Short answer
Prepare booking records, boarding passes, delay or cancellation notices, arrival times, airline explanations, receipts, complaint correspondence, ADR or CAA material and claim value.
Quick checklist
Start with these
Best order
How to organise the first pack
- Build a flight timeline from booking to final arrival.
- Separate fixed compensation, refund and expense claims.
- Attach airline explanations and complaint responses.
- Add receipts and explain how each figure is calculated.
Check The Flight And Timeline
Start with the booking reference, route, airline, scheduled departure, actual departure, scheduled arrival, actual arrival and whether there were connecting flights or separate bookings.
This guide is general preparation information only. It does not decide whether UK passenger-rights law applies or whether compensation is due.
- Booking confirmation, ticket, boarding pass and itinerary.
- Delay, cancellation, denied-boarding or rerouting messages from the airline.
- Evidence of actual arrival time and final destination where available.
- Receipts for meals, transport, accommodation or communication costs.
- Complaint form, airline response, ADR complaint, CAA correspondence and claim calculation.
Separate Compensation From Expenses
CAA guidance distinguishes care and assistance expenses from fixed compensation. A useful enquiry should identify whether the dispute is about compensation, reimbursement of reasonable costs, refund, rerouting, downgrade, denied boarding or several issues together.
If the airline relies on extraordinary circumstances, include the explanation and any evidence about the real cause of the delay or cancellation.
Small Claims And Direct Access Scope
CAA guidance says passengers usually claim from the airline first and may escalate to an ADR provider or the CAA's Passenger Advice and Complaints Team depending on the airline and response.
A barrister may advise on the claim, evidence, settlement or hearing preparation. Issuing, service, enforcement and ongoing case conduct may require solicitor support or careful self-represented management.
Avoid delays
What not to send first
- Omitting the route and actual arrival time.
- Treating expenses and compensation as the same remedy.
- Leaving out the airline's reason for refusing payment.
- Starting a court claim without complaint or ADR history where relevant.
Source note: source-checked against UK Civil Aviation Authority passenger-rights guidance on delays, cancellations and compensation on 15 September 2026. Flight claims depend on route coverage, delay length, cause, notice, expenses, ADR route and limitation issues, so specialist consumer or aviation review is needed before publication.
Claim and official-source ledger
- The Civil Aviation Authority explains that compensation depends on inconvenience, cause of disruption and extraordinary-circumstances issues.
- Am I entitled to compensation? — UK Civil Aviation Authority; checked .
- The Civil Aviation Authority explains passenger rights to care, refunds and possible compensation when UK261 applies to delayed flights.
- Delays — UK Civil Aviation Authority; checked .
Editorial status: Review required. Sources support the identified claims only. General information; not legal advice.
Flight Delay Compensation Barrister Evidence Guide FAQs
Can a barrister help with a flight compensation claim?
A barrister may advise on evidence, legal route, claim value, settlement or small-claim preparation where the work is suitable for Direct Access.
What evidence proves the delay?
Booking records, boarding passes, airline messages, airport evidence, actual arrival time, rerouting details and complaint correspondence can help establish the factual timeline.
Does every delay lead to compensation?
No. CAA guidance explains that compensation depends on factors including delay length, route coverage and whether extraordinary circumstances apply.
Ask For A Barrister Quote
Barristers4U helps clients request a quote from a suitable Direct Access barrister. The information on this page is general information only, not legal advice about your individual circumstances.
If your matter is urgent, include hearing dates, court deadlines, orders and any documents you already have when you submit your enquiry.
