Claim compensation from British Airways

British Airways Compensation: What can I claim for?

If you want to claim a flight to British Airways due to a flight delay, cancellation or overbooking, you should know that you can get up to 600 € depending on the flight distance.

If British Airways operated the flight (normally when you fly with 2 different airlines, 1 of them is operating the whole itinerary) you should place the claim against them.

Compensation for a problem in a flight with British Airways

What can I claim if I had a problem with an British Airways flight?

A claim for a flight cancellation, delay or overbooking can get a compensation of up to 250, 400 or 600 euros depending on the distance of the flight. In the table below you will see the money a passenger should get according the european law.

€ 250

Airline based in the EU
OR
Flight departure from the EU

€ 400

Airline based in the EU
OR
Flight departure from the EU

€ 600

Airline based in the EU
OR
Flight departure from the EU

damages and interests

remboursement of the first ticket you couldn´t fly with

Compensation for extra expenses related to the flight issue

You can also ask for a compensation for all expenses incurred to British Airways:

If you had to buy a new ticket because of a problem with your flight, you can also ask for the money of the new ticket to British Airways.
If you cancelled your trip because the new date makes non sense (for example it makes you loose few days o holiday or and the money in some hotel), the airline must give you back the money for the ticket and all generated expenses in destinations (hotels, tours, ...)
British Airways should pay for all expenses generated while you wait for a new flight as well (food, accomodation, taxis, ...)

Example of compensation according to european law

Flight overbooking from Frankfurt to Florence: Less than 1.500 km = € 250 + expenses.
Flight overbooking from Las Palmas to Florence: 1.500 km -3.500 km = € 400 + expenses.
Flight cancellation from Paris to Tokyo: More than 3.500 km = € 600 + expenses.

These are the documents you need to prepare a claim against British Airways

Reservation email

Bouarding pass

ID

Tickets

Do you have any doubt?

Fill in the form and we will check the feasability of your case for free

Delayed flight with British Airways

In those cases which the arrival to your destination is over 3 hours late, you have the right to claim for a delay to British Airways. The compensation table above applies here too.

If the delay is under 3 hours, you won´t get any compensation, but the airline must give you some water and snack for free if the delay is over 2 hours.

British Airways flight cancellations

British Airways cancellations notified more than fourteen days before date of departure:

James has received a message from British Airways telling him that his flight in 18 days is cancelled. He does not have a right to compensation under the Eu law but may seek a refund of his flight cost. If there isn´t proof of message from British Airways he will be granted a compensation too.

British Airways cancellations notified between 7 and 14 days before date of departure:

John has received a text from British Airways telling him that his flight in 10 days is cancelled. He has a right to compensation as his flight was cancelled by British Airways between 7 and 14 days before his departure and his flight departs more than two hours before the original scheduled time of departure and arrives more than 4 hours after the first scheduled arrival time.

British Airways cancelled flight notified less than 7 days before departure:

Sam has received a mail from British Airways notifying him that his flight in 2 days is cancelled. He has a right to compensation as his flight was cancelled by British Airways less than seven days before his departure and the new flight departs more than one hour before the {original} time of departure and arrives more than two hours after the original scheduled time.

Overbooking at British Airways

What is an overbooked British Airways flight?

This is when British Airways sells more tickets than the possible number of passengers they can accommodate.

The overbooking is legal, but you are entitled to a compensation up to € 600.

British Airways aims to avoid empty seats due to no-shows, and this must be legally sanctioned.

When the British Airways passenger has received a flight ticket or any document stating the payment has been accepted and registered, it is a “confirmed reservation”. Boarding denials happen when a passenger presents to the gate but British Airways refuses them access to the plane.

How to act if British Airways denied your boarding:

Do not throw away boarding passes.
Ask for the reasons you’re being denied boarding.

Lost luggage compensation with British Airways

British Airways Compensations under Montreal Convention for delays, cancellations, overbooking and baggage

Suitable when these 2 circumstances occur at the same time:

All luggage claims even if the airline is european
When the airline is not European and the flight doesn´t depart from Europe

Delayed flight, cancellation or overbooking compensation table according to the Montreal Convention

Basically the compensations for delay,cancellation or overbooking are the same. The main difference is that this agreement covers lugagge delay or loss as well.

British Airways Montreal Convention Compensation
Compensation	Limit of liability	Expenses
Luggage	5.708 euros = 4.694 SDR (Special Drawing Rights)	Other flighs, rents, tours, other missed flights

British Airways lost baggage or delayed luggage compensation

If you want to Claim British Airways for lost baggage you can get a compensation of € 1.414 + expenses.

Summary: British Airways lost baggage compensation according to the Montreal Convention
Luggage claim	Limit of liability	Expenses
Lost or damaged	1.414 euros = 1.253 SDR (Special Drawing Rights)	Clothes, cost of the baggage, taxis

Important: Fill the PIR: Property Irregularity Report to claim for the luggage to British Airways

What is British Airways PIR?

The British Airways Property Irregularity Report (PIR) number is a unique code that traces your lost or damaged baggage. You can find 10 letters and numbers and it is needed to claim to British Airways.

Reference code
Flight
Number of lost suitcase
Date
Type of disruption
Colour and type
Name

How far back can you go with claiming flight delay compensation to British Airways

Time Limit: 2 to 5 years as a general rule, depending on the type of law that is applicable in each case.

Montreal Convention: two years
Eu law: two to ten years. It is necessary to the civil code for each country.