AIR PASSENGER RIGHTS
EU COMPLAINT FORM

THIS FORM CAN BE USED TO LODGE A COMPLAINT WITH AN AIRLINE AND/OR A NATIONAL
ENFORCEMENT BODY.

Passenger rights in case of
denied boarding, downgrading, cancellation or long delay of their flight
under Regulation (EC) 261/2004

INSTRUCTIONS
1) Passengers who believe they have a valid complaint against an airline1 regarding denied
boarding, downgrading, cancellation or long delay to a given flight should first submit such a
complaint to the airline operating the flight concerned. This form may be used for that
purpose. Please keep a copy of this form for your records.
2) Should the airline fail to provide you with a reply within 6 weeks of receipt or, if you are not
satisfied with their reply, this form (a copy of the original form sent to the airline may be used)
should be sent to the national enforcement body2 in the Member State3 where the incident
took place.
3) If the incident took place at an airport of departure outside the EU, you may contact the
national enforcement body in the Member State of flight destination.
4) This complaint form is to be used only for cases concerned with denied boarding incident,
downgrading, cancellation, or long delay of a flight.
5) For any other complaint types such as baggage claims, flight schedule changes made
more than 14 days in advance of your travel date or ticketing issues, these too should be
submitted first to the airline concerned. Should you not receive a reply, or if you are not
satisfied with the reply, the European Consumer Centres4 in any Member State of the EU can
be contacted for further advice.
6) Please fill in the form in block capital letters.

Complaint submitted by:
Name:
Address:
Postcode, city:
E-mail:
Telephone number:

Surname:
Country:

1

"Regulation 261/2004 applies to all flights operated by any airline from any EU airport and
flights to an EU airport operated by any EU airline"
2
A list of National Enforcement Bodies and further information on EU passenger rights may
be found at: http://www.apr.europa.eu/
3
or Iceland, Norway, Switzerland
4
http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/redress/ecc_network/webcenters_en.htm

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Complaint concerning the following flight:
Airline:
Ticket number:
Booking reference:
Airport of departure:
Connecting airport (if any):
Date of your flight:
Scheduled time of departure:
Scheduled time of arrival:
Airport(s) where the incident occurred:

Flight number:

Airport of arrival:

Actual time of departure:
Actual time of arrival:

Passenger details for flight detailed above:
Name of Passenger
Please indicate if Adult, Child
or Infant (less than 2 years)

Please indicate if special
assistance was required

Please carefully read these definitions, and indicate with a cross [X] that which applies to this
complaint.

‘Long delay’ means when a flight does not depart until after the scheduled departure time
by:
i)
ii)
iii)

two or more hours, for flights of up to 1500 km;
three or more hours for intra-EU flights of 1,500 km and longer, or for other flights
between 1501 and 3000 km;
four or more hours, for all other flights.

‘Cancellation’ means the non-operation of a flight that was previously planned.

‘Denied boarding’ means a refusal by the airline to carry a passengers on a flight on which
they hold a confirmed reservation and where have presented themselves for check-in and
at the boarding gate not later than the time advised by the airline, tour operator or travel
agent (if no time was indicated, not later than 45 minutes before the scheduled departure
time). This does not include situations where the airline or its agent has reasonable
grounds to deny passengers boarding, such as reasons of health, safety, and/or security,
or in cases of inadequate travel documentation.
‘Downgrading’ means the passenger involuntarily travelled in a class of service lower than
the class of service for which they had a confirmed reservation.
Did the passenger(s) hold a confirmed reservation on the flight concerned?
YES
NO
Did the passenger(s) present themselves at the check-in desk at the latest at the time
indicated by the airline (or if no time was indicated: not later than 45 minutes before the
published departure time of the flight)?
YES
NO

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Did the passenger(s) present themselves at the boarding gate before the time indicated on
the boarding card?
YES
NO
Did the airline provide the passenger(s) with information on their rights?
YES
NO
I hereby declare that all of the information provided in this form is true and accurate in
all respects and for all the passengers concerned.

