Free escalation
National enforcement bodies
When an airline refuses or goes quiet, this is the next step — and it costs nothing. Use it before you hand anyone a percentage. The Commission’s official list (PDF) is the definitive version.
Airline gone quiet? Find your country in the table below — the enforcement body is free to use and slower. If you would rather not chase it yourself, the no-win-no-fee options and what they charge are set out further down.
| Country | Enforcement body | Court route |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Civil Aviation Authority | Money Claim Online — low fee, recoverable from the airline if you win |
| Spain | AESA — Agencia Estatal de Seguridad Aérea | Juicio verbal for small sums; European Small Claims Procedure for cross-border |
| Germany | Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA) | Amtsgericht; söp is the recognised conciliation body |
| France | DGAC — Direction générale de l'Aviation civile | Tribunal de proximité |
| Italy | ENAC — Ente Nazionale per l'Aviazione Civile | Giudice di pace |
| Netherlands | Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport (ILT) | Kantonrechter |
| Ireland | Commission for Aviation Regulation | Small Claims Procedure |
| Poland | Urząd Lotnictwa Cywilnego (ULC) | Sąd rejonowy |
| Belgium | SPF Mobilité / FOD Mobiliteit | Justice de paix |
| Portugal | ANAC — Autoridade Nacional da Aviação Civil | Julgado de paz |
| Austria | Austro Control / bmk | Bezirksgericht |
| Greece | Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority | Local magistrate court |
If the free route has run out of road
Once you have written to the airline twice and been to the enforcement body, the remaining option is court — or handing the claim to a no-win-no-fee service with lawyers who go there routinely. At that point a percentage of something beats all of nothing.
AirHelp runs legal teams in around 30 countries and charges 35%, rising to 50% when court action is needed. Compensair takes 25–35% and suits simpler short-haul cases. Affiliate links; your fee is unchanged either way.