What to Know Before Starting a Claim With Bott and Co

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If your long-awaited trip was wrecked by a badly delayed flight, a last-minute cancellation or a messy missed connection, Bott and Co is one of the best-known UK law firms offering to fight your corner. Before you hit the "start claim" button, it helps to understand how their service actually works in practice, what it will cost if you win, and what you need to do yourself to give your claim the best possible chance of success.

Who Bott and Co Are and What They Actually Do

Bott and Co is a consumer rights law firm based in the UK that focuses heavily on travel-related and everyday compensation claims, including flight delay and cancellation compensation under EU261 and UK261, mis-sold car finance, road traffic accidents and cycling claims. They operate as solicitors regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority rather than as a pure “claims management” outfit, which means you are instructing a legal practice rather than a call‑centre intermediary.

For air passengers, their core work is enforcing fixed-sum compensation rights when airlines fail to pay voluntarily. Under EU261 and the UK’s equivalent rules, passengers on eligible flights can claim between about €250 and €600 per person for serious delays, cancellations and denied boarding, depending on flight distance and length of delay. Bott and Co take your details, check if your case qualifies, and, if it does, pursue the money from the airline on a no win no fee basis.

In real terms, this often means stepping in when an airline like Ryanair, Jet2 or a major flag carrier rejects a claim with a vague reference to “extraordinary circumstances” or simply stops responding. Bott and Co will chase written responses, escalate to legal letters before action, and, where needed, issue court proceedings in the UK. They have taken several landmark aviation compensation cases all the way to the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court, helping to clarify when technical faults or knock-on delays still trigger compensation for passengers.

For a traveller, the practical benefit is that you can offload the argument and paperwork to a specialist team that deals with these disputes every day. The trade-off is that they keep an agreed percentage of any compensation recovered as their fee, so it is important to know what will be deducted and whether that feels worth it compared with claiming directly from the airline yourself.

How the No Win No Fee Model Really Works

Bott and Co advertise a straightforward no win no fee arrangement for most consumer claims, including flight delay and cancellation cases. In simple terms, you pay nothing upfront and nothing at all if the claim fails. If they succeed, they deduct a flat percentage success fee from whatever they manage to recover from the airline, then transfer the remaining balance to you.

As of mid‑2026, Bott and Co present their flight compensation pricing as a clear flat fee on their own site so passengers can see in advance roughly how much will be deducted if the claim is successful. For example, if a family of four flying from Manchester to Tenerife were each entitled to €400 in compensation after a long delay, the total payout might be around €1,600. After Bott and Co’s success fee and VAT, the family might see something closer to €1,000 to €1,200 actually land in their bank account once the firm has deducted its costs. The exact percentage can change over time, so you should always check the current figure in their terms before you sign.

It is also important to understand how their position on fees has been tested in court. In a long-running legal dispute with Ryanair that reached the UK Supreme Court in 2022, the court confirmed that when Bott and Co are properly instructed to pursue a passenger’s compensation on credit, they can protect their right to deduct fees from the compensation even if the airline later tries to pay the passenger directly. In practice, that means if you start a claim with Bott and Co and then the airline suddenly pays you in full, Bott and Co can usually still bill for their work because it was their involvement that pushed the airline to pay.

For most travellers this is not a problem, but you should go into the process knowing that once you sign their retainer and they start work, you shouldn’t then also be negotiating separately with the airline or using another third party. If the airline contacts you directly after Bott and Co have taken the case on, you should immediately tell the firm and ask how to handle any forms or offers so you do not accidentally undermine your own agreement.

Key Things You Should Do Before You Start a Claim

Before you start a claim with Bott and Co, there are a few sensible steps that will make the process smoother and improve your chances of success. First, gather all the basic facts of your trip and the disruption. At a minimum, you should have your booking reference, flight number, scheduled and actual departure and arrival times, and the names of everyone who was on the booking. Screenshot any messages from the airline’s app, keep emails about rebooking or hotel vouchers, and note what staff said at the gate about the cause of the delay or cancellation.

