European airline compensation claims can be difficult to resolve, even when passengers believe they are entitled to payment for a delayed flight. Data published by AirAdvisor, a company that handles flight and baggage compensation claims, identifies TAP Air Portugal, LOT Polish Airlines and Wizz Air among the European carriers with the highest claim resolution rates in its first-half 2026 analysis.
The findings are based on 68,283 claims involving 59 airlines between January and June 2026. AirAdvisor assessed the airlines using claim resolution rates and the proportion of cases referred to court after claims were rejected or left unanswered. The ranking included 22 airlines that had received more than 100 claims through the company.
European Union passenger rights rules provide compensation for certain flight delays, cancellations and denied boarding. However, eligibility depends on the circumstances of the disruption, the length of the delay and other conditions set out in the applicable legislation.
Under EU Regulation 261/2004, eligible passengers may receive compensation of EUR 250 for flights covering 1,500 kilometres or less, EUR 400 for flights within the relevant 1,500 to 3,500 kilometre range and other eligible intra-EU flights over 1,500 kilometres, and EUR 600 for longer flights. The standard delay threshold for compensation is arrival at the final destination at least three hours late, rather than two hours, although the precise rules depend on the journey and circumstances. Airlines may also be exempt from paying compensation when extraordinary circumstances meet the legal requirements.
Even when passengers qualify, securing payment can require follow-up correspondence or formal action. Some travellers submit claims directly to the airline, while others use specialist companies such as AirAdvisor to manage the process.
TAP Air Portugal recorded an 88.7% successful claim resolution rate, the highest among the airlines in the analysis, while LOT Polish Airlines followed with 82.8%. Wizz Air ranked third, resolving 72.7% of qualifying claims. The figures reflect claims handled through AirAdvisor and should not be interpreted as the airlines’ overall customer service ratings.
TAP handled 159 qualifying claims in the study, with 0.6% referred to court and an average payment time of 10 days. LOT recorded 239 qualifying claims, with none referred to court and an average payment time of approximately 19 days. Wizz Air had 866 qualifying claims, with 1.2% referred to court and an average payment time of around 11 days.
Iberia and Brussels Airlines completed the top five. Iberia recorded a 67.3% successful resolution rate, while Brussels Airlines resolved 64.6% of qualifying claims. Neither airline had a court referral rate above 1.5%, and Brussels Airlines recorded no cases referred to court in the dataset.
Air France ranked sixth, followed by Aegean Airlines, KLM, ITA Airways and SAS. KLM had the largest number of qualifying claims among these five airlines, with 1,314 cases and a successful resolution rate of 51.5%. SAS recorded the lowest resolution rate among the top 10, at 47.7%, and an average payment time of approximately 53 days.
At the other end of the analysis, Romanian flag carrier TAROM had the lowest overall score in AirAdvisor’s ranking. Of 122 qualifying claims, 3.3% had been successfully resolved, while 46.7% had been referred to court. The average payment time was 110 days for the claims covered by the report.
Italian airline Aeroitalia ranked second from the bottom, with a successful resolution rate of just 0.6%. Of its 174 qualifying claims, 28.2% were referred to court. Ryanair ranked third from the bottom, with 2.1% of its 991 qualifying claims successfully resolved and 17.8% referred to court. The average payment time reported for Ryanair was 80 days, although AirAdvisor noted that this figure was available for only some successful claims and was not directly comparable with the other airlines’ results.
AirAdvisor also recorded low resolution rates for Air Europa, Lufthansa and easyJet. Air Europa resolved 0.1% of qualifying claims, Lufthansa resolved 2.3%, and easyJet resolved 0.3%. These figures reflect the status of claims in the dataset at the time of the analysis, rather than a final outcome for every passenger who submitted a complaint.
The distinction between the overall dataset and the final ranking is important. AirAdvisor analysed 68,283 claims involving 59 airlines between January and June 2026, but its final comparison covered 10,760 qualifying claims across 22 airlines. Only carriers with at least 100 qualifying claims were included. The company measured successful claim resolution and the proportion of cases referred to court, giving those two factors different weights in its overall score. Payment time was provided as additional information rather than included in the final score.
The findings therefore offer a snapshot of how airlines handled claims submitted through one specialist company during a six-month period. They do not establish how every airline handles claims submitted directly by passengers or through other services. The figures may also change as outstanding claims progress.
For travellers, the ranking provides a starting point for understanding the claims process, but knowing the applicable passenger rights remains essential. Under EU Regulation 261/2004, passengers whose flights arrive at their final destination at least three hours late may qualify for compensation of EUR 250, EUR 400 or EUR 600, depending on the flight distance and applicable rules. Airlines can be exempt from paying compensation when extraordinary circumstances meet the legal requirements.
Passengers do not have to use a claims company to seek compensation. They can submit a claim directly to the airline and, if it is rejected or left unresolved, seek assistance from the relevant national enforcement body or pursue other available legal remedies. Official guidance on eligibility and the claims process is available through the European Union’s Your Europe air passenger rights portal. The full airline comparison and methodology can also be found in AirAdvisor’s 2026 Honesty Score report.
