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Keep one traceable complaint

Airline not responding to your flight compensation claim?

Preserve the original written complaint and its submission date. A succession of new forms and calls can make the record harder to follow; a clear reference and chronology make escalation easier.

Confirm that the claim reached the right place

  • Check that you used the operating airline's current compensation or complaints channel.
  • Save the confirmation page, acknowledgement email and case reference.
  • Confirm the email did not request a security or identity step that remains incomplete.
  • If a booking agent submitted it, establish whether the airline accepts complaints through that route.

If there is no acknowledgement, resubmit once through the official route with a note that you are preserving the date of the first attempt. Avoid sending passports or banking documents to an address you have not independently verified on the airline's own website.

Send a concise follow-up

Refer to the existing case rather than opening a different account of events:

“I submitted the attached written complaint on [date] under reference [number]. Please confirm its status and whether any specific information is missing. If the complaint cannot be resolved, please issue a final response and identify the ADR provider competent to consider it.”

Keep call notes, but use written follow-up for the evidence file. Do not interpret an automated reply as a decision on eligibility.

What the eight-week point means

The CAA says you may approach the airline's ADR provider if it has not responded within eight weeks of your written complaint. You do not need to wait eight weeks where the airline has already issued a final response and the dispute is unresolved. ADR cannot normally take the case unless you first complained to the airline.

  1. Find the airline in the CAA's current ADR membership list.
  2. If it uses AviationADR or CEDR, follow that provider's current submission instructions.
  3. If it is not signed up to an approved ADR scheme, check whether CAA PACT can help.
  4. For Northern Ireland, also check the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland route.

ADR and PACT are not the same

An approved ADR provider can issue a decision that the airline must follow if you accept it. PACT can assess and take up an eligible complaint, but the CAA explains that PACT cannot impose a binding solution. Use the ADR guide to select the correct route.

Prepare before escalating

  • Original claim, proof of submission and all acknowledgements.
  • Booking and proof of travel.
  • A one-page disruption and correspondence chronology.
  • Exact amount and remedy requested.
  • Itemised receipts and the airline's response to any expense claim.

ADR decisions are based on the information submitted by both sides. A complete file is more useful than repeated reminders with no supporting documents.

Current-process note: new UK ADR provisions took effect on 6 April 2026. The CAA says it is reviewing its policy documents, while AviationADR and CEDR continue to handle unresolved aviation complaints. Re-check the CAA page before submitting.
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