Next, make sure you have written to the airline yourself, or at least attempted to use their own complaints or EU261 form. The UK Civil Aviation Authority now strongly encourages passengers to contact the airline directly first, and some carriers’ terms say they may not accept claims from third parties unless the passenger has first submitted their own complaint or authorised the firm correctly. In practice, this might mean quickly filling out the airline’s web form and waiting the 28 days they usually allow for a reply. If they refuse, underpay, or simply do not respond, that is often the point at which people turn to Bott and Co.

It is also worth checking basic eligibility before you engage any firm. For example, a three-hour delay on a London to Rome flight with a European carrier normally falls under EU261 or UK261 and could qualify. By contrast, a two-hour delay on a domestic US flight generally would not. Bott and Co provide online tools that estimate whether your delay qualifies under the regulations, but you can get a rough sense yourself by checking that your flight either departed from the UK or EU, or was operated by a UK or EU airline, and that the delay at arrival was at least three hours with no genuine extraordinary circumstances like severe weather or air traffic control strikes.

Finally, consider whether you are comfortable with the idea of pursuing the claim yourself instead of using a law firm. Many airlines now have basic online claim portals, and some travellers report getting full compensation within a couple of weeks just by sending a clear, well-documented email citing EU261 or UK261. Others, particularly those dealing with carriers that routinely reject claims, find that having a specialist firm in their corner is worth the fee. Deciding which camp you fall into before you start will save you changing direction once Bott and Co have invested time in your case.

Information and Documents Bott and Co Are Likely to Ask For

Once you start a claim with Bott and Co, you should expect to fill in a fairly detailed online form and then respond to occasional requests for extra documents. For a typical flight compensation claim, they will need proof that you booked and took the flight, and proof of the disruption. That usually means your booking confirmation email, e‑tickets, boarding passes if you still have them, and any written communication from the airline about the delay or cancellation.

If your situation involved knock-on costs, such as paying for an extra night in a hotel because your evening flight from London to Barcelona turned into a departure the following morning, Bott and Co may also ask for receipts. While their primary focus is often on the fixed-sum compensation, some cases involve additional reimbursement for reasonable expenses like meals, transport and accommodation, which the airline may be required to cover on top of the standard payout. Keeping clear, itemised receipts from the time of disruption makes it much easier for them to quantify and justify these amounts in correspondence with the airline.

You will also need basic identity and contact information. At a minimum, expect to provide your full name, date of birth, postal address, email and phone number, plus bank details for where you want any compensation to be paid. If you are claiming on behalf of relatives or a group of friends, Bott and Co may ask you to confirm that each passenger authorises you to act or to sign their own digital authority form. This matters because airlines in recent years have increasingly insisted that any third party has explicit permission to act in the passenger’s name.

Occasionally, Bott and Co may ask for extra evidence if the airline disputes the cause of the delay. For instance, if other passengers took photos of a technical fault, or you have messages that contradict the airline’s suggestion that bad weather was to blame, sharing these with the firm can strengthen your case. The more concrete, contemporaneous evidence you can provide at the outset, the less back-and-forth there will be later on.

Timeline, Process and What Travellers Can Expect

Travellers often want to know how long a Bott and Co claim will actually take. The reality is that timelines vary widely depending on the airline, the complexity of the route and how strongly the carrier chooses to resist. Straightforward cases with cooperative airlines can sometimes settle in a couple of months. But claims against airlines that routinely push every case to the limit can run for a year or more, especially if court proceedings are needed.

The typical journey starts when you submit your details on Bott and Co’s website. Their system screens your case and, if it looks viable, you are sent digital documents to sign. Once you confirm, they formally take the case on and write to the airline, setting out the legal basis of your claim and requesting payment within a set timeframe. If the airline ignores or rejects the claim, the firm decides whether issuing court proceedings is proportionate and in your best interests, explains the risks and benefits, and, if you agree, prepares the paperwork for the appropriate UK court.

For many travellers, the process feels quite hands-off. You will get updates at major milestones, but you will not normally need to appear in court or attend hearings in person, especially for straightforward EU261 or UK261 claims which are often decided on documents. That said, you should be prepared to wait and to occasionally answer practical questions from the firm about your travel dates or the circumstances of the delay. If the airline finally agrees to pay or the court orders compensation, the money is usually sent to Bott and Co first, who deduct their success fee and then transfer the remainder to you.

