ANSWER · UK 261 AND EC 261
Can I claim myself instead of using a company?
Yes, and for a clear cut claim it is the cheapest route: writing to the airline costs nothing, and the Art. 7 sum of €250, €400 or €600 is paid in full. A claims company charges a fee, ours being 30 percent including VAT, in exchange for handling a disputed claim and carrying the cost of court proceedings.
REVIEWED AGAINST RULE SET V6 AND THE CITED PRIMARY SOURCES · UPDATED 7 AUGUST 2026
Where each route tends to work
| SITUATION | CLAIMING YOURSELF | USING A COMPANY |
|---|---|---|
| Airline accepts liability | Fastest and free | Costs a share of the same outcome |
| Airline asserts extraordinary circumstances | Turns on the case law | The argument is the service |
| Airline stops replying | Escalation is your time | Escalation is the company's cost |
| Court proceedings needed | You carry the cost risk | We carry the court costs, win or lose |
The free tools on this site
- A claim letter generator that produces a factual demand citing the regulation and the computed band, with nothing stored.
- The rulings library, so a stated reason can be read against the judgment that governs it.
- The full limitation map, so the deadline for the forum is visible before anything is sent.
Why we publish the tools anyway
A passenger who can settle a claim in one email is better off doing that. Publishing the letter and the case law costs us the easy claims and leaves the disputed ones, which is the part of the work a fee is actually for.
SOURCES
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 7 · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 16 · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026
RELATED QUESTIONS
Checking is free, takes about 2 minutes, and starts nothing. You see the amount at stake before any personal details.
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