You had a bad flight day. Here is what you can do about it — no lawyer, no claim company, no fees.
There is an EU law called Regulation 261/2004 (everyone calls it EU261) that says airlines owe you money when they cancel your flight, delay it by three or more hours, or lose your bag. The amounts are fixed: €250 for short flights, €400 for medium ones, €600 for long ones. This is not a maybe — it is the law, and it applies to every airline departing from any EU airport.
Because the process is designed to be annoying. You have to figure out which regulation applies, write a formal complaint, find the right email or form, cite the right articles, and follow up when the airline ignores you. Most people give up after step one. That is exactly the gap TravelClaim fills.
You tell us your flight number and the date. We look up the flight, figure out the route and the airline, and ask you a few more questions — what happened, whether the airline offered you anything, whether you had extra costs. Then we generate a proper complaint letter that cites the right regulation, names the right compensation amount, and is addressed to the right department at the right airline. You download it as a PDF, copy the text, or send it directly.
Your name, the flight details, a factual timeline of what happened, the legal basis (EU261 Article 5 for cancellations, Article 6 for delays), the compensation amount you are claiming under Article 7, any extra expenses you want reimbursed, and a list of documents you can attach. The tone is polite but firm — no drama, no threats, just facts and a clear ask.
They often do, at least the first time. That is what the escalation flow is for. If the airline rejects your claim or does not reply within about six weeks, TravelClaim generates a second-stage complaint addressed to the National Enforcement Body for the country where your flight departed. In Spain that is AESA, in Germany the LBA, in the UK the CAA. These are government agencies that can force the airline to pay. And in some countries like Spain and Austria, the process is binding and free.
For the standard EU261 compensation — no. The regulation is designed so passengers can claim directly. The amounts are fixed by law, the airlines know the rules, and the enforcement bodies exist specifically to handle cases where airlines do not comply. Claim companies charge 25-35% of your compensation to do exactly what TravelClaim helps you do for free.
The compensation depends on the distance of your flight. Up to 1,500 km: €250. Between 1,500 and 3,500 km (or any flight within the EU over 1,500 km): €400. Over 3,500 km: €600. This is per passenger — so if you and your partner were on the same cancelled flight, that is €1,200 between you. On top of the fixed compensation, you can also claim reimbursement for meals, hotels, transport, and other expenses the airline should have covered but did not. Article 15(2) of the regulation explicitly says the fixed compensation is a floor, not a ceiling.
If the airline can prove the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances — a volcanic eruption, a security threat, severe weather that grounded the entire airport — they do not owe the fixed compensation. But they still owe you care: meals, a hotel if you are stuck overnight, and transport to and from the hotel. And most technical problems, crew shortages, and operational decisions are NOT extraordinary circumstances, no matter what the airline tells you.
Filing the complaint takes about five minutes with TravelClaim. Most airlines respond within 30 to 60 days. If you need to escalate, the enforcement body typically decides within 90 days. The whole process from complaint to payment is usually two to four months. In most EU countries you have at least two years to file — in some, up to six.
You do not need to be European. EU261 applies to everyone on the flight, regardless of nationality. If you are American, Australian, or from anywhere else and your flight departed from an EU airport — or if it arrived at an EU airport and the airline is European — you have the same rights as any EU citizen.