Airlines / Iberia
Iberia: how to claim compensation
This page is independent. We are not affiliated with Iberia or any airline.
- Airline type
- EU airline (Spain)
- Rules that may apply
- EU261 for flights departing the EU and into the EU. UK261 for flights from the UK, and from the EU into the UK.
1. Claim directly with Iberia
Claiming directly is free, and you keep the whole amount. Use the airline's own form:
Iberia claims and receipts page (opens in a new tab) (opens the airline's website)
- Choose "Flight cancellations, delays and changes" and enter your booking code and ticket number.
- Iberia says it aims to reply within 7 business days, and up to 21 days for complex claims. You get a reference number by email.
Madrid hub with long-haul flights to Latin America. Madrid to Bogotá is about 8,000 km, so €600 (or €300 for a 3 to 4 hour delay).
No suitable form? Use our free first-claim letter.
2. Common rejection reasons and how to respond
| What the airline may say | What to check or reply |
|---|---|
| "Extraordinary circumstances" | The airline must name the event and prove it could not have been avoided with reasonable measures. |
| "Technical problem" | Technical faults are generally not extraordinary (C-549/07; C-257/14). |
| "Air traffic control restrictions" | Ask for the slot or restriction details and how much of your delay it caused (C-315/15: only that part counts). |
| "We have no record of your booking or delay" | Send your booking confirmation, boarding pass and evidence of arrival time. |
| "Earlier flight was delayed" | Ask for the root cause on the earlier flight and what reserve the airline planned. |
The My Flight Money claim dashboard includes a prefilled rebuttal letter for each of these.
3. If Iberia refuses or does not reply
Flights under UK rules: CAA complaint
Iberia was not on the CAA's list of airlines signed up to a UK ADR scheme when we checked, so UK passengers can ask the CAA's PACT team for help. There is no ADR step: after the airline's final response, or after 8 weeks with no reply, ask the CAA's Passenger Advice and Complaints Team (opens in a new tab) to review your complaint.
Flights under EU rules: enforcement body
Flights departing Spain: Agencia Estatal de Seguridad Aérea (AESA). Other departures: the enforcement body in the country of the incident. Enforcement bodies monitor airlines but may not be able to make an airline pay your individual claim (C-145/15 Ruijssenaars). See the official EU list (opens in a new tab).
Court
- Spain: juzgado at the place of departure or arrival; the Spanish limit is 5 years (Código Civil art. 1964).
- Cross-border within the EU: European Small Claims Procedure (opens in a new tab).
- UK departures: Money Claim Online (opens in a new tab) (England and Wales), simple procedure (opens in a new tab) (Scotland) or small claims (opens in a new tab) (Northern Ireland).
Check your claim deadline before you start.
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