An example helps illustrate this. Imagine your family’s summer holiday flight from Birmingham to Faro was delayed overnight due to an unresolved technical fault. You emailed the airline and heard nothing for six weeks. You then instruct Bott and Co, who write a formal letter. The airline still refuses, claiming “operational reasons.” Bott and Co issue a small claim on your behalf. Several months later, facing a court date, the airline settles and pays €1,600 for four passengers. Bott and Co deduct their agreed percentage and VAT, and you receive the balance in your bank account with a short closing statement explaining the breakdown.

Comparing Bott and Co With DIY Claims and Other Options

Before you commit to Bott and Co, it is worth comparing three realistic options: handling the claim yourself, using a non‑law firm claim company, or instructing a specialist firm like Bott and Co. Each route has pros and cons, and the best fit depends on your tolerance for paperwork, your confidence dealing with legal arguments, and how much time you want to invest.

Handling the claim yourself can be highly effective if your facts are clear and the airline is relatively compliant. For instance, many travellers have recently reported that large carriers will sometimes pay EU261 or UK261 compensation within a couple of weeks when presented with a concise email that sets out the delay, references the regulation, and attaches boarding passes and booking confirmations. The obvious advantage is that you keep 100 percent of any compensation. The downside is that if the airline stonewalls or relies on complex defences, you must decide whether to escalate to an aviation ombudsman, a national enforcement body like the UK CAA, or even small claims court.

Claim companies that are not solicitors occupy a middle ground. They usually offer simple online forms and will chase airlines for a success fee similar to, and sometimes higher than, law firms. However, they may not be able to issue court proceedings in their own name or provide legal advice in the same way. Bott and Co, by contrast, combine the convenience of an online claims process with the ability to litigate when necessary. Their track record in major cases has made some airlines more cautious about rejecting strong claims out of hand, because they know Bott and Co will take disputes further if needed.

For many travellers, the choice comes down to value. If your claim is modest, such as a single passenger on a short‑haul flight worth €250, you might decide it is worth taking a bit of time to push the airline yourself and keep the whole amount. If the claim covers a family of five on a long‑haul itinerary worth several thousand euros, you might feel more comfortable offloading the stress to a specialist, accepting that you will receive less in your pocket, but with a higher likelihood of success and less personal effort.

It is also wise to look beyond Bott and Co’s own marketing and read a range of recent customer experiences, for example on independent review sites, to understand how responsive they are, how transparent their final invoices feel, and how long cases are currently taking. As with any legal service, satisfaction levels can vary, and up-to-date feedback is one of the best guides to what you can realistically expect.

Risks, Limitations and Common Misunderstandings

Although Bott and Co’s no win no fee model removes the risk of paying legal bills if the claim loses, there are still a few potential pitfalls travellers should understand before starting. One common misunderstanding is assuming that using a firm automatically guarantees success. In reality, the underlying law still has to support your claim. If your delay was under three hours at arrival, caused by genuine extreme weather or linked to extraordinary air traffic control restrictions, even the best lawyer in the country may not be able to secure compensation.

Another source of confusion stems from the interaction between your own actions and the firm’s retainer. Some passengers, after instructing a solicitor, continue sending their own complaints to the airline or accepting partial offers without consulting the firm. Because of the way Bott and Co’s rights to fees have been upheld in court, this can create tension later if money is paid directly to you but the firm has already done significant work. To avoid this, treat Bott and Co as your single point of contact with the airline from the moment you sign up and promptly forward any messages you receive.

Timing is also important. Most EU261 and UK261 claims are subject to limitation periods under national law, often several years, but not unlimited. If you wait too long after your disrupted flight to start any kind of claim, you may run into time-bar issues whether you act alone or via Bott and Co. A good rule of thumb is to begin the process as soon as practicable once you are home and have your paperwork to hand, rather than waiting until the end of the year or the expiry of your travel insurance.

