 for your ticket, the amount of compensation you may get will stay the same. You can also claim for infants, even if you didn’t pay a fare for them.

If you are travelling for business and your employer purchased the ticket on your behalf, you can still claim as the compensation is for the inconvenience and your time, not to refund the cost of your ticket.

Can I Claim If The Flight Was Delayed Due To Bad Weather?

If the bad weather is considered an extreme situation and leads to air traffic control decisions on the number of flights allowed in and out of an airport, then it might not be

eligible for compensation. Bad weather must be ‘freak’ or ‘wholly exceptional’ for an airline to use it as a defence against paying compensation.

Suppose the bad weather is considered an extreme situation and leads to air traffic control decisions on the number of flights allowed in and out of an airport. In that case, it might not be eligible for compensation.

But if you’re delayed flying out of a ski resort, and heavy snowfall is an expected weather event, and your delay is due to the snow, then it would more than likely be claimable.

Can You Claim If There Was A Technical Fault With The Plane?

Yes! Following Bott and Co’s victory in the case of Huzar v Jet2, if a flight is delayed due to a technical problem, it is claimable under regulation 261/2004.

Can You Claim If The Flight Was Cancelled Due To Underbooking?

Depends! If you were notified of the cancellation more than 14 days before the departure date, then the airline is not obliged to pay you compensation under the regulation.

Can You Claim If The Pilot Or Crew Were Late?

Yes. Staffing issues causing flight delays are claimable under the regulation. You can claim if the crew or pilots are late or ill. The only exception could be if they were taken ill on board the flight, causing a medical emergency.

Can You Claim If The Plane Was Late Arriving From Its Previous Destination?

Almost always! If you were delayed because the previous flight was late arriving, you should be able to claim compensation.

This is true even for events such as lightning strikes or crew and staffing issues.

If the delay was due to an extraordinary circumstance such as extreme weather (volcanic ash cloud) or air traffic control decisions, then it may be more difficult to claim, so get in touch, and we’ll look at the details of your specific case.

Can You Claim If You Were Diverted To A Different Airport?

Depends! If the diversion wasn’t because of an extraordinary circumstance like a medical emergency on board or extreme weather conditions, then you should be able to claim. However, even if the delay was because of an extraordinary circumstance, the airline should cover all costs of getting you to your original destination.

Can You Claim If You Missed A Connecting Flight?

Sometimes! This is a complex area of the law because it can depend on the timings or if it was booked at the same time as part of the same journey. The best thing to do with these cases is to submit the details so our flight delay team can take a closer look.

Can You Claim If My Flight Is A Codeshare?

Yes, you can as long as the flight operator is a UK or EU based airline. It is the operator of the flight who is ultimately responsible. For example, if you fly from London to the US on a British Airways/ American Airlines codeshare, you would be able to claim if you flew on a British Airways plane but wouldn’t if you flew on an American Airlines aircraft.

Can You Claim For Other Members Of My Family Or Friends Who Were Also On The Flight?

Yes, we’ll need their personal information as well, but you can manage their claim. If you are under 18, then you’ll need someone to claim on your behalf. You can also claim for a child who didn’t have their own seat as long as they weren’t travelling free of charge.

Can I Claim With You If I’ve Already Sent A Letter To The Airline?

Yes, you can let us pick up your claim at any point, whether it’s from the very start, after you’ve sent a letter to the airline, or during a dialogue with the airline.

Many of our customers receive letters from the airlines stating that a flight compensation claim isn’t valid when it actually is.

We’re very quickly able to prove otherwise to the airlines and turn the claim into a successful one.

Can I Claim With You If I’ve Already Sent A Letter To The CAA?

Yes. Similarly to us picking up the case with the airlines, if the CAA hasn’t managed to claim compensation for you, we can help you achieve a successful outcome.

Can I Claim If I’ve Forgotten My Flight Details?

Bott and Co have a vast flight database with the details of millions of flights on record. Luckily that means that, even if you don’t know your flight number, there is a good chance that we will be able to trace it for you.

Of course, we will need some information to get started – If you can tell us the name of the airline you flew with, the time of your flight, the date you travelled and the airports you were travelling to and from, these are all really useful.

Alternatively, an old boarding pass or email booking confirmation will help us prove that you were on the flight.

Don’t worry; if you don’t have any of the above, we can take additional steps to provide evidence that you were on the flight, should this be necessary. Just get in touch, and we can look into it for you.

Do I Have To Go To Court?

If Bott and Co are acting on your behalf, we will attend all hearings on your behalf, and there will be no requirement for you to attend any hearings.

Back to top

Significant Flight Compensation Cases We’ve Won

Bott and Co continue to take airlines to court on behalf of passengers, and we continue to secure massive victories with billions of pounds at stake.

