The 30-Day Rule: How Long the Airline Has to Answer Your Claim

## Airlines must respond within 30 days — with a payment or a reason Once you submit a compensation claim, the APPR gives the airline **30 days** to either pay you or tell you specifically why it won't. Silence, an auto-acknowledgement, or a vague "we're experiencing high volumes" doesn't stop the clock. ## The timeline of a well-run claim 1. **Day 0 — submit a written claim.** Email or web form, citing the flight, the arrival delay, the reason given, and the amount claimed under the APPR. Keep a copy and note the date. 2. **Day 1–30 — the airline's window.** Most valid, well-documented claims get paid here. Template denials also arrive here — a denial is not the end. 3. **Day 30+ — escalate.** No response, or a denial you dispute? You can now file with the Canadian Transportation Agency. Attach your original claim, the airline's response (or note the silence), and your evidence. ## Why escalation works better than it used to Since 2023, airlines pay a **processing fee for every complaint that reaches the CTA** (currently $125). For a $400 claim, stonewalling you into the CTA queue costs them real money on top of what they may be ordered to pay — the economics now favour settling valid claims before escalation. CTA data shows airlines are ordered to pay or settle in a large share of resolved complaints. ## Don't miss the other deadline You have **1 year from the disruption** to make your claim to the airline. The CTA complaint can follow after; but the initial claim must land inside the year. AirDelays tracks these deadlines for you — it timestamps your Letter A, counts down the 30 days, and unlocks a CTA-ready complaint pack the moment escalation opens. *General information, not legal advice. The CTA fee amount may change over time.*