Let's be honest: you can file a flight compensation claim yourself. EU261 gives you that right. The real question is whether it's worth your time and effort.
Here's what filing a claim yourself looks like:
Research EU261, determine your flight distance, delay length, and whether extraordinary circumstances apply. (~30 minutes)
Track down the airline's claims department email or form. Some airlines bury this deep in their websites. (~15-30 minutes)
Include flight number, date, booking reference, delay duration, compensation amount, and legal reference to EU261. (~30-60 minutes)
Airlines have up to 8 weeks to respond. Many take the full time. Some don't respond at all. (~2-8 weeks)
40% of claims are initially rejected — often incorrectly. The airline cites "extraordinary circumstances" or "operational reasons." (~1 day to process)
Write a follow-up challenging their rejection, request evidence, cite relevant court cases. (~1-2 hours)
Another 2-8 weeks for the response. (~2-8 weeks)
If still rejected: file with the national enforcement body (NEB) or start court proceedings. This can take months to years. (~3-12 months)
Flight number, date, email. (~2 minutes)
We know the exact contacts, legal language, and compensation amounts. We file immediately.
When the airline rejects (and they often do), we challenge it automatically — requesting evidence, citing case law.
If needed, we escalate to national enforcement bodies or legal proceedings. We cover all costs.
Money in your account. We deduct our fee. Done.
| Scenario | DIY | ClaimPlane |
|---|---|---|
| Claim accepted first try (€400) | €400 (100%) | €300 (75%) |
| Claim rejected, appealed, won (€400) | €400 minus court fees | €300 (75%) |
| Claim rejected, you give up (€0) | €0 | — |
| Claim we win after airline rejection (€400) | — | €300 (75%) |
The key insight: The 25% fee isn't for filing a form. It's for the 40% of claims that get rejected, the legal expertise to challenge, the persistence to escalate, and the months of follow-up.
Honestly, for simple, clear-cut cases:
- Long delay with obvious eligibility
- Airline that's known to pay quickly
- You have time and patience
- You don't mind the paperwork
For everything else:
- Your claim was already rejected
- The airline cited "extraordinary circumstances"
- You don't want to deal with airline bureaucracy
- You're not sure if you're eligible
- Multiple passengers (more paperwork)
- The disruption was months or years ago
- You value your time more than €100
Many ClaimPlane customers tried filing themselves first. Their stories:
| Factor | DIY | ClaimPlane |
|---|---|---|
| Time invested | 3-6 hours | 5 minutes |
| Success rate | ~50-60% | ~85-90% |
| You keep | 100% (if won) | 75% |
| Risk | Your time + court fees | Zero |
| Rejected claims handled | By you | By us |
| Escalation to NEB/court | You handle it | We handle it |
It takes 2 minutes to see if you're owed compensation. No obligation, no upfront cost.
Your time is worth something. Make sure the math works in your favour.