Methodology

How we assess a flight compensation claim

We publish our process so you can see exactly what happens to your case, which facts decide the outcome, and where our judgement ends and the airline's obligations begin. Every claim is reviewed by a person, not only by software.

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1. What we collect from you

A claim stands or falls on the facts. At intake we ask only for what actually affects the outcome, so the first step usually takes a couple of minutes:

Departure and arrival airports, and the date of travel.
The operating airline — the carrier that actually flew the aircraft, which is not always the one that sold the ticket.
What went wrong: delay, cancellation, denied boarding, or a missed connection on a single booking.
The delay at your final destination — the arrival time that matters, not the departure delay.
Your booking confirmation, boarding pass or e-ticket, and any written notice from the airline.

A flight number helps, but it is optional. If you do not have it, we identify the flight from the route, the date and your booking reference.

2. Which facts we verify

Scope: whether the flight falls within the EU/UK passenger rights framework, based on the departure airport, the arrival airport and where the operating carrier is licensed.
Actual arrival time, measured from when the aircraft doors open at the destination — the standard courts apply.
Great-circle distance for the route, which determines the compensation band.
Whether the disruption was notified in advance, and whether alternative transport was offered and within which time limits.
For connections on one booking, whether the whole journey is treated as a single flight for the purpose of the delay at the final destination.
Time limits, which differ by country and by the courts that would hear the claim.

3. The compensation bands we apply

Where the rules apply and no valid defence exists, the standard amounts are fixed by distance rather than by ticket price:

€250 for flights of 1,500 km or less.
€400 for intra-EU flights over 1,500 km, and other flights between 1,500 km and 3,500 km.
€600 for flights over 3,500 km outside the EU.
Reductions can apply where you were rerouted and arrived within defined time limits.

Compensation is separate from the right to care (meals, communication, accommodation) and from a refund or rerouting. A claim can succeed on one and fail on another.

4. How we handle the airline's defence

Most refusals arrive as a short line about “extraordinary circumstances”. That is a claim, not a conclusion — the burden of proof sits with the carrier. We ask for the specific evidence: the technical log, the air traffic control restriction, the weather record for the relevant time window, or the security decision. Where the cause is routine technical failure, crew rostering, or airline operational decisions, the defence generally does not hold. Where the cause genuinely was outside the carrier's control, we say so plainly instead of prolonging a claim that cannot succeed.

If a refusal is unsupported, we escalate: a reasoned reply to the airline, then the national enforcement body, then court proceedings where the amount and evidence justify it.

5. Sources we rely on

Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 and the UK's retained equivalent.
Court of Justice of the European Union case law on delay, cancellation and extraordinary circumstances.
European Commission interpretative guidelines on air passenger rights.
The lists of national enforcement bodies published by the European Commission.
Airline correspondence, booking data and flight records specific to your case.

We do not rely on unverified third-party flight trackers as the sole basis for a claim, and we do not present estimates as legal advice about your individual case.

6. What it costs

33% — standard success fee, deducted from the recovered compensation.
50% — if the claim has to be pursued through court proceedings.
€0 — if we do not recover compensation.

There are no upfront recovery fees and no additional recovery costs charged to you. You can always pursue the airline yourself, free of charge — our service exists for people who would rather not.

7. Who does the work

Cases are handled by MB „Airdue“ in Lithuania and reviewed by a named person, with correspondence signed by a human being. You can reach us by email at info@airdue.net or by phone at +370 667 60004.

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