Flight disruption
Flight compensation — opening demand
The first letter to send an airline. States the facts, cites the exact provision, demands a specific sum in cash, and pre-empts the standard refusal.
flight.initial-demand8 languages14-day reply window
What it actually says.
Rendered live from invented facts: A four-hour arrival delay on a 2,900 km flight, with the carrier citing an operational problem of its own making. The claimant is fictional and the figures are illustrative — your own claim produces its own numbers and its own citations.
The authority in the preview
It cites the article, not the act.
A document has to name the provision it relies on or it gets filed. These are the citations the sample evaluation put into the letter above; a real claim substitutes the ones its own regimes produced.
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 7(1)(b)Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 of the European Parliament and of the CouncilArt. 7(1)(b)
- Sturgeon v Condor (C-402/07)Judgment of the Court of Justice of 19 November 2009paras 60–61
- Germanwings v Henning (C-452/13)Judgment of the Court of Justice of 4 September 2014para 25
Where it comes from
The laws that can produce this document.
A rule module declares the documents its evaluation can render into. These are the regimes in the current catalogue that offer this one — each with its own citations, deadlines and escalation ladder.
Belarus — Air Code of the Republic of Belarus and the Department of AviationBYNational — BelarusВоздушный кодекс Республики БеларусьConfidence: lowEU Regulation 261/2004 (air passenger rights)EUSupranational — 31 countriesRegulation (EC) No 261/2004Confidence: highGermany — contractual damages beyond the Article 7 sum (BGB)DENational — GermanyRegulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 12(1)Confidence: mediumItaly — ruined-holiday damages (danno da vacanza rovinata)ITNational — ItalyRegulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 12(1)Confidence: lowMoldova — air passenger rights under the EU–Moldova Common Aviation Area AgreementMDNational — MoldovaEU–Moldova Common Aviation Area Agreement, Annex IIIConfidence: mediumRussian Federation — Air Code Art. 120 (carrier liability for delay)RUNational — RussiaВоздушный кодекс Российской Федерации, ст. 120 (Ответственность перевозчика за просрочку доставки пассажира, багажа или груза)Confidence: highSpain — further damages beyond the Article 7 sumESNational — SpainRegulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 12(1)Confidence: lowTürkiye — SHY-YOLCU air passenger rights regulationTRNational — TürkiyeSHY-YOLCU, Kapsam (scope)Confidence: mediumUkraine — Air Code of Ukraine, Arts. 103–107 (passenger compensation)UANational — UkraineПовітряний кодекс України, ст. 104 (Компенсація пасажирам у разі відмови у перевезенні — denied boarding)Confidence: highUK Regulation 261 (assimilated air passenger rights)GBNational — United KingdomRegulation (EC) No 261/2004 as retained in UK lawConfidence: highWestern Balkans — air passenger rights under the European Common Aviation Area AgreementECAA-WBSupranational — 5 countriesMultilateral Agreement establishing a European Common Aviation Area, Art. 3 and Annex IConfidence: mediumCanada Air Passenger Protection Regulations (SOR/2019-150)CANational — CanadaSOR/2019-150Confidence: highUS DOT airline refund and consumer-protection rulesUSNational — United States14 CFR Part 260Confidence: highArgentina — Condiciones Generales del Contrato de Transporte AéreoARNational — ArgentinaResolución 1532/98 (Condiciones Generales del Contrato de Transporte Aéreo)Confidence: lowBrazil ANAC Resolution 400/2016 and the Consumer Defence CodeBRNational — BrazilResolução ANAC nº 400/2016Confidence: mediumChile — Código Aeronáutico passenger rightsCLNational — ChileCódigo Aeronáutico (Ley 18.916)Confidence: lowColombia RAC 3 passenger rightsCONational — ColombiaReglamentos Aeronáuticos de Colombia, RAC 3Confidence: mediumCosta Rica — Ley General de Aviación Civil and consumer protectionCRNational — Costa RicaLey 5150 (Ley General de Aviación Civil)Confidence: lowEcuador — Ley de Aviación Civil and consumer protectionECNational — EcuadorLey de Aviación Civil (Ecuador)Confidence: lowMexico Ley de Aviación Civil, art. 47 BisMXNational — MexicoLey de Aviación Civil, art. 47 BisConfidence: mediumPeru — Ley de Aeronáutica Civil and INDECOPIPENational — PeruLey 27261 (Ley de Aeronáutica Civil del Perú)Confidence: lowAlgeria — Ministère des Transports, Direction de l'Aviation CivileDZNational — AlgeriaLoi n° 98-06 fixant les règles générales relatives à l'aviation civile (Algérie)Confidence: lowCôte d'Ivoire — Autorité Nationale de l'Aviation