The German twist is pleasant: soep is a free, state-recognised arbitration board whose rulings airlines almost always follow. A letter, 30 days, soep — three moves that recover hundreds of euros without a lawyer.
Flight Compensation: Enforcing the Claim
A written demand, 30 days to respond, then the free soep arbitration board. Claim portals take up to a third — try yourself first.
✓ Verified: 18/07/2026
WHAT TO DO
› Details and tips
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Max recommends:
I sent a written demand with flight number, the EU 261 amount and my IBAN, gave 30 days. Silence — then a free soep filing. Decision in 6 weeks, money in the account.
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Lea recommends:
Keep everything: boarding passes, photos of the delayed board, receipts for food and taxi — reimbursed on top of the compensation. You have 3 years to claim, but secure the evidence at the airport immediately.
Useful Tools
- Schlichtungsstelle Reise und Verkehr consumer
Official arbitration body for disputes with airlines and railways. Free of charge for passengers.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The airline offers a voucher instead? ▾
You may insist on cash. Accept a voucher only deliberately: it usually expires and gifts the airline your compensation.
Are claim-buying portals worth it? ▾
They take 20–35 percent for what one letter settles in 80 percent of cases. Letter and soep first, free — portals only if your time is scarcer than the money.
How much compensation am I owed? ▾
Under EU law €250 to €600 depending on flight distance (up to 1,500 km, up to 3,500 km, beyond), regardless of ticket price — on top of a refund or re-routing. No claim only with timely notice or genuine extraordinary circumstances.