EASYJET FLIGHT DELAY REFUND: HOW TO CLAIM EU261 COMPENSATION

Your easyJet flight was delayed and now you are wondering whether you are owed anything more than an apology. If your flight arrived more than 3 hours late or was cancelled without enough notice, you are likely owed fixed compensation under EU Regulation 261/2004 or its UK equivalent. The amount depends on your route, but it can be as much as 600 euros or 520 pounds.

Here is how to check what you qualify for, how to submit the claim, and what to do if easyJet pushes back.

Am I eligible?

Two rules govern easyJet flight compensation depending on where your flight departed.

EU Regulation 261/2004 covers you if your flight departed from any EU airport. easyJet Europe (registered in Austria) operates many routes from European airports and falls under EU261 for those flights.

UK261 — the retained UK version of the same regulation — applies to flights departing from UK airports on any carrier, including easyJet UK (registered in the UK). The rules are nearly identical to EU261, but the compensation amounts are in pounds.

In practice: UK airport departure means UK261. EU airport departure means EU261.

Your claim qualifies if:

• Your flight arrived at your final destination 3 or more hours late
• Your flight was cancelled with less than 14 days notice
• You were denied boarding against your will because the flight was overbooked

The 3-hour rule is measured at arrival, not departure. The CJEU confirmed in Sturgeon v Condor (C-402/07) that compensation is triggered by late arrival at the final destination, regardless of when the plane left.

How much am I owed?

For flights departing EU airports (EU261):

• Routes under 1,500 km: €250
• Routes between 1,500 and 3,500 km: €400
• Routes over 3,500 km: €600

For flights departing UK airports (UK261):

• Routes under 1,500 km: £220
• Routes between 1,500 and 3,500 km: £350
• Routes over 3,500 km: £520

These are fixed amounts under Article 7(1) of EU261 and the equivalent UK261 provision. A 50% reduction applies only if easyJet re-routed you and got you to your destination within 2 hours (short routes) or 4 hours (long routes) of your original arrival time.

For any delay over 2 hours, easyJet also owes you right to care under Article 9: meals and refreshments, and hotel accommodation plus transport if you were stranded overnight. This applies regardless of whether compensation is owed.

One thing many passengers miss: if easyJet cancelled your flight and offered you a voucher, you can still claim cash compensation on top. Accepting a voucher does not waive your EU261 or UK261 rights.

Step by step — how to claim

1. Confirm which regulation applies. Did your flight depart from a UK airport or an EU one? UK departure means UK261. EU departure means EU261. This sets the compensation currency and amounts.

2. Check your route distance. Use any online map to confirm whether the flight was under 1,500 km, 1,501 to 3,500 km, or over 3,500 km. That determines your tier.

3. Gather your evidence. You need your booking reference, flight date, departure and arrival airports, and confirmation of the disruption. Any email from easyJet about the delay or cancellation is helpful. Keep your boarding pass if you still have it.

4. Find out the cause if you can. If easyJet sent you a reason for the disruption, note it. If the cause was a technical fault, you are owed compensation regardless — technical faults do not qualify as extraordinary circumstances under Wallentin-Hermann v Alitalia (C-549/07).

5. Submit your claim through easyJet directly. Go to easyjet.com/en/claim/EU261 or navigate to their Disruption Help Hub from the main site. Enter your booking reference and a specific description of what happened. State your actual arrival delay at your final destination, not the departure delay.

6. Note the date and any claim reference number. EasyJet typically responds within 30 days, though it can take longer.

What if they say no?

EasyJet is a medium-compliance airline — it pays valid claims more reliably than the budget end of the market, but rejection on the first attempt is not unusual. Here is what to do with each standard response:

"The disruption was due to extraordinary circumstances."

This is their most common rejection. Extraordinary circumstances under EU261 are narrow: genuine severe weather, ATC strikes, security incidents outside airline control. Technical faults, maintenance, and crew scheduling do not qualify. The CJEU was direct in Wallentin-Hermann v Alitalia (C-549/07) — mechanical problems are part of the normal operation of an airline, not exceptional events. If easyJet cited extraordinary circumstances for what was actually an operational or technical issue, write back citing this case by name and ask easyJet to specify in writing exactly what the extraordinary circumstance was and why it could not have been avoided.

One case worth knowing: if easyJet cited "industrial action" as the cause, ask them to clarify whose. A strike by easyJet's own pilots or cabin crew is generally not an extraordinary circumstance. A strike by ATC usually is.

"Your delay was under 3 hours."

Ask easyJet to confirm the actual gate arrival time at your final destination. Under Sturgeon v Condor (C-402/07), compensation is based on when the aircraft doors open at your destination, not the departure time. If you have independent evidence of arrival time — from a flight tracking app or the airport arrivals board — include it in your response.

No reply after 8 weeks

Escalate to the National Enforcement Body. For UK departures, that is the Civil Aviation Authority at caa.co.uk/passengers. For EU departures, contact the NEB in the departure country — links are on the European Commission passenger rights pages. NEB complaints are free and carry real weight. EasyJet responds to them.

How GetMyFlightCash can help

If you want a stronger claim out of the gate, getmyflightcash.com generates a complete package for a flat fee of 12.99 euros — covering both EU261 and UK261 claims. You get a demand letter citing the relevant regulation, Wallentin-Hermann, and Sturgeon by name, easyJet's current claims portal URL, a day-14 follow-up email, and a pre-written CAA or NEB complaint if easyJet says no. No commission — you keep everything easyJet pays.

Get started

If your easyJet flight arrived more than 3 hours late or was cancelled with less than 14 days notice, you have a time-limited window. EU261 claims can be filed up to 3 years after the flight in most EU countries. UK261 gives you 6 years under the Limitation Act 1980.

Check your eligibility free →

It takes under two minutes and costs nothing to see whether you have a valid claim.