easyJet UK261 Claims: Compensation After Brexit

easyJet operates through two separate legal entities post-Brexit. easyJet UK (UK carrier, registered in the UK) is covered by UK261. easyJet Europe (EU carrier, registered in Austria) is covered by EU261. Which entity operates your flight determines which regulation applies. Both entities use the EZY flight code, so you must check the booking details carefully.

Before Brexit, all easyJet flights were operated by easyJet plc, a single UK entity, under EU261. After Brexit, easyJet restructured. easyJet Europe GmbH was established as an Austrian airline to maintain easyJet's right to operate EU intra-country and EU-EU routes. easyJet UK Limited continues to operate UK routes. The split creates complexity but also means passengers on easyJet routes have rights under one of two comparable frameworks.

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  easyJet UK: UK-registered carrier. Routes primarily from UK airports to UK and international destinations. Subject to UK261.

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  easyJet Europe: Austria-registered carrier. Routes primarily from EU airports to EU and international destinations. Subject to EU261.

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  Both use EZY flight codes: You must check the specific entity on your booking confirmation or the easyJet website flight details.

UK261 applies to easyJet UK flights in two scenarios: departures from UK airports (any carrier, but easyJet UK is frequently the operator on UK departures) and easyJet UK flights arriving in the UK from non-UK airports (because easyJet UK is a UK carrier).

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  easyJet UK from London Luton (LTN) to Amsterdam: UK261 applies (UK departure).

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  easyJet UK from London Gatwick (LGW) to Faro: UK261 applies (UK departure).

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  easyJet UK from Amsterdam to London Gatwick: UK261 applies (easyJet UK is UK carrier arriving in UK).

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  easyJet UK from Manchester to Barcelona: UK261 applies (UK departure: Manchester).

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  easyJet UK from Edinburgh to Malaga: UK261 applies (UK departure: Edinburgh).

EU261 applies to easyJet Europe flights in two scenarios: departures from EU airports and easyJet Europe flights arriving in the EU from non-EU airports (such as from UK airports) because easyJet Europe is an EU carrier.

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  easyJet Europe from Amsterdam (AMS) to Malaga: EU261 applies (EU departure).

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  easyJet Europe from Barcelona to London Gatwick: EU261 applies (EU departure: Barcelona). UK261 also applies on the LGW-onward direction.

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  easyJet Europe from London Gatwick to Amsterdam: If operated by easyJet Europe (EU carrier), EU261 applies (EU carrier) AND UK261 applies (UK departure).

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  easyJet Europe from Paris CDG to Edinburgh: EU261 applies (EU departure).

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  UK261: £220 (under 1,500 km), £350 (1,500 to 3,500 km), £520 (over 3,500 km).

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  EU261: €250 (under 1,500 km), €400 (1,500 to 3,500 km), €600 (over 3,500 km).

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  Most easyJet routes: Short to medium haul (under 3,500 km). The £220 to £350 or €250 to €400 tier applies to most claims.

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  50% reduction: Applies if easyJet reroutes you and you arrive within 2 hours (short) or 3 hours (medium) of your original arrival time.

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  Trigger: 3 or more hours late at the final destination, cancellation under 14 days notice, or involuntary denied boarding.

Both UK261 and EU261 exempt airlines from paying compensation when the delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances beyond reasonable control. easyJet commonly cites extraordinary circumstances when denying claims, particularly for weather events, ATC restrictions, and airport security incidents.

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  Legitimate extraordinary circumstances for easyJet: Severe weather affecting the specific route, ATC strikes or restrictions, airport security incidents, bird strikes causing structural damage, political unrest at destination.

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  Not extraordinary circumstances: Routine technical faults, engineering issues that should have been caught in scheduled maintenance, crew scheduling failures, earlier flight delays cascading through the day due to poor operational planning.

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  easyJet's burden: easyJet must prove both the extraordinary nature of the circumstances and that it took all reasonable measures to avoid the delay.