CivileCINational — Côte d’IvoireCode de l'aviation civile de Côte d'Ivoire and the ANAC regulationsConfidence: lowEgypt — Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority and the passenger bill of rightsEGNational — EgyptEgyptian Civil Aviation Law No. 28 of 1981 and the ECAA passenger rights instructionsConfidence: lowEthiopia — Ethiopian Civil Aviation AuthorityETNational — EthiopiaCivil Aviation Proclamation No. 616/2008 (Ethiopia)Confidence: lowGhana — Ghana Civil Aviation Authority consumer protection directivesGHNational — GhanaGhana Civil Aviation Act 2004 (Act 678) and the GCAA regulations and directivesConfidence: lowKenya — Civil Aviation (Consumer Protection) Regulations and the Consumer Protection Act 2012KENational — KenyaCivil Aviation (Consumer Protection) Regulations (Kenya)Confidence: lowMorocco — Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile and Law 31-08 on consumer protectionMANational — MoroccoLoi n° 31-08 édictant des mesures de protection du consommateur (Maroc)Confidence: lowNigeria — Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations 2023, Part 19 (Passengers' Rights and Airlines' Obligations)NGNational — NigeriaNigeria Civil Aviation Regulations 2023, Part 19 — Passengers' Rights and Responsibilities and Airlines' ObligationsConfidence: lowRwanda — Rwanda Civil Aviation AuthorityRWNational — RwandaLaw relating to civil aviation (Rwanda) and the RCAA regulationsConfidence: lowSenegal — Agence Nationale de l'Aviation Civile et de la MétéorologieSNNational — SenegalCode de l'aviation civile du Sénégal and the ANACIM regulationsConfidence: lowSouth Africa — Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 applied to air carriageZANational — South AfricaConsumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (South Africa), ss. 17, 19 and 54Confidence: mediumTanzania — Civil Aviation (Consumer Protection) RegulationsTZNational — TanzaniaCivil Aviation (Consumer Protection) Regulations (Tanzania)Confidence: lowTunisia — Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile, Ministère du TransportTNNational — TunisiaCode de l'aéronautique civile (Tunisie)Confidence: lowUganda — Uganda Civil Aviation Authority consumer protection regulationsUGNational — UgandaCivil Aviation (Consumer Protection) Regulations (Uganda)Confidence: lowBahrain — Civil Aviation Affairs, Ministry of Transportation and TelecommunicationsBHNational — BahrainCivil Aviation Law of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the CAA regulationsConfidence: lowIran — Civil Aviation Organization of the Islamic Republic of IranIRNational — IranCivil Aviation Regulations of the Islamic Republic of IranConfidence: lowIraq — Iraqi Civil Aviation AuthorityIQNational — IraqIraqi Civil Aviation Law and the ICAA regulationsConfidence: lowJordan — Civil Aviation Regulatory CommissionJONational — JordanCivil Aviation Law No. 41 of 2007 (Jordan) and the CARC regulationsConfidence: lowKuwait — Directorate General of Civil Aviation passenger rights regulationKWNational — KuwaitDirectorate General of Civil Aviation regulation on air passenger rights (Kuwait)Confidence: lowLebanon — Directorate General of Civil AviationLBNational — LebanonLebanese Air Law and the DGCA regulationsConfidence: lowOman — Civil Aviation Authority and the Consumer Protection AuthorityOMNational — OmanCivil Aviation Law of the Sultanate of Oman (Royal Decree 79/2019) and the CAA regulationsConfidence: lowQatar — Civil Aviation Authority passenger rights frameworkQANational — QatarCivil Aviation Law of the State of Qatar and the QCAA regulationsConfidence: lowSaudi Arabia — GACA Passenger Rights Protection RegulationsSANational — Saudi ArabiaGACA Passenger Rights Protection Regulations, Art. 3 (scope)Confidence: mediumUnited Arab Emirates — GCAA Civil Aviation Regulations, CAR-PWP (Passenger Welfare Program)AENational — United Arab EmiratesCAR-PWP — Passenger Welfare Program, Issue 02 (GCAA Civil Aviation Regulations, CAR III General Regulations)Confidence: mediumAfghanistan — Afghanistan Civil Aviation AuthorityAFNational — AfghanistanCivil Aviation Law of Afghanistan and the ACAA regulationsConfidence: lowArmenia — Aviation Law of the Republic of Armenia and the Civil Aviation CommitteeAMNational — ArmeniaՀայաստանի Հանրապետության ավիացիայի մասին օրենք (Law of the Republic of Armenia on Aviation)Confidence: lowAzerbaijan — Air Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the State Civil Aviation AgencyAZNational — AzerbaijanAzərbaycan Respublikasının Hava Məcəlləsi (Air Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan)Confidence: lowBangladesh — Civil Aviation Authority of BangladeshBDNational — BangladeshCivil Aviation Act 2017 (Bangladesh) and