ANSWER · UK 261 AND EC 261
I already accepted an offer from the airline. What now?
It depends on what was accepted. Art. 15 provides that obligations under the regulation may not be limited or waived by a derogation or restrictive clause in the contract of carriage, and Art. 7(3) allows payment in vouchers only with the passenger's signed agreement. A care voucher or a refund settles nothing under Art. 7.
REVIEWED AGAINST RULE SET V6 AND THE CITED PRIMARY SOURCES · UPDATED 7 AUGUST 2026
What accepting each thing actually does
| WHAT WAS ACCEPTED | EFFECT ON AN ART. 7 CLAIM |
|---|---|
| Meal or hotel voucher during the wait | None, that is the Art. 9 care duty |
| Refund of the ticket | None, that is the Art. 8 right |
| Re-routing onto a later flight | None, that is the Art. 8 right |
| A travel voucher offered as compensation | Only with signed agreement under Art. 7(3), and its terms then matter |
| A written full and final settlement | Turns on the document, which Art. 15 does not automatically override |
The distinction Art. 15 draws
Art. 15 targets terms in the contract of carriage, meaning the fare rules and conditions you agreed when booking. A separately negotiated settlement after the event is a different instrument, and what it releases depends on its own wording.
What we do with these claims
Our intake asks whether a claim for the same flight has already been assigned, settled or filed elsewhere, and stops there when it has. Filing twice on one flight helps nobody, and it is the kind of thing a rejection letter is written on.
SOURCES
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 15 · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 7(3) · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 9 · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026
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