How to claim Ethiopian Airlines compensation step by step
Build an Ethiopian Airlines claim from the journey direction outward: map the continuous ticket, identify every operating carrier, choose EU261 or UK261 only when territorial scope fits, prove the legal event and final arrival, calculate each remedy separately, and submit the record through Ethiopian's after-travel Support and Feedback form. Escalate according to the departure jurisdiction, not the passenger's preferred language or residence.
Free eligibility check
Check your case in the form
Enter your route, date and type of disruption. We will check whether your case qualifies for a claim under EU 261/2004 or UK261.
What happened to your flight?
Claim up to €600 for a delayed or cancelled flight.
Choose the situation that applies to your flight:
Check eligibility first. An Ethiopian-operated EU or UK departure can qualify; the ordinary Ethiopian-operated flight from Africa to Europe normally does not.
Step 1: map the complete journey
Write the first departure, every connection and the final ticketed destination. Record whether the sectors share one reservation, e-ticket and overall price. This establishes territorial scope, journey distance and where final delay is measured.
For Frankfurt-Addis Ababa-Nairobi on one ticket, Frankfurt supplies EU coverage and Nairobi is the final destination. For separately purchased Frankfurt-Addis Ababa and Addis Ababa-Nairobi tickets, disclose both contracts; do not represent the second as statutory rerouting under the first without a supporting basis.
Keep the original itinerary before rebooking overwrites it. The Europe-Africa connection guide explains the one-ticket test.
Step 2: identify the operating carrier
Read “operated by” for every sector. An ET number may be marketed by Ethiopian while a partner performs the flight, and Ethiopian can operate under a partner's code. EU261 and UK261 generally direct fixed claims to the operating carrier.
Save the e-ticket receipt and boarding pass. State both marketing and operating carrier when they differ. Do not address the fixed claim automatically to ShebaMiles, a travel agent or the airline whose logo appears first. Use the codeshare guide for mixed Star Alliance bookings.
Step 3: select EU261 or UK261
| First departure | Primary fixed-compensation test |
|---|---|
| EU or EEA airport | EU261, any operating carrier |
| UK airport | UK261, any operating carrier |
| Ethiopia or another African country on Ethiopian | Normally neither EU261 nor UK261 |
Do not request EUR 600 for Addis Ababa-Paris solely because France is the destination. Do not request GBP 520 for Addis Ababa-London solely because payment was made in pounds. If an EU or UK partner actually operated the inbound flight, reassess carrier status.
State the basis in one sentence: “This continuous booking departed Frankfurt and Ethiopian Airlines operated the affected flight.” The Africa-to-Europe page handles the usual exclusion.
Step 4: record the legal event and final timing
For delay, compare scheduled and actual arrival at the final ticketed airport in one time zone. Use door opening, not touchdown. For cancellation, save the first notice and the original and replacement schedules. For denied boarding, prove confirmed reservation, timely presentation, documents and involuntary refusal.
Create a short chronology: scheduled departure; disruption notice; replacement; final arrival. Quote Ethiopian's stated reason exactly without adopting “operational” as a legal conclusion. If group members arrived by different routes, calculate each record separately.
Step 5: calculate each remedy separately
List fixed compensation per passenger, unused-fare reimbursement, reasonable care expenses, replacement transport and any baggage or Montreal loss on different lines. EU fixed bands are EUR 250, EUR 400 and EUR 600. UK bands are GBP 220, GBP 350 and GBP 520, with GBP 260 for a qualifying three-to-four-hour long-haul delay.
Do not add EUR 600 twice for two sectors of one delayed journey. Do not call completed transportation an unused-ticket refund. A voucher for fare reimbursement does not settle fixed compensation unless the settlement clearly says so and the passenger validly accepts it.
Use the amount guide to produce a transparent table.
Step 6: assemble the evidence pack
Collect e-ticket receipt, PNR, original itinerary, boarding passes, “operated by” entries, cancellation or delay notices, replacement itinerary, final arrival proof and the reason communicated. Add itemised receipts and evidence that care or rerouting was requested.
Name files in order, for example 01-ticket, 02-notice, 03-rebooking, 04-arrival and 05-expenses. A bank statement proves a payment but usually not the purchased item. Include authority from other adults if one person files for a group.
For a ShebaMiles booking, add the award receipt, taxes, miles debit and any upgrade confirmation. Keep baggage records separate from flight-disruption evidence.
Step 7: submit Ethiopian Airlines feedback
Ethiopian's Support and Feedback page provides an “After Your Flight” form with passenger, booking, flight, departure airport, complaint and attachment fields. Select the closest post-travel category and enter a valid email. The public form currently limits an attachment to 5 MB, so combine documents into a readable, compressed file where necessary and retain originals.
The main text should contain passenger names, booking reference, first departure, final destination, operating carrier, scheduled and actual timing, legal basis, amount per person, expense total and list of attachments. Save the submitted text, files, acknowledgement and case number. Do not open repeated cases while a written reply path remains available.
Use a separate refund channel when the issue is only unused fare, and Ethiopian's baggage process for luggage. Mixing unrelated remedies into the wrong category can obscure the fixed claim.
Step 8: assess and escalate the response
Test whether the response addresses coverage, operator, timing, cause and reasonable measures. If Ethiopian says only weather, technical reasons or operational circumstances, ask for the specific event, place, time, causal link and mitigation. The rejected-claim guide provides response templates by issue.
For an EU departure, consult the European Commission's current national enforcement-body list and the procedure connected with the incident. Enforcement bodies differ in whether they order individual payment; ADR or court options remain national. For a UK departure, complete the airline complaint and use current CAA guidance to identify an approved ADR body or the CAA route available for that airline.
Limitation periods for court proceedings depend on jurisdiction and are not replaced by a generic website deadline. The EU reform adopted in 2026 should not be treated as already imposing its future nine-month claim notice or 30-day response rule until the applicable provisions are in force for the case. Act promptly and verify the law on the filing date.
A concise claim example
“Passengers A and B travelled under one booking from Paris via Addis Ababa to Kigali. Ethiopian Airlines operated both sectors. Scheduled final arrival was 13:40; the aircraft door opened at 20:12 after an ordinary aircraft-rotation problem. The EU-origin journey exceeded 3,500 km and arrived 6 h 32 min late. We request EUR 600 per passenger and EUR 74.20 in itemised care expenses.”
That paragraph makes scope, operator, final timing, amount and separate expenses reviewable. Attach the documents rather than narrating every airport conversation.
FAQ
Which Ethiopian form should I use for EU261 or UK261?
Use the after-travel Support and Feedback form for a passenger-rights complaint and preserve the acknowledgement and submitted files.
Can I submit one claim for a family?
Yes, list each passenger and ticket and provide authority from other adults if requested. Calculate the fixed amount individually.
Should I claim from the travel agent?
The agent may process an unused-fare refund, but fixed EU261 or UK261 duties generally belong to the operating carrier.
What if the form attachment is too large?
Create one readable compressed document within the current limit, list its contents and keep the full-resolution originals for escalation.
Where do I escalate a rejected EU claim?
Use the current authority or redress procedure connected with the departure and incident; powers and court deadlines differ by country.