the CAAB rulesConfidence: lowBhutan — Bhutan Civil Aviation AuthorityBTNational — BhutanCivil Aviation Act of Bhutan and the BCAA regulationsConfidence: lowBrunei Darussalam — Department of Civil AviationBNNational — BruneiCivil Aviation Order and the Carriage by Air Order (Brunei Darussalam)Confidence: lowCambodia — State Secretariat of Civil AviationKHNational — CambodiaLaw on Civil Aviation of the Kingdom of CambodiaConfidence: lowChina — 航班正常管理规定 (Flight Normality Management Provisions, CCAR-271)CNNational — China航班正常管理规定（交通运输部令2016年第56号），第十七条Confidence: mediumGeorgia — air passenger rights under the EU–Georgia Common Aviation Area AgreementGENational — GeorgiaEU–Georgia Common Aviation Area Agreement, Annex IIIConfidence: mediumHong Kong SAR — Civil Aviation Department, contract of carriage and the Carriage by Air OrdinanceHKNational — Hong Kong SAR ChinaCarriage by Air Ordinance (Cap. 500) (Hong Kong)Confidence: mediumIndia — DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements, Section 3 Series M Part IVINNational — IndiaDGCA CAR Section 3, Series M, Part IV, Paras 1.2, 1.3 and 1.7Confidence: highJapan — filed conditions of carriage, the Consumer Contract Act and the Montreal ConventionJPNational — Japan航空法 第106条 (Civil Aeronautics Act, Art. 106 — filed conditions of carriage)Confidence: mediumKazakhstan — Law on the Use of Airspace and Aviation Activity, and the Civil Aviation Committee rulesKZNational — KazakhstanЗакон Республики Казахстан «Об использовании воздушного пространства Республики Казахстан и деятельности авиации»Confidence: lowLaos — Department of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Public Works and TransportLANational — LaosLaw on Civil Aviation of the Lao People's Democratic RepublicConfidence: lowMacau SAR — Autoridade de Aviação Civil and the Consumer CouncilMONational — Macao SAR ChinaRegime jurídico da aviação civil de Macau (Macau civil aviation legal regime)Confidence: lowMalaysia — Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code 2016 (as enhanced 2024)MYNational — MalaysiaMalaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code 2016 (as amended, gazetted 30 August 2024)Confidence: mediumMaldives — Maldives Civil Aviation AuthorityMVNational — MaldivesCivil Aviation Act (Law No. 2/2001) (Maldives) and the MCAA regulationsConfidence: lowMongolia — Civil Aviation Authority of MongoliaMNNational — MongoliaLaw of Mongolia on Civil AviationConfidence: lowMyanmar — Department of Civil AviationMMNational — Myanmar (Burma)Myanmar Aircraft Act and the Myanmar Civil Aviation RequirementsConfidence: lowNepal — Civil Aviation Authority of NepalNPNational — NepalCivil Aviation Act 2053 (1996) (Nepal) and the CAAN requirementsConfidence: lowPakistan — Civil Aviation Authority Air Navigation OrdersPKNational — PakistanPakistan Civil Aviation Authority Act 2023 and the Air Navigation OrdersConfidence: lowPhilippines — Air Passenger Bill of Rights (CAB Economic Regulation No. 9, As Amended)PHNational — PhilippinesCAB Economic Regulation No. 9, As Amended, § 11.1(c)(i) (denied boarding compensation)Confidence: mediumRepublic of Korea — Consumer Dispute Resolution Standards (KFTC), air transportKRNational — South Korea소비자분쟁해결기준 (공정거래위원회 고시), 별표 II — 항공업Confidence: mediumSingapore — contract of carriage, CAAS oversight and the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) ActSGNational — SingaporeConsumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act 2003 (Singapore)Confidence: mediumSri Lanka — Civil Aviation Authority of Sri LankaLKNational — Sri LankaCivil Aviation Act No. 14 of 2010 (Sri Lanka) and the CAASL implementing standardsConfidence: lowTaiwan — Civil Aviation Act and the MOTC mandatory contract termsTWNational — Taiwan民用航空法 第47條之3 (Civil Aviation Act, Art. 47-3)Confidence: lowThailand — Civil Aviation Board Regulation No. 101 on passenger rights protectionTHNational — Thailandข้อบังคับของคณะกรรมการการบินพลเรือน ฉบับที่ 101 (Regulation of the Civil Aviation Board No. 101)Confidence: lowUzbekistan — Air Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Civil Aviation AgencyUZNational — UzbekistanВоздушный кодекс Республики УзбекистанConfidence: lowVietnam — non-refundable advance compensation for delayed and cancelled flightsVNNational — VietnamThông tư số 48/2026/TT-BXDConfidence: lowAustralia — Australian Consumer Law consumer guaranteesAUNational — AustraliaAustralian Consumer Law, s 60 (guarantee as to due care and skill)Confidence: highFiji — Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji and the Fijian Competition and Consumer CommissionFJNational — FijiCivil Aviation Act 1976 (Fiji) and the Air Navigation RegulationsConfidence: lowFrench Polynesia — Service