Statute of Limitations: How Long Do I Have to Claim My Flight?

Did you find an old boarding pass from 3 years ago? Has your legal right to take the airline to court expired?

Europe did not establish a global expiration date:

The EU261 regulation intentionally delegated the time limit (Statute of Limitations) to the National Law Codes of each respective member state.

This causes variations depending on the country of the airline's headquarters or the court jurisdiction:

• United Kingdom (UK & Wales): An incredible open limit of 6 Full Years for claims against easyJet, British Airways, etc. (Scotland is 5 years).
• Germany: Usually 3 Years, ending at the close of the calendar year (usually for Lufthansa).
• Spain, Italy, Greece (Iberia, Vueling, ITA, Volotea): An exceptionally generous limit of 5 Full Years under current civil codes. (Italy is usually 2 years).
• France (Air France): A generous limit of 5 Full Years for standard compensation.

Never let an old bad flight go to waste. Use our calculator to check if your 4-year-old cancellation is still valid for a €600 payout.