Turn a $25 airline voucher into $4,760.36 in EU261 compensation

Try it yourself

What you get

Your passenger rights spelled out, separate claims for compensation and expenses, and a step-by-step escalation plan if the airline ignores you.

Tools

• ChatGPT (author used ChatGPT Pro)
• Booking confirmation, delay notice, receipts

Time / cost: Eleven months from first claim to payment, mostly waiting (per author). Used ChatGPT Pro.

Steps

1. Paste the airline's delay or cancellation email into the assistant and ask what you're owed and under which rule.
2. File compensation and out-of-pocket expenses (hotel, meals) as two separate claims, citing the articles it gives you.
3. If the airline doesn't answer, ask which national complaint body handles that departure airport, and file there.
4. If the airline ignores that decision too, ask how to file a small claim where the airline is registered.
5. When a settlement offer comes in, accept it in writing as partial payment, reserve the interest and costs, and withdraw nothing until the money arrives.

Copy-ready prompt

My flight [flight number] from [departure airport] to [arrival airport] on [date] was [delayed X hours / cancelled]. Reason given: [reason]. The airline offered: [offer]. Here is their email: [paste].
1. Which passenger-rights rules apply (e.g. EU261/UK261) and why? Link to official sources.
2. What am I owed in compensation, and separately in care/expenses? Show the amounts per passenger.
3. Draft both claims as separate messages, citing the right articles.
4. Give me the escalation path if they don't reply within [X] weeks: the complaint body, then the small-claims route, with deadlines.
I'll send everything myself.

Prompt written by AgentPlays from the source. Fill in the [brackets] and approve before anything is sent or bought.

Watch out: This is one passenger's account, not legal advice. The rules depend on where the flight departed.

Proof / source

Detailed write-up The passenger's own detailed blog post, with case numbers, dates and amounts.