Who actually operated my LEVEL flight: LL or Iberia?
The paint on the aircraft and the logo on the boarding pass are not always the same as the airline legally responsible for a disruption. LEVEL has flown under its own operating code, LL, and its own air operator's certificate since 1 December 2025. Before that date, some flights sold and marketed as LEVEL were operated under Iberia's own AOC rather than LEVEL's. For most passengers this distinction never matters — both LEVEL and Iberia are EU-licensed carriers, so EU261 protection is not lost either way — but it does determine which entity's name should appear on a compensation claim, and which airline's customer-service channel is the correct one to use.
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Enter your route, date and type of disruption. We will check whether your case qualifies for a claim under EU 261/2004 or UK261.
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Use the compensation calculator once the operating carrier is confirmed; the amount itself does not depend on which of the two entities operated the flight.
How to check which carrier actually operated a specific flight
The most reliable source is the boarding pass or the booking confirmation's "operated by" line, which is a standard IATA disclosure requirement for codeshare and wet-lease arrangements. A flight number beginning with LL indicates LEVEL's own operating code. Where the confirmation shows a different operating carrier, that is the airline that actually controlled the aircraft, crew and operational decisions on the day, even if the ticket, branding and cabin crew uniforms said LEVEL throughout.
For flights booked or flown before 1 December 2025, do not assume the operating carrier from the LEVEL branding alone. Check the original booking confirmation's operating-carrier disclosure, or the airport departure board's flight number, which is generally the actual operating flight number rather than a marketing number.
Why this matters for a compensation claim
EU261 places the obligation to pay fixed compensation on the operating carrier — the airline that actually performed or intended to perform the flight — not necessarily the airline that sold the ticket or under whose brand the flight was marketed. If a flight branded as LEVEL was, in fact, operated by Iberia under Iberia's own AOC, the correct party for an EU261 compensation claim is Iberia, using Iberia's own claim channel, even though the booking, check-in and in-flight experience may have looked identical to a standard LEVEL flight.
This is a different situation from an alliance codeshare, where two genuinely separate airlines sell seats on each other's flights under a commercial agreement. LEVEL and Iberia's historical arrangement was closer to a brand transition: the same commercial LEVEL product, but with the underlying operating entity changing as LEVEL built up its own certified fleet and crew base ahead of 1 December 2025.
What does not change either way
Because both LEVEL and Iberia are EU-licensed carriers holding their own EU air operator's certificates, a passenger's underlying EU261 entitlement is not affected by which of the two entities is identified as the operating carrier. The distance band, the delay threshold, and the extraordinary-circumstances test are the same regardless. What changes is only the paperwork: which airline's name goes on the claim, and which airline's customer-service system will actually process it.
Why the operating carrier can differ from the airline that sold the ticket
This situation is not unique to LEVEL. EU aviation rules require any airline selling a flight to disclose the actual operating carrier at the time of booking or as soon as it is known, precisely because passengers cannot otherwise tell from the marketing alone. The disclosure obligation exists whether the underlying arrangement is a short-term wet-lease of another airline's aircraft and crew, a long-term codeshare with an alliance partner, or, as in LEVEL's case before 1 December 2025, a brand operated on someone else's certificate while its own certification was still being finalised. The practical difference for a passenger is usually invisible at the airport — the same check-in desks, the same branding, sometimes the same aircraft livery — which is exactly why the paperwork, not the experience, is what determines where a claim should go.
If the ticket was bought through a travel agent or online travel agency
A third-party booking adds one more layer to check. The agent's own confirmation email may show only the marketed LEVEL flight number without repeating the operating-carrier disclosure that appeared during the actual booking flow. Where this happens, go back to the original airline confirmation if one was forwarded, or contact the agent to request the specific operating-carrier information for that flight date. This does not change who is legally responsible for the compensation — that remains the operating carrier regardless of the sales channel — but it does affect which airline's claim form and reference number are needed to start the process cleanly.
What to do if the confirmation is unclear
- Check the boarding pass flight number first;
LLprefixes indicate LEVEL's own code. - Compare the flight number on the original booking confirmation with the one shown at check-in or on the airport departure board — a mismatch can indicate an operating-carrier change made after booking.
- If genuinely uncertain, submit the claim with all available flight documentation attached and let the airline's claims team confirm which entity is responsible; a claim submitted to the wrong internal department is usually redirected rather than rejected outright, though this can add delay.
- Keep every version of the booking confirmation received, since a schedule or operating-carrier change is sometimes only reflected in an updated confirmation email rather than a fresh document.
See the step-by-step claim guide for where to send the claim once the operating carrier is confirmed.
FAQ
Does it matter for my compensation amount whether LEVEL or Iberia operated my flight?
No. Both are EU-licensed carriers, so the same EU261 distance bands and thresholds apply either way. What changes is only which airline's claim channel to use.
How do I know if my flight was operated by Iberia instead of LEVEL?
Check the "operated by" disclosure on the booking confirmation, or the flight number on the boarding pass. An LL-prefixed flight number indicates LEVEL's own operating code; a different prefix indicates a different operating carrier.
Is this the same as a codeshare with an alliance partner like British Airways?
No. This is a historical operating-entity transition specific to LEVEL's own certification timeline, not a commercial codeshare agreement between two unrelated alliance members.
I booked before December 2025 but flew after — which carrier operated my flight?
The operating carrier is determined by who actually operated the specific flight on the day it departed, not by when the booking was made. Check the boarding pass or the airport departure board for that flight.
What if I submit my claim to the wrong entity by mistake?
A claim addressed to the wrong entity within the LEVEL/Iberia relationship is usually redirected internally, since both are part of the same corporate group, though this can add processing time. Attaching full flight documentation reduces the risk of delay.