EU261 · enforcement
Claiming against an airline in Germany
The compensation rules are identical across the EU — that is the point of a Regulation. What changes at the border is the deadline, the regulator and the court.
Time limit
3 years, running from the end of the calendar year of the flight
BGB §195 and §199
Court route
Amtsgericht; söp is the recognised conciliation body
Used only after the airline and the regulator.
The calendar-year rule works in your favour: a January 2024 flight runs to 31 December 2027, not January 2027.
The order to do it in
- Write to the airline, quoting Article 7 and the flight. Free.
- Wait 28 days.
- Complain to Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA) if refused. Still free.
- Amtsgericht; söp is the recognised conciliation body if that fails.
- A claims service only once the free routes are exhausted.
Questions
How long do I have to claim flight compensation in Germany?
3 years, running from the end of the calendar year of the flight. BGB §195 and §199.
Who enforces air passenger rights in Germany?
Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA). Complaining to them is free and does not stop you going to court afterwards.
Which court hears flight compensation claims in Germany?
Amtsgericht; söp is the recognised conciliation body.
If you would rather not do this yourself
Everything above is the free route, and it works. If you want the claim off your plate, a no-win-no-fee service will run it — including the court stage in this country if it comes to that — and take a percentage only if it pays out.
Compensair takes 25–35%, AirHelp 35–50% if court action is needed. Both work no-win-no-fee. Affiliate links; your fee is unchanged either way.