Everything you need to claim it yourself

Gather these before you write to the airline. Most claims fail on missing proof, not on law:

• Booking confirmation or e-ticket showing the full itinerary and booking reference.
• Boarding passes, or the airline app screenshots if you never received one.
• Any written notice of the delay, cancellation or denied boarding, including SMS and email.
• Photographs of the departure board showing the disruption and the time.
• The actual arrival time at your final destination.
• Receipts for meals, accommodation, transport and any replacement ticket you had to buy.
• Names or staff numbers of anyone who gave you an explanation at the airport.

• Time limits for bringing a claim are set by national law and vary widely between countries — from around one year to several years.
• The relevant country is usually where the flight departed, where it arrived, or where the airline is established.
• Airline internal complaint windows are not legal deadlines; missing one does not end your claim.
• Enforcement bodies often require you to have complained to the airline first, and to have waited a reasonable period for a reply.
• Do not let a refusal letter run the clock down while you wait — escalate or seek advice.

Because limitation periods depend on where a claim would be heard, check the position for your specific route rather than assuming a single deadline applies everywhere.