Some of the key landmark victories are summarised below:

Huzar v Jet2

The case of Huzar v Jet2 is still probably the most significant case in legal history in the UK relating to flight delay compensation.

The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, but despite the airline’s best efforts, Bott and Co were successful in defending passenger rights on behalf of millions of air travellers.

Jet2 argued that a technical problem with the aircraft constituted ‘extraordinary circumstances’ – an airline’s only legitimate defence in paying out on claims.

Bott and Co successfully argued that the technical issue was not out of the ordinary and was inherent in the normal operation of an airline.

This case was hugely important for millions of passengers. It meant that airlines couldn’t argue a technical fault was an extraordinary circumstance, freeing up millions of pounds of claims to be settled for airline passengers across the UK.

Having initially lost his claim in court, Mr Huzar approached Bott and Co to represent him at the appeal level. Bott and Co won the appeal case, and the airline then appealed this decision meaning the case would go to the Court of Appeal in London.

The airline lost this hearing, and after requesting permission to appeal that decision, the Supreme Court ultimately refused this request in October 2014, thereby quashing any further action by Jet2.

Dawson v Thomson

This case was another huge victory for Bott and Co on behalf of millions of consumers and prevented the airlines from restricting the period passengers can claim to two years.

The case focused on the limitation period, with Bott and Co arguing it should be six years as stated in the EU Regulation 261. TUI/ Thomson argued it should be two years based on the Montreal Convention – a set of laws relevant to other travel-related claims.

The airline, in this case, had initially argued the delay was due to extraordinary circumstances but then changed their argument to a limitation point and said Mr Dawson had not brought his claim to court in time.

Mr Dawson won his claim, but the airline took the case to the Court of Appeal and, ultimately, the Supreme Court. However, the judge ruled in favour of Bott and Co, which meant that passengers could continue to claim for delays up to six years old.

Goel & Trivedi v Ryanair

Even though we won the Dawson v Thomson case proving passengers had six years to bring a claim for compensation, Ryanair continued to argue that it was only two years because they wrote that clause into their terms and conditions.

On August 21st 2015, a senior judge found in favour of consumers as he ruled that airlines cannot restrict the length of time passengers have to claim for flight delay compensation by setting their own timeframes in their small print.

The decision in the case of Goel & Trivedi v Ryanair affected millions of passengers, and many claims had been put on hold waiting for the outcome of this case – which was worth millions of pounds to consumers.

If the airline had won the case, it would have enabled all other airlines to put a two-year (or possibly shorter) time limit on making claims for flight delay compensation.

Recent Flight Compensation Cases We Have Won

We helped over 605,000 passengers and recovered millions of pounds in compensation for passengers from well over 100 different airlines. No company in the UK has a better track record or reputation for success in this area of law than Bott and Co.

Case Study 1:

We recovered £818.78 from Tui for a couple delayed coming back to Manchester from their holiday in Croatia – despite the fact the couple had previously lost the case in court.

Elaine and Nicholas Holdaway had been given the runaround by the airline (who claimed extraordinary circumstances), and then the Civil Aviation Authority, despite agreeing they should be paid compensation, said they needed to speak to the National Enforcement Body in Croatia.

They ultimately had to issue court proceedings but listed the wrong department in their paperwork, and the case was thrown out of court.

They saw Bott and Co on the Martin Lewis website and contacted us to take the case on. As a result, we secured them the compensation they were rightfully owed.

Case Study 2:

We secured £567.32 from easyJet for a couple from Cornwall who were told by the airline that their delay was less than 3 hours, so it didn’t qualify for compensation under EU261/2004.

In fact, the delay was just over 3 hours, and our technology and data proved that point – so we took on the claim when Philip and Karen Walsh contacted us as they had hit a brick wall with even the CEO of EasyJet telling them they didn’t have a claim.

Case Study 3:

One man was delayed for two days after a Wizz Air flight from Prague was cancelled, and after he contacted us for help, we recovered £786.77 in compensation. Initially, the staff at the airport refused to help, but after a group complained they had nowhere to stay for two nights, they were given vouchers to stay in a nearby hotel.

Our client, Frank, was so disappointed at the service from Wizz Air that he asked Bott and Co to help him with his claim and was pleasantly surprised that we were able to recover compensation from the airline for his delay.

Case Study 4:

A family from Bracknell were delayed over 11 hours on a Monarch flight, and we secured £1,542 in compensation for them. Gary Rogers was travelling with young children and elderly parents, and the ordeal was highly stressful. He was later fobbed off by the airline when he tried to claim under EU261/2004.

Fortunately, he found Bott and Co online after researching about issuing court proceedings and used our hassle-free service to make his claim.

See more cases when Bott and Co have been successful both in the media and in our dedicated case study section.

*Based on 10,211 court proceedings issued between May 2013 and February 2016.

---

*Based on 10,211 court proceedings issued between May 2013 and February 2016.