British Airways claim letter: how to write and send a compensation claim

Writing to British Airways

BA’s compensation form (“EU/UK compensation claims” under Delayed or cancelled flights) is the fastest channel: one claim per booking, every passenger named, a case reference by return. The form’s description field takes a full letter — paste the text rather than summarising, so the case handler sees the arrival delay, the article and the amount without asking. If you would rather write, BA’s postal address for compensation claims is printed on this page; keep proof of posting.

Three details matter for a BA claim in particular:

• Which regulation. UK261 for departures from the UK and for BA flights into the UK from anywhere; EU261 for departures from an EU airport. Get it right in the subject line — BA processes them in the same queue, but the amounts and the escalation route differ.
• Which airline operated the flight. BA CityFlyer and BA Euroflyer flights are claimed from BA. A flight with a BA number operated by American Airlines, Iberia or Qatar Airways is claimed from that airline, under the rules that apply to its flight.
• Connections on one booking. State the final destination and the delay there, and the whole journey’s distance: a Manchester–Heathrow–New York ticket is a 5,700 km journey, not two short flights.

The paragraph BA will read first

BA’s refusals turn on the cause, so state it yourself and deal with it. If BA named a reason, quote it: “Your e-mail of 3 June attributes the delay to the late arrival of the inbound aircraft. A rotation delay is inherent in the normal exercise of an air carrier’s activity and is not an extraordinary circumstance within Article 5(3).” If none was given: “No reason was given; the burden of proving an extraordinary circumstance rests on the carrier (Wallentin-Hermann, C-549/07).”

Deadline and next step

Give BA eight weeks — the period after which CEDR accepts a case — and say so in the letter. If BA refuses or offers Avios, reply once asking for the specific cause and the measures taken, then refer the case to CEDR. The claim letter guide covers the wording for a delay, a cancellation and denied boarding; the UK261 template carries the pounds and the CEDR wording, the EU261 template the euros for BA departures from the EU.

What the letter to British Airways must contain

1. Your name, the other passengers, the booking reference, the flight number, the date and the route.
2. What happened in the words of UK261: the arrival delay at the final destination in hours and minutes, or when you were told of the cancellation and what alternative British Airways offered, or that you had a confirmed booking, checked in on time and were refused boarding against your will.
3. The legal basis — Article 7 of Regulation 261/2004 as retained in UK law, with Article 5 (cancellation), Article 4 (denied boarding) or Article 6 and the Sturgeon / Nelson judgments (delay).
4. The cause, dealt with: if British Airways gave a reason, say why it is not extraordinary or ask for proof that it is; if none was given, note that the burden of proof is on the airline.
5. The amount: £220, £350 or £520 per passenger by distance, times the passengers on the booking.
6. Payment by bank transfer within 14 days — no voucher unless you agree in writing.
7. What follows if British Airways does not pay: CEDR, then the court.

Where British Airways accepts claims

Send it through British Airways’s official channel (https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/delayed-or-cancelled-flights/compensation), one claim per booking, and keep the case reference. By post: British Airways Customer Relations, EU Compensation Claims, PO Box 1126, Uxbridge, UB8 9XS, United Kingdom. British Airways answers the e-mail address on the booking; a refusal must name the specific cause.

After you send it

Give British Airways six to eight weeks. A payment ends the matter; a refusal that names a cause can be tested; a vague refusal or silence is a reason to escalate to CEDR. The general guide — wording for each disruption, EU261 and UK261 differences, what airlines answer — is on the claim letter page; the generator writes the letter to British Airways from your flight.