Published by Flight HelpPage revision published

How long do I have to bring an EU261 claim if the airline has not paid?

Check the applicable national limitation rule rather than relying on a single deadline for all of Europe. Regulation 261 does not set one uniform period for bringing court proceedings. A complaint-form deadline, an airline response estimate and a court limitation period are different things.

Traveler organizing trip records and next steps after a flight disruption

What this answer depends on

  • Flights and passengers within Regulation (EC) No 261/2004. Check departure, destination, operating carrier and the specific conditions below; the airline name alone does not establish coverage.
  • The Commission states that time limits for bringing Regulation 261 actions before national courts are governed by national law.
  • The Montreal Convention’s 2-year limitation is not the limitation rule for a Regulation 261 compensation action.
  • The appropriate court and jurisdiction require their own assessment; the existence of an airline branch does not automatically establish a suitable forum.

Important exceptions

  • No country-specific filing deadline is supplied here because the appropriate forum and current national procedure have not been established. An ADR submission deadline can differ from a court deadline. This page is general information, not an assessment that your claim is still in time.

What to do next

  1. Identify the legal remedy you seek and the potentially competent country or court. Keep an EU fixed-compensation claim distinct from a separate international-carriage damages claim.

  2. Obtain current official information for that forum’s limitation period and procedural requirements. Do not choose a deadline from a commercial claim calculator without checking its jurisdiction assumptions.

  3. Submit the airline complaint promptly and retain proof, but do not assume correspondence pauses a court deadline. Ask a qualified adviser about any interruption or suspension rule relevant to your case.

  4. Build the evidence file while the issue is fresh and record the verified deadline and its source. If time is close, prioritize jurisdiction-specific advice over repeated informal follow-ups.

  5. Have the flight date, operator, route, booking contract, claim type, complaint correspondence, potential forum and any earlier proceedings or settlement documents.

More booking questions

Can I assume every EU claim expires after two years?

No. The Commission expressly distinguishes Regulation 261 actions from the Montreal limitation.

Checked against2024 Interpretative Guidelines on Regulation (EC) No 261/2004

Does emailing the airline protect the court deadline?

Do not assume that; verify the national procedural effect of the correspondence.

Checked against2024 Interpretative Guidelines on Regulation (EC) No 261/2004

Independent reservation assistance

Need help with a booking action?

When an eligible phone option is available, choose the exact action you need. These are independent travel-service numbers, not the airline's official customer-service line.

Any telephone options shown here are for new bookings, flight changes or cancellations only. They are not baggage-claim, loyalty-account or refund-status support.

Need general new-booking help before choosing an airline?

This is an independent general new-booking number. Choose an airline above to check more specific booking, change or cancellation options.

Call for new-booking assistance

General flight assistance

  • New flight bookings
  • No website form to fill in
  • Tap to call or dial the number shown
Call now · (855) 321-3239

Independent booking assistance from a third-party travel service. We are not the airline and this is not an official airline phone number. Service fees may apply; confirm the total price and terms before purchase.

Sources and last checked