Your rights
TrustpilotTrustScore 4.5See the reviewsDenied boarding compensation
Being refused a seat you had booked and paid for is one of the clearest claims under the regulation. The airline must compensate you, and get you there or refund you.
- Compensation
- €250–€600
- Threshold
- Involuntary denial
- Governed by
- EU 261 / UK 261
- Our fee
- 20–30%
Involuntary versus voluntary
The regulation distinguishes two situations. Involuntary denied boarding is when you are refused a seat against your will — usually because the flight was overbooked. This carries fixed compensation.
A voluntary surrender of your seat, in exchange for benefits the airline offered, does not. If you accepted a voucher to fly later, check what you agreed to before claiming.
Reasonable grounds
An airline may refuse boarding on reasonable grounds — a missing visa or travel document, a health or safety concern, or disruptive behaviour — without owing compensation. A simple overbooking does not qualify.
What you are owed
In addition to the fixed sum, you have an immediate choice: rerouting to your destination at the earliest opportunity, or a refund of the ticket and a flight back to your point of departure if you are already part-way. The airline must also provide meals and, if necessary, accommodation.
In short
- Compensation is €250–€600 per passenger, set by the regulation.
- The trigger is involuntary denial.
- Extraordinary circumstances remove the fixed sum, but never the right to care.
- We work on a no-win, no-fee basis — nothing is owed on an unsuccessful claim.
Common questions
Denied boarding — asked and answered
They asked for volunteers first. Does that matter?
The gate staff said the flight was full. Is that enough evidence?
Can I claim if I was moved to a later flight?
Let us enforce your claim
Our legal experts take it from here — assessing, corresponding and, where needed, going to court. You pay only on success.