Signature(s) of all adult passengers :

……………. ….

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IN CASE YOUR FLIGHT WAS DELAYED:
Did you receive assistance from the airline or its agent during your long delay?
YES
What kind of assistance has been provided to you?
Meals
Refreshments
Place of accommodation (hotel or other) (in case the delay resulted in an
overnight stay)
Transfer between airport and place of accommodation (in case the delay
resulted in an overnight stay)
Communication facilities (telephone calls, fax or e-mail messages)
Other services (please specify): …………………….
NO

If the delay of your flight was of 3 hours of more after the arrival time originally scheduled, did
you receive any financial compensation?
YES
Amount: € ………..
NO

If the delay of your flight was longer than 5 hours:
-

Did your flight still serve a purpose?
YES
NO

-

In case your answer to the previous question is ‘no’ and in case your journey had
already commenced: were you offered a seat on a flight back to your first point of
departure?
YES
NO

-

In case you decided not to continue your journey, were you offered a refund?
YES
for the whole ticket price
for the non-used flight coupons
NO

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IN CASE YOUR FLIGHT WAS CANCELLED BY THE AIRLINE:
Were you informed about the fact that your flight was cancelled
after your arrival at the airport ?
before you arrived at the airport ?
less than 1 week before the planned departure time of your flight?
between 7 days and 2 weeks before the planned departure time of your
flight?
more than 2 weeks before the original scheduled departure date of your
flight?
Were you offered an alternative flight?
YES
NO
Were you informed about the reason why your flight was cancelled?
YES
What was the reason given to you?
……………………………………………………..
NO
Did you receive assistance from the airline or its agent at the airport?
YES
What kind of assistance has been provided to you?
Meals
Refreshments
Place of accommodation (hotel or other) (in case the cancellation resulted
in an overnight stay)
Transfer between airport and place of accommodation (in case the
cancellation resulted in an overnight stay)
Communication facilities (telephone calls, fax or e-mail messages)
Other services (please specify): …………………….
NO
Did you receive any financial compensation for this cancellation?
YES
Amount: € ………..
NO
Were you offered the choice between a re-fund OR a re-routing to your final destination?
YES
I chose the refund option
I was offered a refund for the whole ticket price
I was offered a refund for non-used flight coupons [please specify]
………………………………………………………………………………..
I chose the rerouting option:
………
NO
Only refund was offered
Only re-routing to my final destination was offered [please specify]
………………………………………………………………………………

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IN CASE YOU WERE DENIED BOARDING AGAINST YOUR WILL:
Did the airline call for volunteers?
YES
NO
I don’t know
Did you volunteer not to board the aircraft?
YES
if so, the questions below do not apply
NO
in this case, please answer next questions
Did the airline refuse your boarding for reasons of safety, security, health or inadequate travel
documents?
YES
NO
I don’t know
Did you present yourself at the boarding gate not later than the time indicated on your
boarding pass?
YES
NO
Did you receive assistance from the airline or its agent after you were denied boarding?
YES
What kind of assistance has been provided to you?
Meals
Refreshments
Place of accommodation (in case the denied boarding resulted in an
overnight stay)
Transfer between airport and place of accommodation (in case the denied
boarding resulted in an overnight stay)
Communication facilities (telephone calls, fax or e-mail messages)
Other services (please specify): …………………….
NO
Did you receive any financial compensation after you were denied boarding against your will?
YES
Amount: € ………..
NO
Were you offered the choice between a re-fund OR a re-routing to your final destination?
YES
I chose the re-fund option
I was offered a refund for the whole ticket price
I was offered a refund for non-used flight coupons
I chose the rerouting option:
………
NO
Only refund was offered
Only re-routing to my final destination was offered [please specify]
…………………………………………………………………………………..

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IN CASE YOU WERE DOWNGRADED:
I had a reservation in:
First Class
Business Class
I actually travelled in:
Business Class
Economy Class
Did you receive any refund as a consequence of this downgrading?
YES
Amount: € ………..
NO
What was the price of your ticket? ……………….

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