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NO PERCENTAGE · EC261 / UK261

Keep 100% of your flight compensation. Filing it yourself, honestly explained.

By Nathan Zarcaro, founder of MyAirAdvocate · 6 min read · Updated

A laptop, a coffee and a notepad on a desk

THE SHORT ANSWER

You can file an EC261 or UK261 claim yourself in about twenty minutes and keep all of it. Claim companies charge 25–35% for the same thing. Below: what to send, where, and when paying someone is worth it.

AT A GLANCE

  • Do: About twenty minutes and one short letter
  • Do: Free dispute bodies if the airline says no
  • Don’t: Claim companies take 25–35%, more if it goes to court
  • Do: Paying for help makes sense in three cases

Does this apply to my flight?

EC261 · UK261

COVERED

  • ●Any flight departing the UK or an EU country, on any airline (including US carriers)
  • ●Any flight arriving into the UK or EU on a UK or EU airline
  • ●Connecting itineraries on one booking, where the final destination is late

NOT COVERED

  • ●US domestic flights (Boston to Denver) — different rules, no fixed compensation
  • ●Flights into the EU or UK on a non-European airline (New York to London on Delta or American)
  • ●Anywhere else in the world, unless local law says otherwise

This is EU Regulation 261/2004, called EC261, and its UK copy, UK261. It is the reason a cancelled Paris flight pays €600 and a cancelled Phoenix flight pays nothing.

In this guide · 5 sections
  1. 01How much do flight compensation companies take?
  2. 02How do I claim flight compensation myself?
  3. 03What do I do if the airline refuses my compensation claim?
  4. 04Why does a claims company publish this?
  5. FAQQuestions people ask

THE ARITHMETIC

How much do flight compensation companies take?

The big ones charge roughly 25–35% of your payout, plus VAT in some markets. Several add a second fee of around 15% if the case goes to court.

On a €600 claim for two people, that’s €300 to €600 of your money.

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 that names a dispute body.

THE CLAIM

How do I claim flight compensation myself?

  1. Check it qualifies

    Departed from the UK or EU on any airline, or arrived there on a UK or EU airline. Then: cancelled with under 14 days’ notice, 3+ hours late on arrival, or denied boarding. That’s the whole test.

  2. Work out the amount

    By straight-line distance between the airports, per passenger: €250 (£220) under 1,500 km, €400 (£350) from 1,500 to 3,500 km, €600 (£520) over 3,500 km.

  3. Gather five things

    Booking reference, flight number and date, proof of the disruption, the names of everyone on the booking, and your bank details.

  4. Send the letter

    Use the template on this site. Cite Article 7 for the money, and Article 5 for a cancellation. State the band and the total. Send it through the airline’s compensation form, and save the reference number.

  5. Diary eight weeks

    No payment or refusal by week eight? Escalate.

Rather have it handled? A flat $39, charged only if the airline pays.

Handle my claim →

WHEN THEY SAY NO

What do I do if the airline refuses my compensation claim?

The first refusal is usually a template. The standard one 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. Some refusals stop there, because the airline doesn’t have them.

If not, go to the free dispute body. In the UK most big airlines belong to CEDR or AviationADR, and the decision binds the airline. Germany has söp, the Netherlands the Geschillencommissie Luchtvaart, and every EU country has a national enforcement body.

If it was British Airways that said no, here’s what to do when BA refuses compensation.

WHY WE’RE TELLING YOU

Why does a claims company publish this?

Because we charge a flat fee, never a percentage. That only holds up if the do-it-yourself route is real. It is.

Got twenty minutes and a straightforward case? Take the claim letter template and keep the lot. If you’d rather not, the fee is on the page before you decide.

COMMON QUESTIONS

Questions people ask

How long do I have to claim flight compensation?

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?

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.

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?

Almost never. The dispute bodies are built for individuals and don’t require one.

What does MyAirAdvocate charge?

A flat $39 per claim, charged only if the airline pays. Seeing what you’re owed is free. Never a percentage of what you’re owed.

Rather have it handled for you? We file it and chase the airline for a flat $39 per claim, charged only if the airline pays — never a percentage.

Handle my claim →

The law this guide is written against: EC261 full text (EUR-Lex) · UK261 full text (legislation.gov.uk)

General information, not legal advice. Compensation depends on the facts of each disruption and the airline’s evidence. MyAirAdvocate files claims for a flat $39, charged only if the airline pays, and never takes a percentage of what you are owed.