Codeshare Flight Delayed? How to Claim Your Compensation

With a codeshare flight, you book with one airline, but a different one operates the flight. If that flight is delayed or cancelled, you are entitled to EUR250-600 compensation under EU Regulation 261/2004. Important: your complaint must always go to the operating carrier, not the airline you booked with. This was established by the ECJ in the Wegener ruling (C-532/17).

Marketing Carrier vs. Operating Carrier

Marketing Carrier (Booking Airline)

The airline you purchased the ticket from
Their flight number appears on your ticket
NOT responsible for EU261 compensation

Operating Carrier (Operating Airline)

The airline whose aircraft and crew operate the flight
Identifiable by 'operated by' note or on your boarding pass
RESPONSIBLE for EU261 compensation (ECJ C-532/17)

Common codeshare examples

Examples of codeshare flights
Booked with	Operated by	Complain to
Lufthansa	Eurowings / Discover	Eurowings / Discover
KLM	Transavia	Transavia
British Airways	Iberia / Vueling	Iberia / Vueling
Air France	HOP! / Transavia	HOP! / Transavia

Compensation amounts for codeshare flights

Compensation for codeshare flights is identical to direct flights and depends on the flight distance:

EU261 compensation table
Flight Distance	Compensation	Example
Up to 1,500 km	250 EUR	LH ticket, Eurowings flight: Hamburg → Vienna
1.500 - 3.500 km	400 EUR	KLM ticket, Transavia flight: Amsterdam → Antalya
Over 3,500 km	600 EUR	BA ticket, Iberia flight: London → Buenos Aires

4 steps to your compensation

1
Identify the operating carrier
Check your boarding pass or booking confirmation to find which airline actually operated the flight ('operated by').
2
Enter flight data
Enter the operating carrier's flight number, date, and airports. For connecting flights: departure airport of the first leg and final destination.
3
Generate complaint letter
Our AI creates a complaint letter correctly addressed to the operating carrier with relevant ECJ case references — for 8,40 EUR.
4
Send to operating carrier
Download the letter as a PDF and send it to the operating airline — not the airline you booked with.

EU261 and codeshare: When does the claim apply?

You have a claim if:

The operating carrier operates the flight from an EU airport
The operating carrier is an EU airline and the flight arrives in the EU
Delay at the destination exceeds 3 hours
No extraordinary circumstances applied

No claim if:

The operating carrier is not an EU airline and the flight departs outside the EU
Extraordinary circumstances caused the delay
Delay at the destination is under 3 hours

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a codeshare flight?

In a codeshare flight, Airline A sells a ticket under its own flight number, but the flight is actually operated by Airline B. Your ticket will show something like 'LH 1234, operated by Eurowings'. This is common practice, especially within airline alliances like Star Alliance, oneworld, or SkyTeam.

Who do I contact for a codeshare flight complaint?

Always the operating carrier — the airline whose aircraft and crew actually operated the flight. This was clarified by the ECJ in case C-532/17 (Wegener). If you booked with Lufthansa but Eurowings operated the flight, you must contact Eurowings.

Which flight number applies for my complaint?

For your EU261 complaint, the operating carrier's flight number is the relevant one, not the booking airline's number. You can find it on your boarding pass, in your booking confirmation (often marked as 'operated by'), or on flight tracking websites like Flightradar24.

Can I contact the booking airline instead?

Legally, only the operating carrier is obligated to pay EU261 compensation. In practice, some booking airlines may forward your complaint, but this is not guaranteed and may delay the process. Contact the operating carrier directly.

What about codeshare with connecting flights?

If a connecting journey on a single booking involves different airlines operating different legs: for a delay at the final destination, you must contact the airline that actually operated the delayed leg (the segment that caused the delay). Compensation is based on the total distance from origin to final destination.

Does EU261 apply to codeshare flights with non-EU airlines?

EU261 applies if the flight departs from the EU (regardless of airline) or if it arrives in the EU and is operated by an EU airline. For codeshare flights, the operating carrier matters: if the flight departs from the EU, the operating carrier is responsible regardless of where it is based. If the flight arrives in the EU, the operating carrier must be EU-based.

How do I find out who the operating carrier is?

Check your boarding pass — it always shows the operating airline. Alternatively, find the information in your booking confirmation ('operated by' notice), on the booking airline's website under your booking details, or on flight tracking websites.

Create your complaint letter now

Correctly addressed to the operating carrier, with ECJ references — for just 8,40 EUR.

Create complaint letter

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