Regulation (EC) 261/2004 sets out the important rights and entitlements you have under EU law if your flight is delayed or cancelled, or you are denied boarding.
When do these rights apply?
EU air passenger rights apply when:
- Your flight is within the EU and is operated either by an EU or a non-EU airline.
- Your flight arrives in the EU from outside the EU and is operated by an EU airline.
- Your flight departs from the EU to a non-EU country and is operated by an EU or a non-EU airline.
- You have not already received benefits (compensation, re-routing, assistance from the airline) for flight-related problems for this journey under the local laws of a non-EU country.
What are my rights?
You can find out more about your specific air travel rights by clicking on the following links:
Where can I complain?
If you are having difficulty in getting what you are entitled to under these rights, then there are several steps you can take.
The airline
You should always send your complaint to the airline first using either the complaint form provided by the airline or by using our letter templates.
National authorities
If you don’t receive a reply from the airline within 6-8 weeks or if you are not satisfied with the reply, you can lodge a complaint with the relevant national authority in the country where the incident took place. The national authority can provide you with information on how to progress your complaint. If the airline is an Irish-registered airline, you can contact the Irish Aviation Authority.
Alternative or Online Dispute Resolution entities
You can also try to resolve your dispute using Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).This means you can ask a neutral third party to act as an intermediary between you and the trader. If you bought your ticket online, you can use Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) platform. Read more about both of these channels in our dedicated section on Alternative Dispute Resolutions.
The national courts
You may wish to resort to formal legal action and present a claim for compensation under EU rules using the European Small Claims procedure. For flights between EU countries (operated by one airline), you can submit your claim either at the place of arrival or departure. If your consumer complaint was not resolved and your claim does not exceed €2,000, you can avail of the Small Claims Procedure in Ireland.