Compensation by Airline
Every airline handles EU261 claims a little differently — where it can be sued, how long you have, and which excuses it reaches for. Pick your airline for the specifics.
Which airlines are covered by EU261 and UK261?
Every airline is covered for flights departing from an EU, EEA or UK airport — including non-European carriers such as Turkish Airlines, Emirates or United. European and UK airlines are additionally covered for flights into Europe from anywhere in the world. The airline that operated the flight is the one that pays, whatever the ticket says.
Why the airline matters
- Where the claim can be filed — the airline's home country is always an option, which decides the time limit: 6 years for Irish and UK airlines, 5 for French and Spanish, 3 for German and Austrian, 2 for Dutch and Italian, 1 for Belgian and Polish.
- Which regulator or ADR body can be used before court: AviationADR and CEDR in the UK, söp in Germany, AESA in Spain, the IAA in Ireland.
- Which excuses to expect — Ryanair's "third-party claim" rule, Lufthansa's and Air France's strikes, Wizz Air's re-reviewed cases, Vueling's rotation delays.
Not on the list? We handle claims against any airline flying to or from Europe. Start a free eligibility check and tell us the airline.
How We Rank the Airlines' Claim Behaviour
Based on the cases FlyHelp has handled, airlines fall into three rough groups. Settlers — Lufthansa, KLM, Aer Lingus, easyJet — pay clear-cut cases within a few weeks and contest mainly connection and weather cases. Refusers — Ryanair, Wizz Air, Vueling — reject most first claims with a standard letter and pay when faced with regulators, arbitration or court. Slow payers — several non-EU carriers — accept liability but take months to transfer the money. The group an airline belongs to changes the strategy, not the outcome: a valid claim against a refuser takes longer but is worth the same €250–€600.
Which Regulation Applies to Which Airline
| Airline type | Departures from EU/UK | Arrivals into EU/UK from elsewhere |
|---|---|---|
| EU airline (Lufthansa, Ryanair, KLM…) | Covered | Covered |
| UK airline (British Airways, Jet2, easyJet UK…) | Covered (UK261 from the UK, EU261 from the EU) | Covered into the UK; into the EU only from UK departures |
| Non-European airline (Turkish Airlines, Emirates, United…) | Covered | Not covered |
Requests We Handle for Any Airline
Besides the thirteen airlines with dedicated guides, FlyHelp regularly handles claims against Pegasus, Norwegian, SAS, Finnair, Iberia, TAP, LOT, Austrian, SWISS, Brussels Airlines, Transavia, Volotea, airBaltic, Georgian Airways, Emirates, Qatar Airways and the US carriers for their European departures. Submit the flight; the assessment is the same and free.
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