Which Airline Files the EU261 Claim on a Codeshare

Codeshare EU261 filing always goes to the operating carrier. Article 2(b) of Regulation 261/2004 defines the 'operating air carrier' as the one that actually performs the flight. Your ticket's marketing carrier (the airline on your receipt and boarding pass flight number) is irrelevant for EU261 liability.

Ticket number is not the same as operating carrier. A Delta 3-digit codeshare flight (e.g., DL8001) operated by Air France from CDG to JFK means EU261 goes to AF. Filing with DL wastes weeks.

1. 1

   Look at your boarding pass: 'Operated by [Airline]' is the line you need.

2. 2

   Check the itinerary receipt: usually lists the operating carrier below the marketing flight number.

3. 3

   Use FlightAware or FlightRadar24 to look up the flight number; operating carrier is in the aircraft registration.

4. 4

   Airlines publish codeshare partners on their websites; cross-check if ambiguous.

See codeshare marketing carrier vs operating carrier legal definitions for the legal framework.

Each major EU/UK carrier publishes a specific complaints/compensation address:

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  Air France: customer-care form at airfrance.com/contact.

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  KLM: compensation form at klm.com/customer-support.

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  Lufthansa: eu-compensation request via lufthansa.com.

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  British Airways: compensation claim via ba.com/complaints.

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  Ryanair: EU261 form at ryanair.com (known for heavy denial defense).

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  easyJet: compensation claim via easyjet.com.

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  Refund of ticket price: marketing carrier owns the ticket.

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  Rebook logistics: marketing carrier typically coordinates.

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  Frequent flyer miles: marketing carrier's FFP.

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  Vouchers and goodwill gestures: marketing carrier's program.

Refund and compensation go to different addresses. You may need two parallel claims: marketing carrier for refund (if cancelled or significant delay), operating carrier for EU261 cash.

On some codeshares, the marketing and operating carriers are the same airline (e.g., a Delta-marketed flight operated by Delta). In that case, file with that one carrier for both refund and EU261. The distinction only matters when two different airlines are involved. See codeshare baggage damage: whose rules apply for the baggage parallel.

Evidence to include in your EU261 filing: boarding pass (showing 'operated by' line), itinerary receipt, delay/cancellation communication from the operating carrier, FlightAware screenshot confirming the tail number's operating airline, and any correspondence from the marketing carrier. Operating carriers sometimes claim the passenger filed with the wrong entity; having the boarding pass evidence closes that defense.

See the full pillar at Codeshare Flight Rights: Which Airline Is Responsible. Primary sources: Regulation (EC) 261/2004, EU Commission interpretative guidelines, and codeshare flight rights 2026 guide.

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