Art 10
You were moved to a lower class
Downgrading is its own right, separate from delay and cancellation, and it is often overlooked entirely.
Checked against its sources
The short answer
If the airline put you in a lower class than you paid for, it owes you a percentage of the ticket back — 30%, 50% or 75% by distance.
The one thing to know: The refund is a share of the price of the flight you were downgraded on, not the whole trip, and taxes that do not depend on the class are left out. It is owed within seven days, and Article 10 has no extraordinary-circumstances exception.
How it actually works
If the operating airline places you in a lower class than the one your ticket was bought for, it must reimburse a percentage of the price within seven days, in cash, by bank transfer or cheque, or in vouchers only if you sign to accept them Art 10(2), Art 7(3). It is a right of its own: no delay is needed, and Article 10 contains no extraordinary-circumstances defence.
| Flight distance | EU261 | UK261 |
|---|---|---|
| 1,500 km or less | 30% | 30% |
| Within the EU, over 1,500 km | 50% | — |
| Other flights, 1,500–3,500 km | 50% | 50% |
| All other flights | 75%, including flights between mainland EU and the French overseas departments | 75% |
- Which price
- In Mennens v Emirates (C-255/15, 22 June 2016) the Court of Justice held that the percentage applies to the price of the flight on which you were downgraded. If the ticket does not show it, take the share of the total fare that matches that flight's share of the total distance. Taxes and charges are excluded unless whether they are charged, or how much, depends on the class.
- On the affected leg only
- On a ticket with several flights, only the downgraded flight counts, and the Commission's 2024 guidelines confirm the seven-day payment period.
- Class, not comfort
- A downgrade means a lower cabin class: first to business, business to economy. Losing a paid seat or meal within the same class, or a frequent-flyer perk, is not covered by Article 10.
- No charge for an upgrade
- If the airline moves you up a class for its own reasons, it cannot charge you for it Art 10(1).
A worked example. A business-class return shows €1,400 for the outbound flight of 4,200 km to a non-EU destination, of which €200 is airport taxes that would be the same in economy. You are moved to economy on that flight. The refund is 75% of €1,200: €900. The return flight, flown in business, earns nothing.
No claims service can help where no compensation is due — anyone who says otherwise is selling. Your care and refund rights still stand.
Ask the airline, in writing
- Confirmation of the downgrade: keep the new boarding pass, and ask the gate to note the class change on it or in your booking.
- The fare for the downgraded flight, and a breakdown of taxes and charges, if your ticket does not show them.
- Its calculation, with the percentage band it applied and the distance it used.
- Payment by bank transfer. You do not have to accept a voucher.
A downgrade often comes with other disruption, such as an aircraft swap, a delay or a rerouting. Check those rights as well: delay, cancellation, denied boarding.
What changes from 23 October 2027
Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 replaces Article 10. From 23 October 2027:
- Automatic, within 14 days. The airline must provide “an automatic reimbursement” within 14 calendar days of the downgrading, without waiting for you to claim new Art 10(2). That is a longer period than today's seven days, but you no longer have to ask.
- Same percentages, as a minimum. At least 30%, 50% or 75% of the flight price, in the same distance bands; “French overseas departments” becomes “French outermost regions”.
- Mennens written in. Where the flight price is not on the ticket, it is the distance share of the total; taxes and charges are excluded unless they depend on the class new Art 10(3)–(4).
- Ancillaries excluded. Article 10 does not cover separately sold extras such as specific seating or catering new Art 10(5).
- Vouchers only by choice. A voucher instead of the refund needs your explicit consent on a durable medium new Art 8a.
The full reform explained → UK261 is not affected by the reform.
What to do now
- Photograph the evidence — the departure board, the app before it updates, the arrival time when the door opens. The full checklist →
- Write to the airline, quoting the article and the flight. Use the template →
- Give them 28 days, then escalate free to the national enforcement body.
- Check your time limit — it varies by country: six years in England, one year in Poland and Belgium, and unsettled in Italy. See yours →
Questions
You were moved to a lower class: am I owed compensation?
If the airline put you in a lower class than you paid for, it owes you a percentage of the ticket back — 30%, 50% or 75% by distance.
Which price is the percentage taken from?
The price of the flight on which you were downgraded, not the whole ticket. If the ticket does not show that flight's price, it is the share of the total fare matching that flight's share of the distance. Taxes and charges are left out unless they depend on the class booked (Mennens, C-255/15, 2016).
I stayed in business class but lost my lie-flat seat or meal. Is that a downgrade?
No. The Commission's 2024 guidelines say Article 10 is about the class of travel: economy, business and first. A worse seat or missing catering in the same class is not a downgrade, though the airline's terms or national law may give you money back for a service you paid for and did not get.
Can the airline pay me in vouchers?
Only if you agree. The Regulation allows vouchers only with your signed agreement; otherwise payment is in cash, by bank transfer or by cheque. From 23 October 2027 a voucher needs your explicit consent on a durable medium.
How do I claim it?
Write to the airline first, quoting the article and flight, and allow 28 days. It is free and you keep the whole amount. Escalate to the national enforcement body if refused.