DIY
€0 — you keep 100% of the compensation.← back to the tool
FAQ
What does the tool actually do?
You fill in your flight number, date, and what went wrong. The tool assesses whether you have a right to compensation, drafts a personalised claim letter with references to European case law, and guides you through the follow-up steps — from a formal notice of default to small-claims court. You send the letter yourself, in your own name.
Do I have a right to compensation?
Probably yes, if your flight arrived 3 hours or more late, was cancelled with less than 14 days' notice, or you were denied boarding. The compensation is €250–€600 per passenger, depending on flight distance. You have 5 years to claim. Full compensation table →
I just want my ticket money back — not compensation
That's a different right (Article 8). Contact the airline directly: if you chose not to travel because of a delay of 5 hours or more, or a cancellation, they're required to refund your ticket. This tool drafts the claim letter for the compensation on top of that — €250–€600 per passenger under Article 7.
My flight was international — isn't the threshold 6 hours?
That's the US rule. Under EU261 (European law), the threshold is 3 hours for all flights — short-haul, long-haul, or intercontinental.
The airline put me on another flight — can I still claim?
Yes. Being rebooked doesn't cancel your right to compensation. What counts is when you actually arrived at your final destination compared to the original schedule. If that was 3 hours or more late, the claim stands.
My flight was from outside Europe — does this apply?
EU261 covers two situations: any flight departing from an EU airport, or a flight arriving at an EU airport operated by an EU carrier. Amsterdam → New York on Delta: not covered. New York → Amsterdam on KLM: yes, covered.
Why not use a claim agency?
Claim agencies do the same thing — but they take 25 to 50% if they succeed. On a €500 claim, that's €125–250 you don't get. This tool does the same thing, and you keep the full compensation. An agency makes more sense if you don't have time for the follow-up steps, the case is complex, or the airline is known for being difficult. Full comparison with claim agencies →
What if the airline doesn't respond?
Wait about 14 days after the first letter. Then go back in the tool — choose 'I already claimed, but they rejected it' and then 'They didn't respond at all'. The tool writes a notice of default (ingebrekestelling): a formal second letter that officially puts the carrier in default and sets a hard deadline. That also triggers statutory interest. If they still don't respond, small-claims court is the next step. For claims up to €25,000 you don't need a lawyer.
What if I have to go to small-claims court?
Then you're far along and it's time to bring someone in. Good options: your legal-aid insurance (often part of an annual travel insurance), the Juridisch Loket (free), or a claim agency that only handles the procedure phase. An EU 261 case at the small-claims court requires a court filing fee — see current rates on Rechtspraak.nl.
What if the tool makes a mistake in my letter?
It can. The letter goes out under your name, so check it carefully before sending — amount, article number, date. Found something wrong? Edit it directly.
What if I don't live in the Netherlands?
The letter still works — Regulation 261/2004 applies EU-wide. But the NL-specific follow-up steps (ingebrekestelling, kantonrechter, ILT report) only apply to cases where Dutch law applies. For EU citizens outside NL: ECC-Net has a country-specific variant.
Can I trust the AI?
The tool only cites from a fixed, hand-curated set of sources — Regulation 261/2004, rulings from the Court of Justice of the EU, and Dutch court judgments. The AI cannot fabricate a case number or citation. View all sources →
What can't this tool do?
The tool doesn't represent you in court and doesn't send the letter on your behalf — you do that yourself. The NL-specific follow-up steps only apply where Dutch law applies. And the tool doesn't give legal advice — it describes what the rules say, not what you should do in your specific situation.
How do I reach you?
Email me at metschfreek@gmail.com — for questions, bugs, or suggestions.
Tool vs. claim agency — an honest comparison
Agencies like Flightright, AirHelp and EUclaim spent years in court forcing airlines to actually pay out under Regulation 261/2004 — without that work this tool wouldn't exist. But now that the rules are settled, the steps for a standard case aren't hard. Below: an honest comparison, plus three situations where a claim agency is the better choice.