1. 1

   Go to easyjet.com/en/help/compensation. easyJet has a dedicated compensation claim portal.

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   Enter your booking reference and identify which entity operated the flight (easyJet UK or easyJet Europe).

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   Select UK261 as the basis if the flight is covered under UK261. State the specific amount (£220, £350, or £520).

4. 4

   Upload evidence: Boarding pass and a flight status screenshot confirming the delay at the final destination.

5. 5

   Submit and wait up to 8 weeks for easyJet's formal response.

1. 1

   File at easyjet.com/en/help/compensation as above, but select EU Regulation 261/2004 as the basis.

2. 2

   Escalate to the NEB in the EU departure country if easyJet Europe refuses. For a Paris-departure flight, escalate to the French DGAC. For an Amsterdam-departure, escalate to the Dutch ACM.

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   CCPC (Ireland) or Austrian NEB may also have jurisdiction for easyJet Europe disputes, given the Austrian registration. Check the relevant NEB for your departure country.

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   EU Small Claims Procedure (for claims under 5,000 EUR) is an option for EU-country departures.

easyJet has historically refused a significant proportion of initial compensation claims, often citing extraordinary circumstances. A refusal is not final. ADR and court proceedings frequently reverse easyJet decisions. The evidence of the actual delay (FlightAware records) and the reason given are the key battlegrounds.

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  Request written reasons: Ask easyJet to specify the exact extraordinary circumstances and the measures taken.

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  Check flight tracking data: If the aircraft operating your flight had a history of delays earlier that day, easyJet's extraordinary circumstances claim weakens.

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  Escalate to ADR: easyJet UK participates in Aviation ADR. Escalate at aviationadr.org.uk.

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  File in MCOL: UK Small Claims Court for UK261 claims that ADR cannot resolve.

easyJet UK is a member of Aviation ADR (aviationadr.org.uk). After exhausting easyJet's internal complaints process (or 8 weeks without a satisfactory response), submit your claim to Aviation ADR. The process is free for passengers and typically takes 60 to 90 days. Aviation ADR's decisions are binding on easyJet UK.

For EU261 disputes against easyJet Europe, escalate to the NEB in the EU departure country. The NEB can investigate and take enforcement action. For a full walkthrough of UK261 escalation, see the UK Civil Aviation Authority complaints guide.

If Aviation ADR fails or easyJet does not comply with an ADR award, file in UK Small Claims Court through MCOL at gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money. easyJet UK as a UK-registered carrier is subject to UK court jurisdiction. Name 'easyJet UK Limited' as the defendant for UK261 claims.

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  Claim limit: Up to £10,000 on the small claims track.

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  Filing fee: £25 to £115 depending on claim amount, recoverable if you win.

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  Timeline: 3 to 6 months for a contested case. Many settle before hearing.

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  No lawyer needed: Small claims is designed for unrepresented claimants.

The main practical impact of the Brexit split is determining which entity to name in your claim and which ADR or NEB to escalate to. On many UK-EU routes, the same physical route may be operated by either easyJet UK or easyJet Europe depending on the specific flight date. Checking your booking confirmation is essential before filing.

Where both UK261 and EU261 technically apply to the same flight (for example, a UK departure on easyJet Europe), the amounts are different (£220/350/520 vs €250/400/600). File under whichever gives you the higher-value claim at the current exchange rate, but you can only collect once.

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  Not checking which easyJet entity operated the flight: Filing the wrong regulation wastes time. Check the booking confirmation.

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  Using departure delay instead of arrival delay: The compensation trigger is the delay at the final destination.

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  Accepting extraordinary circumstances without evidence: Request written specifics. Many refusals citing weather or technical issues do not hold up at ADR.

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  Not escalating after a refusal: Aviation ADR and UK Small Claims Court regularly overturn easyJet initial decisions.

For the complete UK261 overview, see UK261 rights. For UK-EU comparison, see the UK261 vs EU261 guide. For all international passenger rights, see the main guide.