Airlines reject vague complaints and pay precise ones. The letter does not need legal language. It needs facts the airline can check in its own system and a number it can pay. Before you write, confirm what you are owed with the calculator, then pick the template that matches.
What the letter must contain
- Who you are: names of all passengers as on the booking, and the booking reference.
- The flight: number, date, route, scheduled and actual arrival time.
- What happened: delay, cancellation, denied boarding or baggage problem, in two or three lines.
- The legal basis: the regulation and the article.
- The amount: per passenger and in total.
- How to pay and by when: bank details and a date.
Leave out anger and long stories.
Watch out
Do not accept or mention vouchers unless you want one.
Template 1: delay or cancellation (EU261 or UK261)
Use this for arrival three hours or more late, or a cancellation notified less than 14 days before departure. For a UK-regime flight, write “Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as retained in UK law” and use the pound amounts. Which regime applies is explained in EU261 and UK261.
Subject: Compensation claim under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004
Booking reference: [BOOKING REFERENCE]
Dear Sir or Madam,
I was booked on flight [FLIGHT NUMBER] from [DEPARTURE AIRPORT] to
[ARRIVAL AIRPORT] on [DATE]. Passengers: [FULL NAMES].
[CHOOSE ONE]
The flight arrived at the final destination [X HOURS, Y MINUTES] late.
Scheduled arrival: [TIME]. Actual arrival: [TIME].
The flight was cancelled. I was informed on [DATE AND TIME].
Under Articles 5 and 7 of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, and the judgment
of the Court of Justice in Sturgeon (C-402/07), each passenger is owed
[AMOUNT]. Total claimed: [TOTAL] for [NUMBER] passengers.
[IF APPLICABLE] I also claim [AMOUNT] for meals, hotel and transport
that were not provided (Article 9). Receipts are attached.
If you rely on extraordinary circumstances, please state the specific
event and how it affected this flight.
Please pay within 14 days to:
Account holder: [NAME]
IBAN or account number: [NUMBER]
BIC or sort code: [CODE]
I do not accept vouchers. If I receive no payment, I will refer the
matter to the enforcement body, an ADR scheme or the court.
[NAME], [ADDRESS], [EMAIL], [PHONE]Template 2: denied boarding
For passengers refused boarding against their will with a valid ticket and on-time check-in. Background is in denied boarding.
Subject: Denied boarding compensation, Regulation (EC) No 261/2004
Booking reference: [BOOKING REFERENCE]
Dear Sir or Madam,
On [DATE] I presented myself on time for flight [FLIGHT NUMBER] from
[DEPARTURE AIRPORT] to [ARRIVAL AIRPORT] with a confirmed reservation
and valid travel documents. I was denied boarding against my will.
I did not volunteer to give up my seat.
Under Articles 4(3) and 7 of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 I claim
[AMOUNT] per passenger, [TOTAL] for [NUMBER] passengers: [FULL NAMES].
[CHOOSE ONE]
I was re-routed and arrived at [TIME] on [DATE].
I chose a refund of the ticket, [AMOUNT], under Article 8(1)(a),
which I have not yet received.
[IF APPLICABLE] I also claim [AMOUNT] for meals, hotel and transport
under Article 9. Receipts are attached.
Please pay within 14 days to:
Account holder: [NAME]
IBAN or account number: [NUMBER]
BIC or sort code: [CODE]
[NAME], [ADDRESS], [EMAIL], [PHONE]Template 3: baggage (Montreal Convention)
For lost, damaged or delayed checked bags on international flights.
Deadline
The deadlines are short: 7 days for damage and 21 days for delay, counted from when you receive the bag (Art. 31(2), Montreal Convention).
Subject: Baggage claim under the Montreal Convention 1999
Booking reference: [BOOKING REFERENCE]
Property Irregularity Report: [PIR REFERENCE]
Bag tag number: [TAG NUMBER]
Dear Sir or Madam,
I travelled on flight [FLIGHT NUMBER] from [DEPARTURE AIRPORT] to
[ARRIVAL AIRPORT] on [DATE]. My checked bag was
[LOST / DAMAGED / DELIVERED ON (DATE), (NUMBER) DAYS LATE].
I reported this at the airport on [DATE].
Under Articles 17, 19 and 22(2) of the Montreal Convention I claim:
[ITEM OR EXPENSE] - [VALUE]
[ITEM OR EXPENSE] - [VALUE]
Total: [TOTAL]
Attached: the report, bag tag, boarding pass, receipts and photos.
This letter is my written complaint under Article 31. Please pay
within 14 days to:
Account holder: [NAME]
IBAN or account number: [NUMBER]
BIC or sort code: [CODE]
[NAME], [ADDRESS], [EMAIL], [PHONE]Where to send it
For compensation under Regulation 261/2004, write to the airline that operated the flight, not the travel agent or the airline that sold a codeshare ticket. Use its official claims form or customer relations address. Our airline directory links to the official forms. Paste the letter into the free-text field and save the confirmation.
What to attach
- Booking confirmation or e-ticket, and boarding passes if you have them
- Any message from the airline about the disruption
- Receipts for meals, hotel, transport or replacement items
- For baggage: the Property Irregularity Report, bag tag and photos
- If you claim for others: their names and consent
Tip
Send copies, never originals.
How long to wait
The 2004 text of Regulation 261 gives the airline no deadline to answer, so the date in your letter is what sets the pace.
| Regime | When to escalate |
|---|---|
| EU | After 2 months without a reply, or after a refusal (European Commission guidance) |
| UK | After a final refusal, or 8 weeks without one (CAA) |
From 23 October 2027, Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 will require EU claims to be sent within nine months of the flight and answered within 30 days. What to do after a refusal is in how to claim. If you would rather hand the file over, read claims companies first.