Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Is the checker free?

Yes. The checker, the rules guides, the airline guides and the first-claim letter are free, with no sign-in. Tracking claims and deadlines in the dashboard is free too. The follow-up, refusal-reply and escalation letters come with the paid claim dashboard.

Do I need an account?

No. Everything works without one: your claims are saved in your browser, and you can export them to a file and import them on another device. An optional account, where offered, only keeps your claims in sync across your devices and links a purchase to your email address.

Which rules does the checker use?

EU Regulation 261/2004 (EU261), the UK's retained version of it (UK261), Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), and the US Department of Transportation rules on denied boarding. Each rules guide links to the official text it is based on.

How much compensation do the rules set?

The amounts are fixed by each regulation and depend on the flight distance or the length of the delay. Under EU261 they are €250, €400 or €600 per passenger; under UK261, £220, £350 or £520. Under the APPR, a large airline owes C$400, C$700 or C$1,000 for a delay at arrival of 3, 6 or 9 hours or more, and a small airline C$125, C$250 or C$500. Whether a flight qualifies depends on its details: the checker works through them.

Is this legal advice?

No. My Flight Money gives self-help information and letter templates so you can make a claim yourself. It does not look at your case as a legal professional would, and it is not regulated as a legal service. For advice on your situation, contact a consumer advice service or a qualified adviser in your country.

Who sends the claim to the airline?

You do, in your own name, using the airline's claim form or email address. We do not contact the airline for you and we do not take a share of any payment. A done-for-you service may come later as an option: it is not available yet, and you can join the waitlist inside a claim.

Will the airline pay?

That is up to the airline, and then to the enforcement body, dispute scheme or court if you escalate. The checker estimates whether the rules appear to cover your flight from what you enter; it cannot know everything the airline knows, such as the cause of a delay. If the airline refuses, you can reply or escalate, and the dashboard shows when each step is due. No tool can tell you how a claim will end.

How long do I have to claim?

It depends on where you would bring the claim. For UK261 it is usually 6 years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 5 in Scotland. Under the APPR you make the request to the airline within 1 year of the flight. For EU261 the time limit is set by national law and differs by country. See claim deadlines, and claim as soon as you can.

What if the airline says it was extraordinary circumstances?

Under EU261 and UK261 an airline does not owe compensation if it shows the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances that could not have been avoided even with all reasonable measures. Severe weather and air traffic control restrictions are often accepted; most technical faults and strikes by the airline's own staff usually are not. The extraordinary circumstances guide explains how this works and which court decisions are relevant, and the dashboard has reply templates for common refusals.

What happens to my data?

Your claims are stored in your browser, on your device. Without an account nothing you enter in the checker or the dashboard is sent to us. Accounts are not open yet; if you create one once they are, your email address and your claims will be stored with our database provider so they can sync between your devices, and the privacy policy will say so first. The privacy policy has the details.

Can I get a refund for the dashboard?

Once access to the dashboard begins you lose the 14-day right to withdraw, which you agree to at checkout. Your legal rights if the dashboard is faulty or not as described are not affected. Ask at [email protected]; refunds are issued through Link. See the terms.