Delayed, cancelled, or bumped? Claim what the airline owes you.

How it works

1. 1. Answer a short form. Quick steps — the exact details your document needs.
2. 2. Review your document. Generated free — you see the full preview before paying.
3. 3. Unlock your PDF. One-time payment via Stripe. Professionally formatted, ready to submit.

Free sample

This is the structure and tone every generated document follows — written from your details, not a fill-in-the-blanks template.

Daniel Okafor
27 Birchwood Road
Leeds LS8 2QT
United Kingdom
daniel.okafor@example.com

18 April 2026

Customer Relations Department
Aerlanta Airways

Subject: Compensation Claim — Flight AL2216, 2 April 2026, Booking Reference QP7X4R

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to claim compensation for the disruption to flight AL2216 from Manchester (MAN) to Lisbon (LIS) on 2 April 2026, on which I was a confirmed passenger under booking reference QP7X4R.

The flight was scheduled to depart Manchester at 09:40 and arrive in Lisbon at 12:55 local time. Boarding was repeatedly postponed at the gate, and the aircraft ultimately departed at 14:05. I arrived at Lisbon, my final destination, at 17:20 — a delay of 4 hours and 25 minutes. At the airport, your staff attributed the delay to "an operational issue with the inbound aircraft" and provided a £5 refreshment voucher. No further assistance or information about my rights was offered.

As this flight departed from the United Kingdom, it falls under UK261, the UK air passenger rights regime. A delay of over three hours at the final destination caused by an operational issue within the airline's control gives rise to a right to compensation under those rules. I am claiming the compensation of £350 that I believe is due for this flight.

In addition, I incurred out-of-pocket expenses as a direct result of the delay: a missed prepaid airport transfer in Lisbon (£28) and a meal during the extended wait (£14). I request reimbursement of these amounts alongside the compensation.

Please pay the total to the following account: account name Daniel Okafor, sort code 20-45-77, account number 33281904.

I request a substantive response and payment within 30 days of the date of this letter. If I do not receive a satisfactory response within that period, I will refer this claim to the relevant national enforcement body or pursue it through the small claims process without further notice.

Yours faithfully,

Daniel Okafor

Frequently asked questions

How much compensation can I get for a delayed flight under EU261?

EU Regulation 261/2004 sets fixed compensation bands based on flight distance and the length of your delay at the final destination — shorter flights sit in a lower band and long-haul flights in a higher one. The exact amount depends on your specific route and delay, so your letter claims under the regulation and states your figure only if you provide one. Many airlines will confirm the applicable band in their response.

How long do I have to claim flight compensation?

Limitation periods vary by country — in some places you can claim for flights several years back, in others the window is shorter. There is no single worldwide deadline. The safest approach is to send your claim as soon as possible after the disruption while your evidence (boarding passes, receipts, airline communications) is fresh.

What if the airline blames weather or 'extraordinary circumstances'?

Under EU261, airlines don't owe cash compensation when a disruption was caused by genuinely extraordinary circumstances outside their control — but they must actually prove it, and many routine technical or crew-scheduling problems do not qualify. A written claim forces the airline to state its reason on the record, which you can then challenge with the national enforcement body if it looks weak.

What are my rights on a US flight compared to an EU flight?

The frameworks differ. EU/UK rules (EU261/UK261) can entitle you to fixed cash compensation for long delays and cancellations. US Department of Transportation rules focus on refunds for cancelled or significantly changed flights and compensation for involuntary denied boarding, rather than fixed delay payouts. For international itineraries, the Montreal Convention can cover proven losses caused by delay. Your letter cites the framework that matches your flight.

Will sending a letter actually work?

A clear written claim with the flight details, a factual chronology, and a response deadline is the standard first step, and airlines resolve a large share of well-documented claims at this stage. If the airline refuses or ignores you, the letter also creates the paper trail you need to escalate to a national enforcement body or small claims court. No outcome can be guaranteed.

Is this legal advice?

No. This tool generates a professional claim letter from the details you provide — it is not legal advice, and passenger-rights rules vary by route and jurisdiction. Review the letter before sending it, and consult a lawyer or a passenger-rights agency for complex or high-value claims.