Side by side
Cost
DIYAgency
Typically around 25–50% commission, sometimes closer to half if legal action is needed. EUclaim is an exception — they don't add a surcharge for going to court.Time to payout
AgencyDIY
Direct from the airline to your IBAN as soon as they pay.Agency
Sometimes within days (factoring) — otherwise months, with the agency fee as an intermediate step.Control over your case
DIYDIY
Full — you send it yourself, you see all correspondence.Agency
Assignment (transfer of your claim) or power of attorney: the agency becomes your representative. Some agencies give little feedback.Legal escalation
AgencyDIY
Tool provides no legal representation. For the kantonrechter (small-claims court — claims up to €25,000) you don't need a lawyer — you can do it yourself — but it takes time.Agency
Agencies have in-house or partner lawyers. A real advantage with complex or recalcitrant airlines.Language support
AgencyDIY
Tool is Dutch + English. For contact in another language you have to translate the letter yourself.Agency
Teams who routinely communicate with airlines in multiple languages.Complex rejections
AgencyDIY
Tool covers 7 common standard objections with fixed CJEU case law. Rare defences need a human.Agency
For rare cases, like codeshare liability, agencies have specific experience.Multiple passengers
DIYDIY
Up to 6 passengers in one form — each with their own name and IBAN, one shared address. One letter for the whole group.Agency
One file for the entire booking; the commission scales per passenger on success.Peace of mind
TiedDIY
You stay in control — pleasant for some, awkward for others.Agency
Set-and-forget: file and wait for payout.Middle road: legal-expenses insurance
TiedDIY
With the tool you keep 100% of the compensation and the reins. The letter can include one procedural sentence reserving your legal-expenses insurer as an escalation path — control now, escalation in reserve.Agency
An agency takes over the case (assignment or power of attorney) and keeps 25–50% on success. No room for your own legal-aid route.Fees: AirHelp fees, EUclaim fees, Flightright fees, Consumentenbond Flight Claim Service, AirCashBack comparison.
What does the practice say?
According to Radar (AVROTROS, Sept. 2025), one-third of eligible Dutch passengers get no, or no full, compensation from the airline after a direct claim.
The European Consumer Centre confirms via Kassa (BNNVARA, Jan. 2026): "Only between 20 and 40 percent of passengers entitled to compensation for a delay actually receive it."
A published win-rate statistic for EU 261 small-claims cases is not available — Rechtspraak in cijfers reports total counts and lead times by area of law, but no per-topic outcomes. Meanwhile, EU 261 judgments are freely searchable at uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl. And Consumentenbond says: "You don't need a lawyer for this process." For an ordinary delay claim the work is the same every time: a few standard steps the tool can automate.
Realisation-rate statistics (% of eligible passengers who actually get paid after a direct claim) — not a kantonrechter win rate.
When is a claim agency the better choice?
Honest steelman — there are three scenarios where the agency's commission is worth its money:
- Flight with a layover or codeshare on a different carrier. If your flight is operated by two different airlines — for example a KLM ticket where part of the flight was operated by Delta — the legal question of who is liable is: . Agencies have more experience with this.
- Legal escalation needed. If the airline keeps rejecting the claim despite a solid rebuttal letter, agencies have in-house or partner lawyers. For the kantonrechter (claims up to €25,000, see Rv art. 93) you can do it yourself, but it costs evenings.
- Carrier-bankruptcy risk. Factoring agencies (such as AirCashBack) pay you out directly and absorb the risk that the carrier goes bankrupt — at the cost of a higher commission. AirCashBack comparison has the rates of the factoring players.
What do claim agencies actually do for 35%?
For a standard case (delay on an EU departure, standard objection from the carrier) the work is:
- Process the online form.
- Send a standard claim letter to the airline.
- Wait for the rejection.
- Send a standard rebuttal letter referring to Sturgeon, Wallentin-Hermann, Krüsemann, or Pešková.
- Airline pays; commission is withheld.
Step 4 is exactly what this tool is good at: rebuttal letters with Court of Justice (CJEU) case law are tractable to automate. The tool picks the right rulings from a fixed list and may not invent anything. That's why it's free.
Agencies do earn their commission in hard cases — see the scenarios above. But for an ordinary delay claim the work is standard, and that's where agencies make their margin.
Sources: AirHelp fees · EUclaim fees · Flightright fees · Consumentenbond Flight Claim Service · Reisrecht price comparison · AirCashBack comparison · Aviclaim ↔ Consumentenbond · Radar 2025 · Kassa 2026.
I'm Freek, a solo developer from the Netherlands. I build small tools that take things that should be simple and make them actually workable.
When I found out that claim agencies typically hold back a quarter to a third of a claim that's legally already yours, I figured: there could just be a tool for that. So this is that tool.
Those agencies spent years in court forcing airlines to actually pay out under Regulation 261/2004 — without that work this tool wouldn't exist. But now that the rules are settled, the steps aren't hard. Three questions, one letter, a follow-up if they don't pay. Want to do it yourself and keep the full amount? Then this is for you.