UK261 Rejected Compensation Claim
If a UK airline rejects your compensation claim, do not answer with a long argument first. Match the refusal to the missing proof, choose the right ADR or CAA path, and protect your deadline.
Quick answer
A UK261 rejection is worth challenging when the airline does not identify the exact cause, timing, causal link, and reasonable measures. Keep the reply short: quote the refusal, ask for flight-specific evidence, attach final-arrival proof, and escalate to the airline's ADR body or the UK CAA route when the airline stage is complete.
Confirm the amount, route coverage, deadline, and strongest reply angle before sending another message.
Read The Refusal Before You Reply
Weather or ATC
Ask for the exact restriction, affected time window, flights it affected, and what recovery steps the airline attempted.
Operational reasons
Ask what happened: aircraft rotation, crew planning, baggage, gate, fuelling, late inbound aircraft, or airport restriction.
Technical fault
Ask for the exact defect, when it was found, whether it was routine maintenance, and why a spare aircraft or crew was not used.
Missed connection
Confirm both sectors were on one booking and measure delay at the final destination, not at the UK departure airport.
Too late to claim
Check whether England, Wales, Northern Ireland, or Scotland applies before accepting a deadline refusal.
Choose The UK Escalation Route
CEDR
Common for British Airways and several UK airline complaints after the airline has issued a final response or missed its response window.
AviationADR
Common for easyJet and other subscribed airlines. Use the airline-specific ADR scheme, not a generic complaint portal.
UK CAA Passenger Advice and Complaints Team
Useful when the airline is not in an approved ADR scheme or when you need the regulator complaint route after the airline stage.
Small claims court
Last resort when ADR is unavailable, unsuitable, or the airline still refuses after a clear evidence request.
Build A UK261 Reply Pack
- 1Airline rejection email, case number, and final response wording.
- 2Booking reference, ticket number, operating carrier, flight number, and final destination.
- 3Actual arrival proof: airline app, airport board, flight-status screenshot, baggage record, or door-open timing where available.
- 4The airline reason copied exactly into your reply, with one short question for the missing proof.
- 5ADR or CAA route selected by airline, plus the date you can escalate.
- 6Deadline note: 6 years in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland; 5 years in Scotland.
UK261 Claim Value And Deadline Check
| Item | Use In Your Reply |
|---|---|
| Compensation amount | £220, £350, £260, or £520 depending on distance and long-haul delay length. |
| Deadline | 6 years in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland; 5 years in Scotland. |
| Airline burden | The airline should prove extraordinary circumstances and reasonable measures, not just name a category. |
If the airline says the claim is out of time, check the jurisdiction before accepting that answer. The same itinerary can raise UK261, EU261, and airline-base questions.
Related UK261 Rejection Guides
Reply With The Missing-Proof Question
Confirm whether the refusal is weak before you spend time preparing an ADR or CAA complaint.
Check your UK261 claimSource note
This guide was refreshed on 26 July 2026 using UK CAA passenger-rights and ADR guidance, UK261/EU261 compensation rules, airline complaint-process context, and community passenger wording around rejected UK claims. Reddit and community wording was used only for language and pain-point patterns, not as legal authority.
Disclaimer
This guide is provided for informational purposes only. FlightClaimGuide does not provide legal advice and recommends seeking independent professional advice for complex legal matters.