The airline is ignoring my compensation claim: what to do next
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Réponse rapide
Silence is common and not fatal. After 4 weeks send a reminder with a 14-day deadline; after 8 weeks without a substantive answer, refer the claim to the alternative dispute resolution scheme the airline belongs to (binding on it) or to the national enforcement body of the departure country, both free. A court claim remains available within the limitation period — 1 to 6 years depending on the country.
Pas de réponse de la compagnie ? Vérifiez d’abord la réclamation.
La vérification gratuite confirme le montant et le délai, et vous donne le rappel daté et la voie de recours pour votre pays de départ.
Step 1 — check that your claim actually arrived
Use the airline’s official form where it has one and keep the acknowledgement or reference number. If you e-mailed, resend to the customer-relations address on the airline’s passenger-rights page and, for large claims, by tracked post to its registered address. The airline pages on this site list both.
Step 2 — the reminder
After 4 weeks, send a short reminder: date of the original claim, booking reference, amount, and a deadline of 14 days after which you will escalate. Keep the tone factual. Many airlines answer at this point.
Step 3 — escalate for free
- ADR scheme (where the airline is a member): AviationADR or CEDR in the UK, the Schlichtungsstelle Reise & Verkehr (formerly söp) in Germany, MTV in France, AESA in Spain, apf in Austria (the Netherlands has none for standalone flights). UK schemes and AESA bind the airline; the German, French and Austrian bodies make proposals airlines generally follow. Each has a waiting period after your claim: 8 weeks in the UK, one to two months elsewhere.
- National enforcement body (Article 16): the authority of the country of departure. It assesses the complaint; in some countries it can fine the airline, in most it cannot order payment.
Step 4 — court
Every country has a small-claims procedure, and the European Small Claims Procedure covers cross-border claims up to €5,000 with a simple form and no lawyer. Check the limitation period for the departure country before waiting on an ADR outcome that drags.
What to keep throughout
Booking confirmation, boarding passes, the airline’s messages about the disruption, proof of the arrival time, every claim and reminder with its date, and receipts for expenses. A dated paper trail is what decides ADR and court cases.
Do not accept these as answers
“Operational reasons”, “ATC restrictions” without detail, an offer of vouchers, or a form that asks you to waive further claims. Ask for the precise cause and the measures taken; the burden of proof is on the airline.
Les motifs invoqués par les compagnies, et ce que chacun vaut
Airline says your claim lacks documents
The airline says it cannot find the booking, needs proof of the reservation or of who travelled, or needs a signed authority. This is an administrative refusal, not a decision on the merits — and it is resolved by sending what is asked for, once, in writing.
- Ce qu’il faut demander à la compagnie, par écrit
- Which document exactly is missing, and in what form?
- Has the airline recorded the claim under a case reference while it waits?
- Quand ce motif tient
- It holds only until you supply the document. A booking confirmation, the boarding passes and a copy of your ID for the passengers named usually settle it; a claim company's power of attorney is a separate question.
- Prochaine étape
- Send the documents with the case reference and a dated cover note; if the airline then refuses on the merits, that new refusal is the one to test.
Airline refused without giving a reason
A bare "your claim does not qualify" or "operational reasons" is not a reason. Under Article 5(3) the airline carries the burden of proof; a refusal that names no cause has not begun to discharge it.
- Ce qu’il faut demander à la compagnie, par écrit
- On what ground exactly is the claim refused — delay length, scope, notice period, or an extraordinary circumstance?
- If an extraordinary circumstance: which one, when, and what is the evidence?
- Quand ce motif tient
- It cannot hold on its own. The airline may have a valid ground it did not state; your reply forces it to state one.
- Prochaine étape
- Reply once asking for the ground and the evidence with a 14-day deadline; escalate if the answer stays empty — an unreasoned refusal usually fails before an ADR scheme.
Airline has not answered your claim
Silence is common and it is not a refusal. It does not stop the limitation period running, and most ADR schemes accept a case after eight weeks without a substantive reply; the enforcement body accepts a complaint at any time.
- Ce qu’il faut demander à la compagnie, par écrit
- Did the claim reach the airline — is there an acknowledgement or a case reference?
- Has the airline's own published response time passed?
- Quand ce motif tient
- Silence never defeats a claim; only the limitation period of the departure country does. Check that period before waiting on the airline.
- Prochaine étape
- After four weeks send a dated reminder with a 14-day deadline; after eight weeks refer the claim to the ADR scheme or the enforcement body of the departure country.
Sources
- European Commission — DG MOVEAir passenger rights (including list of National Enforcement Bodies)
- European Parliament and CouncilRegulation (EC) No 261/2004 establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights
- European Union — Your EuropeAir passenger rights
- UK Civil Aviation AuthorityAlternative dispute resolution (ADR) for aviation complaints
Dernière revue juridique : 12 septembre 2026 · Contenu mis à jour : 12 septembre 2026
Pas de réponse de la compagnie ? Vérifiez d’abord la réclamation.
La vérification gratuite confirme le montant et le délai, et vous donne le rappel daté et la voie de recours pour votre pays de départ.