d'État de l'Aviation Civile and the EU261 territorial positionPFNational — French PolynesiaRegulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 3(1)Confidence: mediumNew Caledonia — Direction de l'Aviation Civile and the EU261 territorial positionNCNational — New CaledoniaRegulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 3(1)Confidence: mediumNew Zealand — Civil Aviation Act 2023 domestic carriage and Consumer Guarantees Act 1993NZNational — New ZealandCivil Aviation Act 2023 (NZ), s 270 (application)Confidence: highPapua New Guinea — Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Papua New GuineaPGNational — Papua New GuineaCivil Aviation Act 2000 (Papua New Guinea) and the PNG Civil Aviation RulesConfidence: lowSamoa — Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure, Civil Aviation DivisionWSNational — SamoaCivil Aviation Act 1998 (Samoa)Confidence: lowSolomon Islands — Civil Aviation Authority of Solomon IslandsSBNational — Solomon IslandsCivil Aviation Act 2008 (Solomon Islands)Confidence: lowTonga — Ministry of Infrastructure, Civil Aviation DivisionTONational — TongaCivil Aviation Act (Tonga)Confidence: lowVanuatu — Civil Aviation Authority of VanuatuVUNational — VanuatuCivil Aviation Act (Vanuatu) and the Vanuatu Civil Aviation RulesConfidence: low
The rest of the sequence
Documents are written to be worked through in order: the opening demand, then the answer to whatever they refuse with, then the escalation. Sending the last one first usually costs you the first two.
Flight compensation — follow-upChase an airline that has not replied to your first letter.flight.followup8 languages7-day reply windowFlight compensation — rebutting an "extraordinary circumstances" refusalUse when the airline has refused, citing extraordinary circumstances. Puts the burden back on the carrier, addresses the reasonable-measures limb most refusals ignore, and demands the specific evidence.flight.rebuttal-extraordinary8 languages14-day reply windowFlight compensation — rejecting a partial offerUse when the airline has offered less than the statutory amount. Airlines routinely open below the figure the law fixes, and a partial offer is not a compromise on a sum that is not negotiable.flight.rebuttal-partial-offer8 languages14-day reply windowFlight compensation — refusing a voucherUse when the airline has offered a travel voucher instead of cash. The entitlement is to money unless the passenger agrees in writing to a voucher; many passengers do not know this and accept.flight.rebuttal-voucher-offer8 languages14-day reply windowFlight compensation — complaint to the national enforcement bodyEscalate to the regulator after the airline has refused or gone silent. Include this chronology; enforcement bodies triage on it.flight.escalation-regulator8 languages30-day reply windowFlight compensation — referral to an ADR schemeRefer the dispute to an approved alternative dispute resolution scheme. Most schemes require the airline to have been given eight weeks first.flight.escalation-adr8 languages30-day reply windowFlight compensation — particulars of claimA structured statement of case for a small-claims filing. Written to be read by a judge rather than a claims handler.flight.small-claims-particulars8 languages14-day reply windowFlight refund — US DOT automatic refund demandDemand a refund the carrier should have paid automatically. Since October 2024 the refund is owed without the passenger having to ask, which makes non-payment a compliance failure rather than a declined request.flight.dot-refund-demand8 languages14-day reply windowFlight disruption — reimbursement of expensesClaim meals, hotel and transport costs incurred during a disruption. This is a separate entitlement from compensation and is not defeated by extraordinary circumstances.flight.duty-of-care-expenses8 languages14-day reply windowFlight downgrade — reimbursementClaim back a proportion of the fare after being moved to a lower cabin than booked.flight.downgrade-reimbursement8 languages14-day reply window
You send it
Fill in your own facts and this letter writes itself.
The claim wizard produces this document with your figures, your citations and your deadline already in it. You still print it, sign it and post it yourself — that part is not delegable and we would not take it if it were.
Duesday is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. This document is an editable template assembled from publicly available law. You are responsible for checking that the facts and the law stated are correct for your situation, and you send it yourself in your own name. Nothing here creates a solicitor–client or attorney–client relationship, and no outcome is promised.