EC 261/2004 · free letters · optional €19 PDF

Your flight compensation claim, written for you

Enter your flight once. We calculate the distance and the amount the regulation gives you, then write the three letters you need: the claim to the airline, the reminder, and the complaint to the national enforcement body. Free, on this page. You pay only if you want the polished PDF.

Your flight

Airline that operated the flight

Flight number

Date of the flight

Booking reference (optional)

Departure airport

Final destination

Distance—

BandEnter both airports

Per passenger—

The distance is calculated from the two airports (great circle, as Art. 7(4) of the regulation requires). You don't pick it.

What happened?

Cancelled Delayed Denied boarding

What reason did the airline give? (optional)

Passenger names, as on the booking (one per line)

Your town or city

Printed next to the date, like “Utrecht, 30 September 2026”.

Your email, for the airline’s reply

Postal address (optional, for replies by post)

Nothing is stored when you write the free letters: they are made for this page and not saved.

How it works

Letter 1, today: the claim to the airline, citing the regulation, the distance and the amount.
Letter 2, after 14 days without payment: the reminder and final notice.
Letter 3, if they still don't pay: the complaint to the national enforcement body (Art. 16).

The 3-hour and 4-hour rule: compensation for a delay starts at 3 hours late on arrival, but for flights over 3,500 km that arrive between 3 and 4 hours late the airline may reduce it by 50% (EC 261/2004, Art. 7(2)).

Questions

How much compensation can I claim?

EC 261/2004 sets fixed amounts per passenger by distance: €250 for flights up to 1,500 km, €400 for longer flights within the EU and for other flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km, and €600 for all other flights (Art. 7(1)).

Are the letters really free?

Yes. The three letters appear on this page as plain text you can copy. You only pay if you want them as a polished PDF pack (€19).

What language are the letters in?

English, which airlines and enforcement bodies across the EU accept. The guidance on this page (which body, which deadline) follows the country your claim belongs to.

What if the airline does not pay?

Send the reminder, then complain to the national enforcement body of the country the flight departed from (Art. 16). It enforces the regulation but does not normally award the money itself; an ADR body or a court can.

Sources

Information, not legal advice. The letters are a formal template filled with your details and the applicable law; they are not legal representation and cannot guarantee the airline pays. Terms · Refunds · Privacy · Imprint