EU261 Claim Letter Template (Free Copy & Paste — 2026)

Subject: EU261/2004 Compensation Claim — Flight [FLIGHT NUMBER], [DATE]

To the Customer Relations Team,

I am writing to claim statutory compensation under EU Regulation 261/2004 (or UK Regulation 261/2004 for UK flights) for the following disrupted flight:

Flight number: [e.g. EZY1234]
Departure airport: [e.g. London Gatwick (LGW)]
Destination airport: [e.g. Paris CDG (CDG)]
Scheduled departure: [date and time, e.g. 14 June 2024, 07:30]
Actual arrival at destination: [e.g. 14 June 2024, 15:45 — 5 hours 15 minutes late]

My booking reference: [PNR / booking reference]
Passengers covered by this claim: [number] adult(s)

Under Article 7 of EU Regulation 261/2004, I am entitled to:
€[250 / 400 / 600] per passenger × [number] passengers = €[total amount]

(Distance [city A] → [city B] = approximately [X] km, which falls under the [under 1,500 km / 1,500–3,500 km / over 3,500 km] bracket.)

The delay was not caused by extraordinary circumstances within the meaning of Article 5(3). [If you know the cause — add it here: e.g. "The delay was caused by a technical fault, which per ECJ case Wallentin-Hermann v Alitalia (C-549/07) does not constitute an extraordinary circumstance."]

Please confirm receipt of this claim and process compensation within 14 days. I prefer payment by [bank transfer / voucher — but note: I am entitled to cash payment, not vouchers, under Article 7].

If I do not receive a response within 14 days, I will escalate this matter to the relevant National Enforcement Body ([CAA for UK / DGAC for France / LBA for Germany / your country's NEB]) and/or pursue the claim through ADR or the courts.

Yours faithfully,
[Your full name]
[Your email address]
[Your phone number — optional]

Subject: EU261/2004 Compensation Claim — Cancelled Flight [FLIGHT NUMBER], [DATE]

To the Customer Relations Team,

I am writing to claim statutory compensation under EU Regulation 261/2004 for the following cancelled flight:

Flight number: [e.g. BA0245]
Departure airport: [e.g. London Heathrow (LHR)]
Destination airport: [e.g. New York JFK (JFK)]
Originally scheduled: [date and time]
Reason given by airline: [whatever you were told — or "No reason given"]
Date/time I was informed of the cancellation: [date]

My booking reference: [PNR]
Passengers covered by this claim: [number] adult(s)

Under Articles 5 and 7 of EU Regulation 261/2004, I am entitled to compensation because:
- The cancellation was communicated [less than 7 days / 7–13 days / more than 14 days] before the scheduled departure [adjust as appropriate]
- [If less than 14 days: "No re-routing was offered that would have arrived within [X] hours of the original scheduled arrival time."]

Compensation due: €[250/400/600] × [passengers] = €[total]

Please confirm receipt and process payment within 14 days. If I do not receive a satisfactory response, I will escalate to the National Enforcement Body and/or pursue via ADR or civil courts.

Yours faithfully,
[Your full name]
[Your email]