No sooner have you booked your trip and packed your suitcase then you suddenly hear at the airport that your “flight is delayed” or “canceled.” For many travelers, this is not just frustrating—it is also costly. After all, every flight delay means wasted time and unnecessary stress.
What many travelers do not know: Under EU/UK air passenger rights regulations, compensation of up to €600/£520 per person may be available in the event of a significant delay (3 hours or more), a last-minute cancellation, denied boarding, or a missed connecting flight. The final compensation amount depends on the flight distance and varies between:
€250/£220 for short-haul flights of up to 1,500 km
€400/£350 for medium-haul flights from 1,500 to 3,500 km
€600/£520 for long-haul flights of more than 3,500 km
Regional variations:
Germany/Austria: EU Regulation EC 261/2004 applies (€250-€600)
France: EU Regulation EC 261/2004 applies (€250-€600)
Spain: EU Regulation EC 261/2004 applies (€250-€600)
Sweden: EU Regulation EC 261/2004 applies (€250-€600)
UK: UK Regulation UK261 applies (£220-£520)
But what is the best way to claim such compensation? As an alternative to commissioning Flightright, travelers have several options available: For example, they can contact the airline directly, involve an arbitration board, use another service, or instruct a law firm.
In this article, we will outline the various options and highlight their pros and cons.
Flightright Alternative 1: Claim Flight Compensation Yourself
For many affected travelers, the most obvious alternative to a passenger rights portal is to submit the claim directly to the airline. Many airlines provide special online forms for this purpose. Alternatively, you can draft your own claim letter or use a free sample letter to contact the airline.
It is important to prepare all the documents the airline needs to process your case. These include, among other things:
Booking confirmation and flight number
Boarding pass or proof of check-in
Scheduled and actual departure and arrival times
Notifications from the airline
Receipts for additional expenses
Details regarding the cause of the flight delay or cancellation
Next, demand the specific compensation amount from the airline and set a reasonable payment deadline. Keep a copy of the letter and all communications with the airline.
Advantages:
If your claim is successful, you will receive the full compensation amount to which you are entitled, at no additional cost
You retain full control over the communication
Disadvantages:
Communication with the airline can be a lengthy process, as many respond slowly or not at all to consumer inquiries when it comes to payment
You must assess the legal merits of your claim yourself.
If the airline rejects your claim, you must decide for yourself how to proceed. In addition to an alternative dispute resolution body, you can also turn to a passenger rights portal, such as Flightright. Alternatively, you can pursue legal action, although this carries the associated risk of costs
The process can drag on for months (or years) without any payment being made in the end
If the airline offers only a partial payment, you must assess for yourself whether the amount offered is reasonable or whether you are actually entitled to higher compensation
Suitable for: Handling the claim on your own can be a good option if your case seems straightforward, you have all the necessary documents, and you are willing to handle correspondence, deadlines, and any potential follow-up questions yourself.
However, professional assistance can be helpful in cases involving complex flight itineraries, conflicting statements from the airline, or an impending statute of limitations.
Flightright Alternative 2: Flight Compensation Through Alternative Dispute Resolution Bodies
Another free alternative is to go through an alternative dispute resolution body. The specific body depends on your country of residence:
Germany: The primary body responsible is the “Schlichtungsstelle Reise & Verkehr e.V.” (formerly "söp"). This independent, state-recognized consumer arbitration board mediates disputes involving approximately 350 participating airlines. If the airline is not a member, the official “Air Transport Mediation Board” at the Federal Office of Justice (Bundesamt für Justiz) steps in as an alternative.
Austria: The “Schlichtungsstelle für Verbrauchergeschäfte” (Consumer Business Mediation Board) or the Arbitration Board for Air Travel handles passenger rights disputes.
France: The “Médiateur du Tourisme et du Voyage” – MTV (Tourism and Travel Mediator) is the official body for air passenger disputes. This independent, state-recognized mediator handles disputes involving approximately 350 participating airlines. You may contact this mediator if you have previously contacted the airline directly without success, and your case is not already before a court. If the airline is not a member, the sector-specific mediator for air transport at the “Directorate General of Civil Aviation” (DGAC) will step in as a secondary option.
Spain: The “Junta Arbitral de Consumo” (Consumer Arbitration Board) at the regional level, or the “Junta Arbitral Nacional de Consumo” (National Consumer Arbitration Board) for national disputes.
Sweden: The “Trafikförlikningsnämnden” (Transport Disputes Board) or “Konsumentverket” (Swedish Consumer Agency) handles aviation disputes.
United Kingdom: The Aviation ADR or CEDR are alternative dispute resolution bodies approved by the “Civil Aviation Authority” (CAA), serves as the official adjudication service for UK passengers.
How arbitration proceedings work:
To file a case, you must have already contacted the airline directly without success
Also important: No parallel proceedings may be underway. Your case must not already be pending in court or in another arbitration proceeding
Applications can be submitted online, by email, or by post. You will generally receive a confirmation of receipt.
The alternative dispute resolution body reviews the case and attempts to reach an agreement with the airline—either early on through "immediate acknowledgment", arbitration, adjudication, mediation, or via a formal determination
The process concludes with a mediation proposal or determination.
