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Write your own flight compensation letter

This generator writes a factual demand citing the article and the judgment that support it, with the amount taken from the distance band: €250, €400 or €600 under EC 261 and £220, £350 or £520 under UK 261. It runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere, stored, or seen by us.

REVIEWED AGAINST RULE SET V5 AND THE CITED PRIMARY SOURCES · UPDATED 7 AUGUST 2026

What the letter says

It identifies the flight, states the rule that applies, names the amount for your distance band, and asks the airline to say which circumstance it relies on if it refuses. That last part matters: Art. 5(3) puts the burden on the carrier to prove both the circumstance and the measures it took.

The 3 hour rule from Sturgeon and Nelson, for delays and missed connections.
The Art. 5(1)(c) notice windows, including the 14 day cut off, for cancellations.
Art. 4(3) for denied boarding, which carries no extraordinary circumstances defence.
Art. 7(3), so the airline cannot substitute a voucher without your signed agreement.
Art. 15, so a clause in the contract of carriage cannot waive the right.

Finding your distance

Art. 7(4) uses the great circle distance, which is the shortest path over the earth's surface rather than the route flown. Measure it from the first departure airport to the final ticketed destination, not leg by leg.

WHICH BAND YOUR DISTANCE FALLS IN
DISTANCE BAND	EC 261	UK 261
Up to 1,500 km	€250	£220
1,500 to 3,500 km	€400	£350
Over 3,500 km	€600	£520

Bands and amounts read from rule set v5, the same data the free check evaluates. EC 261 figures are set by Art. 7(1); the sterling figures were substituted by SI 2019/278 for flights covered by the retained regulation.

Generate the letter

Fill in what you know. The draft updates as you type and you can rewrite it before sending. Nothing here reaches a server, so nothing is kept.

YOUR DETAILS · STAY IN THIS BROWSER TAB

REGIMEWHAT HAPPENEDYOUR NAMEBOOKING REFERENCEAIRLINEFLIGHT NUMBERFLIGHT DATEFROMTO (FINAL DESTINATION)DISTANCE IN KMHOURS LATE AT ARRIVALREASON THE AIRLINE GAVE (OPTIONAL)

Enter the distance in kilometres to fill in the amount. The bands are listed above.

YOUR LETTER · EDIT IT FREELY BEFORE SENDING

To: [airline]
Subject: Compensation claim under EC 261 · flight [flight number], [flight date], booking [booking reference]

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to claim compensation under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004.

Passenger: [your name]
Booking reference: [booking reference]
Flight: [flight number], [flight date]
Route: [departure airport] to [arrival airport]
Distance: [great circle distance]

Flight [flight number] on [flight date], [departure airport] to [arrival airport], arrived at its final destination [number] hours after the scheduled arrival time.
Under EC 261 as interpreted in Sturgeon (Joined Cases C-402/07 and C-432/07) and confirmed by the Grand Chamber in Nelson (Joined Cases C-581/10 and C-629/10), a passenger who reaches the final destination 3 hours or more after the scheduled arrival is entitled to the fixed compensation in Art. 7.

Art. 7(1) fixes compensation for this distance band at [amount for your distance band] per passenger, and Art. 7 makes the amount independent of the fare paid. I claim [amount for your distance band] for each passenger named on the booking.

Art. 7(3) provides that compensation is paid in cash, by electronic bank transfer, bank order or bank cheque, and in travel vouchers only with the signed agreement of the passenger. I do not agree to payment in vouchers.

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.

Please confirm within fourteen days how you intend to deal with this claim. If you consider that compensation is not payable, please state the specific circumstance you rely on under Art. 5(3) and the measures you took to avoid its consequences.

Yours faithfully,
[your name]

What to do with it

Airlines take these through their own claims form or customer relations address, and both are on the airline's website. Keep a copy of what you send and the date you sent it, because a limitation period runs from the flight rather than from the correspondence.

SOURCES

Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 7 · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026
Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 5(3) · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026
Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 15 · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026
Joined Cases C-402/07 and C-432/07 Sturgeon v Condor, judgment of 19 November 2009 (ECLI:EU:C:2009:716) · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026
The Air Passenger Rights and Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI 2019/278), reg. 8 · legislation.gov.uk · checked 7 August 2026

BEFORE YOU SEND IT

The airline rejected my claim. What routes exist?How long do I have to claim?What the airline can still argue Can I claim myself instead of using a company?