TRAVEL PROBLEMS · EU AND UK FLIGHTS
How far back can you claim flight delay compensation?
There is no single EU deadline. The time limit depends on the country whose courts would hear your claim, and in England and Wales it is six years. Here is what the courts have said, and how to find the limit that applies to your flight.
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The 30-second answer
EU flights: the EU's top court ruled that the time limit for EU261 compensation claims is set by each country's own rules on limitation of actions. So it varies by country.
England and Wales: the Court of Appeal ruled in 2014 that the limit is six years, not the two years airlines sometimes quote.
Practical rule: claim as soon as you can. Older claims are harder to prove, and the airline's own records may be thinner.
What the courts have said
| Where | Time limit | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Any EU country | Set by that country's national limitation rules | Court of Justice of the EU, Moré v KLM (C-139/11), 22 November 2012 |
| England and Wales | Six years (Limitation Act 1980), not two | Court of Appeal, Dawson v Thomson Airways [2014] EWCA Civ 845, 19 June 2014 |
| Scotland, Northern Ireland, other countries | Their own national rules apply | Check with the national enforcement body or a local advice service |
The EU's Your Europe passenger rights page also says that court time limits depend on national limitation rules.
"The airline says I only had two years"
Airlines sometimes point to the two-year limit in the Montreal Convention. In Dawson v Thomson Airways, the Court of Appeal held that EU261 delay compensation falls outside the Convention, so its two-year bar does not apply to these claims in England and Wales. The Montreal Convention's limits still matter for other claims, such as lost or damaged luggage: see lost or delayed luggage.
How to claim an older flight
- Find your proof: booking confirmation, boarding pass or e-ticket, and anything showing the delay (airline emails, app notifications, a delay letter).
- Check you qualified: 3+ hours late at your final destination, or a cancellation with under 14 days' notice, for a reason within the airline's control. See flight delay compensation for the rules.
- Claim from the airline directly using its claim form, or our free EU261 claim letter template.
- If it refuses on time grounds, ask it to name the law it is relying on, then escalate to the national enforcement body or an ADR scheme.
Want help with an older claim?
Claim services can check whether a past flight is still within the time limit and file the claim for you. They keep a share of any payout; claiming directly costs nothing.
Check a past flight with AirHelp →
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