The airline offered a voucher instead of your compensation

Updated 13 October 2026

Your flight was delayed or cancelled. You claimed compensation, and the airline answered with a voucher or a travel credit. Or a voucher simply turned up in your inbox. Under EU261 the fixed compensation is paid in money. A voucher replaces it only if you agreed to that, and the regulation asks for your signed agreement.

What the voucher offer usually means

• A voucher "instead of" compensation, sometimes worth a little more than the cash amount.
• A goodwill gesture: a small voucher or bonus points, with no mention of EU261.
• A refund as credit: the ticket price returned as travel credit after a cancellation.
• An automatic voucher that you never asked for.

What the law says

Regulation 261/2004 is clear on how compensation is paid:

• Article 7(3): compensation is paid in cash, by electronic bank transfer, bank order or bank cheque. Travel vouchers or other services are allowed only with the signed agreement of the passenger.
• Article 8(1)(a): the same applies to a refund of your ticket. A voucher instead of money needs your signed agreement.
• Article 15: the airline cannot limit or waive your rights in advance. A term in the conditions of carriage saying that compensation is paid in vouchers does not bind you.

Keep two things apart:

• Compensation (Article 7): €250, €400 or €600 per passenger, depending on distance.
• Refund or rerouting (Article 8): after a cancellation or denied boarding, you choose between a refund of the ticket within 7 days and rerouting.

You can be owed both. A refunded ticket does not replace the compensation, and a voucher for the ticket price does not either.

A voucher is not the same as money. It often expires, usually works only on the airline's own flights, and is worth nothing if you do not fly with that airline again.

If you have not accepted the voucher

Do not use it, and do not tick any box or fill in any form that converts your claim into credit. Reply in writing in the same case:

"I do not agree to a voucher. Under Article 7(3) of Regulation 261/2004, please pay the compensation of €[amount] per passenger for flight [number] on [date], booking reference [ref], to the bank account below within 14 days."

Add the account details and the names of all passengers. The 14 days is your choice, not a legal rule. Keep a copy with the date.

If you have already accepted it

It depends on what you agreed to.

• What you signed. If you signed or actively confirmed that the voucher replaces your EU261 compensation, that clear agreement is hard to undo.
• How it was presented. If the voucher was called a goodwill gesture or a refund, or only covered the ticket price, the Article 7 compensation is still open.
• What you were told. It matters whether anyone told you that you had a right to be paid in money.

The boards look at whether you really agreed to it. A voucher that arrived without your asking is weaker evidence of agreement than a form you signed. Explain in your reply what happened. If you have not used the voucher, say so and offer to give it back.

Step by step

1. Reply to the airline in writing. Refuse the voucher and ask for the full Article 7 amount to your bank account, not a goodwill gesture.
2. Wait for the answer. Typical waiting periods before you can escalate: about 4 weeks in Sweden and Norway, 6 weeks in Denmark. See airline not responding.
3. Go to the board for the country where the disruption happened. Finland: KRIL, after KKV or ECC Finland; EU261 cases can be filed in English. Sweden: ARN, 150 kr. Denmark: Trafikstyrelsen with MitID. Norway: Transportklagenemnda via www.reiselivsforum.no, Norwegian or English. See the Nordic complaint boards.

Deadlines differ by country. Finnair rejects claims made more than two months after the flight. See EU261 time limits in the Nordics.

When it is worth it, and when it is not

Usually worth it: a voucher you never agreed to, a goodwill gesture far below the fixed amount, or a ticket refund paid as credit while the compensation was never paid.

Harder: you signed a clear agreement that the voucher replaces your compensation, especially if it was worth more than the cash amount and you have already used it.

Appeal My Flight writes the reply to the airline and the board complaint for €29 per booking. You send it yourself and keep the payout. We cannot promise an outcome.

FAQ

The voucher is worth more than the cash. Should I take it?

It is your choice. Check the expiry date, which flights it covers, and whether you will really use it. Once you agree in writing, the voucher is your compensation.

The airline says vouchers are its policy. Does that bind me?

No. Article 15 says the airline cannot limit your rights in advance, and Article 7(3) requires your signed agreement for a voucher.

Can I get my ticket refunded in money too?

Yes, after a cancellation or denied boarding you can choose a refund under Article 8. It is paid in money unless you agree in writing to a voucher, and it comes on top of the compensation.

Got the airline's reply? Paste it into the rejection checker and see what EU court rulings say about their excuse.