The airline said no: how to challenge a refused claim
Most refusals cite extraordinary circumstances. A technical fault, late crew, or a knock-on delay from the aircraft earlier flight are not extraordinary, and a refusal on those grounds can be escalated free of charge.
Check the reason against the rule
An airline only escapes paying when the cause was genuinely outside its control: severe weather, air traffic control strikes, security alerts, bird strikes.
What is not outside its control: a technical fault, a crew member arriving late, a delay inherited from the aircraft previous rotation, or a strike by the airline own staff. Courts have been clear on all of these, and airlines refuse on them anyway.
Ask the airline to state the cause in writing. A refusal that will not name a reason is the weakest kind.
Escalate, for free
Every UK airline belongs to an alternative dispute resolution scheme and must tell you which. The two main ones are AviationADR and CEDR. Using them costs you nothing and their decision binds the airline.
If the airline is not in a scheme, the Civil Aviation Authority will look at the complaint itself.
For an EU airline, the national enforcement body of the country the flight left from handles it.
Go to the airline first and let it refuse. These bodies will not look at a case the airline has not had a chance to answer.
Or hand it to someone else
A claims service takes the case on and keeps a share of what it recovers, typically between a quarter and a third. You get less, but you do nothing, and they absorb the refusals that would otherwise wear you down.
It is worth comparing that cut against doing it yourself. An ADR complaint is a form and a wait, and it costs nothing.
Common questions
The airline blamed a technical fault. Is that allowed?
No. A technical fault is treated as part of running an airline rather than an extraordinary circumstance, so it does not excuse the payment. This is one of the most common invalid refusals.
How do I escalate a refused claim?
Through the airline alternative dispute resolution scheme, usually AviationADR or CEDR. It is free and the decision binds the airline. The Civil Aviation Authority handles airlines not in a scheme.
Is there a time limit?
Six years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, five in Scotland. ADR schemes often have a shorter window of their own, so do not wait years before escalating.
Check your own flight
AirHelp will tell you whether a specific flight qualifies and handle the claim with the airline. TravelTrauma earns a commission if a claim succeeds, at no cost to you.
Check your claimMore guides
- Flight delay compensation: what you can claim in the UK and EU
- Your flight was cancelled: refund, rebooking and compensation
- Lost or delayed baggage: what you can claim
- Denied boarding and overbooked flights: what you are owed
- Missed your connection: what the airline owes you
- Package holidays: what you are covered for when it goes wrong
- Downgraded to a lower cabin: what you get back
Last reviewed 2026-10-08. This explains the rules and is not legal advice; the circumstances of your flight may change what applies.