How long after the flight can you claim compensation
An older flight is not automatically lost, but waiting creates a problem: documents disappear, claim deadlines may pass, and the chronology becomes weaker.
Main guide for this topic
Air passenger rights
This article is a detailed subtopic. Start with the main guide if you want the full picture on eligibility, amounts, exceptions and next steps.
There is no one-size-fits-all deadline
Travelers often hear that they can claim compensation for flights from the last three years. It may be useful as a guide in some states, but it is not a universal rule for every route, every procedure and every legal basis.
Several things should be distinguished: complaint to the airline, appeal to the competent body, mediation, possible court proceedings and limitation of claims. Those steps do not have to have the same deadline.
That's why it's not good to rely on one sentence from the internet. For a realistic assessment, you should look at where the flight took off, where it landed, who the carrier is and which way you want to continue.
For Serbia, a quick first step is particularly important
For flights operated through local practice in Serbia, the complaint should be sent to the airline as soon as possible. Explanations of passenger rights often mention a short deadline for the first complaint, so delay can be a problem even when the case seems strong.
If the carrier does not respond or rejects the claim, the next step may depend on when you sent the claim, whether the documentation was complete and whether you have proof of receipt.
The rule of thumb is simple: if you doubt you're eligible, don't wait months. Send the basic data for verification or prepare a proper complaint while the documents are still available.
Older flights are checked differently
An older flight does not automatically mean that it is late. In some situations, there may still be legal recourse, especially if you have good documentation and a regime with longer deadlines applies.
The problem is proof. The older the flight, the more difficult it is to find boarding passes, email notifications, receipts, photos and the exact arrival time. The airline may also find it harder or slower to extract data.
If you only have the memory that the flight was delayed, the case is weaker. If you have the flight number, date, route, reservation and messages from the airline, it is worth checking the older disruption as well.
What date matters
Most often, it starts from the date when the flight was made or when it should have been made. In the case of a canceled flight, it is the planned flight date, not the day you bought the ticket.
In the case of a missed connection and redirection, the original and actual arrival should be saved, because the chronology can show when the disruption actually occurred and how long it lasted.
When communicating with the airline, the date of sending the complaint and the date of automatic confirmation of receipt are particularly important. Without it, it is more difficult to prove that you reacted in time.
What speeds up the check
Cases where there is a flight number, date, route, booking reference and basic documentation are checked the fastest. If you also have the answer from the airline, the check can be even more accurate.
It is useful to make a short timeline: planned departure, actual departure, planned arrival, actual arrival, date of complaint and airline response. It doesn't have to be perfect, but it helps keep the case from becoming a guesswork.
Don't wait for an answer that never comes
If you have already submitted a complaint and the airline is silent, don't let months go by without a trace. Send a reasonable follow-up, save the proof and check what the next step is.
The best time to check is while the case still has fresh evidence. Even when the further process has a longer term, the earlier reaction usually makes a stronger and neater object.
If you are not sure which deadline applies, treat the case as more urgent, not less urgent. Early intake does not mean that you have to start all the steps right away, but it gives you a better picture of what can and cannot wait.
In particular, do not delay cases with multiple passengers, connections or hotel costs. Such cases require more evidence, so any lost email or account is a bigger problem.
The deadline may depend on the country of the procedure
Competing services often state a period of several years, but this information depends on the country in which the claim is made. Some passengers have the right to request older flights, while the first step can be much shorter with a local complaint.
Therefore, the marketing message claim flights from last 3 years should be distinguished from the precise legal term for your case. The route, carrier, place of departure and authority may change the answer.
If the flight is old, the first question is whether you have the documents. Another question is which regime applies. Only the third question is whether the deadline for a specific step has passed.