Advantages:
A neutral, legally reviewed assessment of your case
Court action may be avoided
Disadvantages:
You must first file your compensation claim with the airline yourself, which can take a lot of time and effort
The airline may reject the mediation proposal or the alternative dispute resolution body may make a determination against your entitlement. In this case, the dispute is not automatically resolved, you can then decide for yourself whether and how to pursue your claim, for example through further negotiations or legal action
Which alternative dispute resolution body is responsible depends on the specific airline
The process requires you to take the initiative: You must submit documents, meet deadlines, and, if necessary, respond to inquiries
This process does not always result in a payment
Suitable for: An alternative dispute resolution bodyis particularly useful if you have already filed your claim yourself and the airline is not paying, but you do not want to pursue the matter through a lawyer or in court, which would incur costs at this stage.
Flightright Alternative 3: Claim Flight Compensation Through Another Air Passenger Rights Portal
If you want simple and professional assistance, you can also contact another air passenger rights portal to seek compensation - for example Refundmore.com. This has been a specialized portal since 2013 that handles the enforcement of compensation claims under UK261/EU Regulation 261/2004. For this, the portal charges a commission of around 25-30% plus VAT (potentially plus 15% legal surcharge), but only if enforcement is successful. If the case remains unsuccessful, no cost risk arises according to the provider.
How it works:
On the website, you can use the free compensation calculator to quickly and easily check whether you have a claim for compensation
If you are entitled to compensation, simply fill out the online form and Refundmore takes over the case
From now on, Refundmore also handles all communication with the airline to enforce your rights, if necessary, also in court
The commission only becomes due upon successful payment and is in the range of around 25-30% plus VAT (potentially plus 15% legal surcharge, if a lawyer needs to be involved in the case) of the compensation amount
Advantages:
The portal offers straightforward case intake that takes place completely digitally
You bear no cost risk, as they work on the principle "No win, no fee"
Over 10 years of market experience in handling passenger rights cases
Refundmore has a 95% success rate in court
No personal effort on your part for negotiations or court action
Disadvantages:
The success commission reduces the payout
You give up part of the control over the enforcement strategy
Processing can take different amounts of time depending on the airline's response
Suitable for: Travellers seeking a risk-free, fully delegated solution and who are comfortable with market-standard commission rates.
Flightright Alternative 4: Sue for Flight Compensation Through a Lawyer
Another option is to instruct a law firm specializing in travel or air passenger rights.
The firm can review the claim from a legal perspective, demand payment from the airline out of court, and file a lawsuit if necessary. This can be particularly useful if the facts of the case are complicated or if claims beyond the standard compensation payment need to be examined.
These may include, for example, additional costs for alternative transportation, an unused hotel reservation, meals, transportation costs, or other specific damages.
How it works:
If successful, the legal costs can fundamentally be borne by the losing airline. Whether and to what extent costs are actually covered depends partly on the type of remuneration, the behavior of the parties, and the judge’s decision. When billing according to standard legal fee regulations, the losing party may have to reimburse statutory legal costs. With different remuneration agreements, such as hourly rates, costs may arise for you beyond this.
In case of failure, besides your own costs, court costs and reimbursable legal costs of the opposing party may come to you. Whether legal expenses insurance covers these costs depends on your individual insurance coverage.
Advantages:
In case of success, you receive the compensation paid by the airline. Whether legal costs still apply to you depends on the agreed remuneration, the behavior of the parties, and the judge’s decision. In a settlement, the actually paid amount may also be below the originally claimed compensation amount
Personal, individual care by a qualified solicitor or barrister
Disadvantages:
You will often incur higher costs (unless you have legal expense insurance). For a single claim exceeding €250/£220 or €400/£350, out-of-court representation may costs around €100/£90. For a claim exceeding €600/£520, the cost can be approximately €165-170/£150-170
If the case goes to court, additional attorney and court costs will be incurred. Furthermore, if you lose the case, you may have to cover the opposing party's recoverable costs. The total cost risk can therefore even exceed the amount of flight compensation claimed
Not every law firm specializes in passenger rights, so finding the right one requires some research
The process is often less automated and digital than with specialized portals
Suitable for: Travellers with legal expenses insurance or a clear-cut case who value the full payout amount and can accept or have covered a certain cost risk.
Why Flightright Is Still Worth It
Even if you can claim your compensation yourself or choose another route, Flightright offers one key advantage: You don't have to deal with the airline, legal objections, or potential court proceedings yourself.
The claim review takes place online. Flightright then handles communication with the airline and selects an appropriate enforcement strategy. According to its own information, Flightright has been supporting air travelers since 2010 and has already helped more than twelve million passengers secure claims totaling over €700 million/£615 million.
Flightright operates on a contingency fee basis. Currently, the success fee is typically 20 to 30 percent plus VAT. If external attorneys must be engaged, an additional attorney's fee of 14 percent plus VAT may apply. The specific fee is displayed in the compensation calculator before you submit your claim.
The key benefits of Flightright:
Free claim review and case intake are handled entirely online
Fees are only charged if the claim is successful, so there is no financial risk to you
All communication with the airline is handled exclusively by Flightright
Court representation: If necessary, Flightright will also take your case to court to secure a resolution
Transparent information about the payout amount before you submit your claim
99% success rate in court and a track record of securing numerous landmark rulings
International reach with teams in several European countries that can effectively handle cases involving international airlines and complex situations
Whichever path you choose: the important thing is that you assert your claim. If you want to save time, effort, and risk, check your entitlement now for free with Flightright. In just a few minutes you will know whether and to what extent you might be entitled to compensation.
