LOT Polish Airlines EU261 Compensation: Your Rights on LOT Flights
Loren Castillo
Founder, TravelStacks
LOT Polish Airlines is Poland's flag carrier and an EU carrier covered by EU261. Here is how to claim delay compensation, what to expect, and where to escalate if LOT refuses.
Does EU261 Apply to LOT Polish Airlines?
Yes. LOT Polish Airlines (Polskie Linie Lotnicze LOT S.A.) is a Polish carrier based in Warsaw. Poland is an EU member state, making LOT an EU carrier fully subject to EU261/2004 on all flights departing from EU airports.
Coverage: EU261 applies to all LOT flights from Polish airports (Warsaw WAW, Krakow KRK, Gdansk GDN, etc.) and from any other EU airport. LOT transatlantic routes from Warsaw to New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles also qualify on the Warsaw-departure leg.
For the full EU261 eligibility framework, see the EU261 rights guide.
Compensation Amounts for LOT Delays
EU261 compensation for delays of 3+ hours at the final destination:
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250 euros: flights under 1,500 km (e.g., Warsaw to Berlin, Vienna, Amsterdam)
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400 euros: flights 1,500 km to 3,500 km (e.g., Warsaw to London, Madrid, Istanbul)
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600 euros: flights over 3,500 km (e.g., Warsaw to New York, Chicago, Los Angeles)
LOT operates extensive transatlantic routes from Warsaw, and these longer routes qualify for the maximum 600 euro tier when delayed 3+ hours. LOT also operates numerous intra-European routes in the 250 and 400 euro tiers.
How to File a LOT EU261 Claim
File through LOT's customer service portal at lot.com or by email to LOT's passenger rights team. Include your booking confirmation, flight number, departure date, and actual arrival time versus scheduled arrival.
LOT is required to respond to EU261 claims within a reasonable time. If LOT refuses or does not respond within 8 weeks, escalate to Poland's Urząd Lotnictwa Cywilnego (ULC), the Civil Aviation Authority, which handles EU261 enforcement for Polish-origin flights.
Escalation tip: The Polish ULC accepts complaints online at ulc.gov.pl. Filing with the ULC is free and creates regulatory pressure on LOT to resolve valid claims.
LOT's Use of Extraordinary Circumstances
LOT, like other EU carriers, may deny valid claims citing extraordinary circumstances. Technical issues, crew availability problems, and aircraft repositioning delays are generally not extraordinary circumstances under EU case law.
If LOT denies your claim without a specific and credible extraordinary circumstance, contest the denial. Request the specific reason in writing and compare it against the EU261 case law standard.
For claims service options including escalation support, see EU261 no-win-no-fee services compared. File at TravelStacks at 25%. For a broader comparison, see the airline rankings page and best flight compensation services for US passengers.