With easyJet the first thing to settle is which law applies, because the airline flies under three licences and two sets of rules. The departure airport decides it, and it decides whether you are paid in pounds or euros.
Three airlines, two sets of rules
easyJet operates as easyJet UK, easyJet Europe (licensed in Austria) and easyJet Switzerland. You do not need to work out which one flew you. What matters is where the flight took off:
- From a UK airport: UK261 applies to every departure, on any airline.
- From an EU or EEA airport: EU261 applies (Art. 3(1)(a), Regulation 261/2004).
- From Switzerland: EU261 applies there through the EU–Switzerland air transport agreement.
- Into the UK or the EU from elsewhere, for example from Egypt or Turkey: covered when the operating carrier is a UK or EU airline.
The rights calculator picks the right regime from your route.
Amounts
You can claim when you arrive 3 or more hours late (CJEU, Sturgeon, C-402/07), when the flight is cancelled less than 14 days before departure (Art. 5(1)(c)), or when you are involuntarily denied boarding (Art. 4). easyJet’s own notice lists the same figures:
| Flight distance | From the UK | From the EU |
|---|---|---|
| 1,500 km or less | £220 | €250 |
| 1,500–3,500 km, and flights within the EU over 1,500 km | £350 | €400 |
| Other flights over 3,500 km | £520 | €600 |
If easyJet reroutes you and you arrive within 2, 3 or 4 hours of the original time, depending on the band, the amount is halved (Art. 7(2)).
Good to know
A reform of EU261 adopted in 2026 keeps the EU amounts and the three-hour threshold; its new rules do not apply yet.
easyJet does not pay when the cause was outside its control. Its claim form names weather, industrial action and air traffic control restrictions.
Whether a given cause qualifies is a legal question, not the airline’s choice: see extraordinary circumstances and strikes.
Where to file
Compensation goes through easyJet’s Compensation Claims Portal. The form states that every field is required and that missing or incorrect details may mean the claim cannot be processed. It asks for:
- Booking reference.
- Flight number and date.
- Reason for the claim: delayed flight, cancelled flight or denied boarding.
- Departure and arrival airports.
Expenses are a separate claim. For meals, a hotel or transport you paid for, use easyJet’s Expense Claim Form, linked from the same help page. easyJet asks for itemised receipts and does not reimburse alcohol.
If you booked through a travel agent, tour operator or easyJet holidays, the compensation claim still goes to the airline that operated the flight (Art. 3(5)).
If easyJet says no
- Ask for a final response. easyJet’s notice tells passengers to contact its customer relations team through the contact form on its site.
- AviationADR. easyJet’s notice names AviationADR as its dispute resolution body, approved by the Civil Aviation Authority. You can refer the complaint within 12 months of easyJet’s final response. The CAA adds that you may also go to the ADR body if the airline has not replied within eight weeks.
- Flights from an EU country. You can also complain to the national enforcement body of the country of departure. easyJet’s notice links to the European Commission’s list.
- Court. The UK time limit is six years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and five years in Scotland.
One easyJet case is worth knowing. In C-756/18 the Court of Justice held that passengers holding a confirmed reservation cannot be refused compensation solely because they did not prove they presented themselves for check-in.
Tip
Keep the booking confirmation; it is your main evidence.
For wording that cites the right articles, use our claim letter. The full sequence is in how to claim.