THE ARITHMETIC
How much do flight compensation companies take?
The big ones charge a success fee of roughly 25–35% of your payout, plus VAT in some markets, and several add a second fee of around 15% if the case has to go to court. On a €600 claim for two people that’s €300 to €600 of your money, for a letter you could have written in the time it takes to read this.
Their pitch is that the process is complicated. It isn’t. It’s one short letter, usually pasted into the airline’s web form, and sometimes a second letter that names a dispute body. What’s hard is knowing those two or three things, which is the actual product they’re selling you.
THE CLAIM
How do I claim flight compensation myself?
Check it qualifies
Departed from the UK or EU on any airline, or arrived into the UK or EU on a UK or EU airline. Then: cancelled with under 14 days’ notice, arrived 3+ hours late, or you were denied boarding. That’s the whole test. If you pass it, keep going.
Work out the amount
By distance. Under 1,500 km: €250 (£220). 1,500 to 3,500 km: €400 (£350). Over 3,500 km: €600 (£520). Per passenger. It’s the straight-line distance between the two airports, not the route the plane flew.
Gather five things
You need the booking reference, the flight number and date, proof of the disruption (the board photo, the airline’s email, or your arrival time), the names of everyone on the booking, and your bank details.
Send the letter
The template is on this site. Cite Article 7 for the money and Article 5 if it was a cancellation, state the distance band and the total, and send it through the airline’s compensation form. Most large airlines only process claims that come through the form now, and a letter sent anywhere else gets a "please use our form" reply three weeks later. Save the reference number.
Diary eight weeks
Airlines are slow because slow works for them. If there’s no payment or a refusal by week eight, escalate.
WHEN THEY SAY NO
What do I do if the airline refuses my compensation claim?
The first refusal is usually a template. The one we see most often reads, near enough, "we’re sorry, but the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances outside our control, and no compensation is payable." No date, no cause, no evidence. Reply once and ask for all three. A fair share of these refusals stop there, because the airline doesn’t have them.
If it doesn’t stop, escalate to the free dispute body. In the UK, most big airlines belong to CEDR or AviationADR; a decision there binds the airline and costs you nothing. Germany has söp, the Netherlands the Geschillencommissie Luchtvaart, and every EU country has a national enforcement body for the rest. Naming the body in your follow-up changes the tone of the next reply. It’s the difference between a complaint and a case.
THE HONEST LINE
When paying someone is worth it
There are three situations where it makes sense. The airline is fighting on the facts and the evidence is technical, weather data against weather data. The claim has to go to court in a country you can’t appear in. Or it’s €250 and your time is honestly worth more. In those cases a flat-fee service is the fair version of paying for help. A 35% cut on a routine claim isn’t; it’s a tax on not knowing.
WHY WE’RE TELLING YOU
Why does a claims company publish this?
Because we charge a flat fee, never a percentage, and that only holds up if the do-it-yourself route is real and we’re willing to point at it. It is. If you’ve got twenty minutes and a straightforward case, take the template and keep the lot. If you’d rather not, the fee is on the page before you decide.
Rather have it prepared for you? Flat fee, stated up front — never a percentage of what you\u2019re owed.
Prepare my claim →COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions people ask
How long do I have to claim flight compensation?
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Six years in England and Wales. Two to three years in most EU countries; Germany counts three years from the end of the year the flight was in. Old flights still pay.
Can I claim for a flight from two years ago?
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Yes, if you’re inside the limitation period. Airlines pay old claims the same way they pay new ones, which is slowly.
The airline offered me vouchers instead of cash.
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You can say no. Article 7 compensation is cash unless you agree in writing to something else.
Do I need a lawyer to claim flight compensation?
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Almost never. The dispute bodies are built for individuals and don’t require one.
What does MyAirAdvocate charge?
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A flat fee per prepared claim, shown before you commit. Never a percentage of what you’re owed.
General information, not legal advice. Compensation depends on the facts of each disruption and the airline’s evidence. MyAirAdvocate prepares claims for a flat fee and never takes a percentage of what you are owed.