Flight Compensation Claim Guides

European Regulation 261/2004 was established to protect the rights of air passengers, giving consumers the right to compensation for delayed or cancelled flights. We look into the rights of passengers when they are affected by strikes.

If your flight has been cancelled or delayed as a result of bad weather, then read on. You could be entitled to up to £520 in flight compensation.

The short answer is: Yes, you can, but you’ll probably have to take your claim to court. Airlines often tell passengers they can’t claim for flight delays caused by crew sickness, arguing that staff illness is an extraordinary circumstance. Read our guide below for further information.

If the airline has told you your flight delay was due to a technical defect or a hidden manufacturing defect and refuses to pay you flight compensation then don’t despair!

We’re often contacted by clients who were on a delayed flight and want to make a flight compensation claim but they don’t have some – or any – of their flight details. What happens if you find yourself in this situation?

The highest Court in Europe ruled on the 4th September 2014 that the arrival time must be calculated from the time the first aircraft door is opened.

A recent article on TravelMole looked at the airlines trying to ‘head off compensation claims’ by voluntarily issuing passengers with travel vouchers instead of the money they are entitled to under Regulation EU261.

Whilst EU Regulation 261/2004 states that you cannot claim financial compensation for a long flight delay due to an extraordinary circumstance, the airline is still obliged to offer its passengers care and assistance.

To help passengers understand their rights better, Bott and Co have created a downloadable flash card for passengers to take to the airport to use in cases of delay.

When it comes to claiming flight compensation, some prefer the “do it yourself” approach. Representing yourself in court, or acting as a ‘litigant in person’ to give it its official title, is certainly an option when it comes to making a flight delay claim; but is not without its potential pitfalls.

Whilst awareness is increasing about your basic flight rights, what’s less known is where you stand for claims that are a little more complex.

In the past we have seen airlines turn down flight compensation claims that were over two years old. Airlines often argued that The Montreal Convention 1999 meant passengers had just two years to bring an EU261 flight delay claim in England and Wales.