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Airline guide

easyJet compensation

easyJet operates under both EU261 and the UK's UK261, depending on where your flight departed. The thresholds and amounts are effectively the same.

Quick answer

easyJet operates under both EU261 and the UK's UK261, depending on where your flight departed. The thresholds and amounts are effectively the same.

Airline
easyJet
Main hub
London Gatwick
Potential compensation
€250–€600 per passenger
Route coverage
EU departures; EU-airline arrivals

Does easyJet have to pay?

easyJet flies from EU and EEA airports, so EC Regulation 261/2004 applies to those departures regardless of where the flight is going. Its bases span the UK, France, Switzerland, Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands, with most sectors between 500 and 2,000 km. Most of those routes fall in the €250 band, with longer ones reaching €400.

What usually decides the claim

  • A UK departure is handled under UK261 and paid in pounds; an EU departure under EU261 in euros.
  • Delays rolling through the day from an earlier rotation are the airline's own scheduling risk.
  • Gatwick and Amsterdam runway or ATC restrictions can count as extraordinary — ask for the specific cause.
  • Keep the disruption text message or email; it usually states the reason easyJet will later rely on.

How to send your claim

easyJet takes claims through its online form and by post to its customer team. Submit the letter text in the form, attach boarding passes, and note the 14-day deadline you set.

If they refuse

Airlines often reject a first claim with a one-line reference to extraordinary circumstances. Ask them to state the specific cause and the reasonable measures they took. If the answer is unconvincing or none arrives within 14 days, escalate to the national enforcement body in the country of departure — for London Gatwick-based flights that is the regulator of that state — or to an approved alternative dispute resolution scheme.

Common questions

My easyJet flight was from Gatwick. Euros or pounds?
UK departures fall under UK261, where the bands are £220, £350 and £520. The structure and the 3-hour threshold are the same.
easyJet gave me a food voucher. Does that reduce the compensation?
No. Meals, refreshments and hotels are the separate right to care and cannot be set off against your compensation.
How long does easyJet take to respond?
Often a few weeks. Setting a clear 14-day deadline in your letter gives you a firm point at which to escalate.

Primary sources

Official guidance and legislation used to review this page.