Finally, remember that Bott and Co’s service is focused on particular types of claim, and they are unlikely to take on cases that fall outside their core areas or that they consider uneconomic. For example, if your main complaint is poor customer service without any qualifying delay, or a small baggage claim that is clearly under an airline’s own goodwill threshold, you may find they decline to act. In that situation, you can still pursue the matter yourself with the airline, an alternative dispute resolution scheme where available, or a small claim in your local court if appropriate.

The Takeaway

Starting a claim with Bott and Co can be an efficient way to turn a stressful travel disruption into a concrete outcome, particularly where airlines resist paying compensation that the law says you are due. Their experience in flight delay litigation, and their willingness to take cases to court when necessary, make them an attractive option for travellers who would rather not argue legal points with a carrier’s claims department.

At the same time, using any no win no fee firm involves a trade-off between convenience and cost. Before you sign, make sure you understand Bott and Co’s current success fee, the kinds of documents they will need from you, and the fact that once they start work you should not be negotiating separately with the airline. Consider whether your case might be straightforward enough to resolve alone, and weigh how much time and effort you are realistically willing to invest.

If you decide to go ahead, give yourself the best chance of a smooth process by gathering your booking documents, contacting the airline at least once on your own, and providing Bott and Co with clear, accurate information from the outset. With realistic expectations about timescales and outcomes, you can approach the claim as a managed process rather than another round of travel stress, and hopefully recover a meaningful share of what you are owed while someone else does the legal heavy lifting.

FAQ

Q1. Do I have to contact the airline before starting a claim with Bott and Co?
In most cases it is sensible, and often recommended by regulators, to contact the airline first using its own complaints or EU261 form. If the airline refuses, underpays or ignores you, that is usually the right time to consider instructing Bott and Co.

Q2. How much does Bott and Co charge if my claim succeeds?
Bott and Co work on a percentage success fee taken from the compensation they recover, plus VAT where applicable. The exact figure can change over time, so you should always check their latest pricing information and terms before signing their agreement.

Q3. Will I ever have to pay Bott and Co if the claim is unsuccessful?
For standard flight delay and cancellation claims, their model is no win no fee, which means you should not owe them their legal costs if the case loses. There may be rare situations, such as ignoring their advice or providing false information, that could change this, so read the small print carefully.

Q4. Can I still claim directly from the airline after I sign up with Bott and Co?
Once you have instructed Bott and Co, you should treat them as your representative and let them deal with the airline. If the airline contacts you directly or offers payment, you should tell Bott and Co at once rather than responding independently, so you do not accidentally undermine your agreement or their ability to recover fees.

Q5. How long will a Bott and Co claim usually take?
Timeframes vary widely. Some straightforward claims with cooperative airlines may settle in a few months, while more contested cases that go to court can take a year or longer. Bott and Co will update you at key points but you should be prepared for a process that is often measured in months rather than weeks.

Q6. What if I have lost my boarding passes or some documents?
Missing boarding passes do not automatically kill a claim. Bott and Co can often work with booking confirmations, e‑tickets, emails from the airline and other evidence of travel. However, the more complete your records, the easier it is for them to prove your case and push back against airline disputes.

Q7. Does Bott and Co only handle flight delay claims?
No. While they are particularly well known for flight delay and cancellation work, Bott and Co also act in other consumer and personal injury areas such as mis-sold car finance, cycling accidents and certain road traffic claims. Their willingness to take on your case will depend on whether it falls within their specialist areas.

Q8. Can I use Bott and Co if I no longer live in the UK?
Often yes, provided your claim has a clear connection to the UK or EU, such as flights departing from or arriving in those regions or contracts governed by UK law. The firm may still be able to act for you remotely, but eligibility will depend on the specific facts, so you should explain your circumstances when you first contact them.

Q9. Will I need to go to court in person if my case becomes a lawsuit?
Most flight compensation cases that reach court are handled on documents and written arguments, and many settle before any hearing. In the small minority that do reach a hearing, Bott and Co will explain what is expected. In many instances, you will not have to appear in person, particularly if the court is dealing with routine legal issues rather than factual disputes.

Q10. Is using Bott and Co better than claiming on my own?
It depends on your situation. If your claim is clear-cut and you are comfortable writing firm emails and possibly escalating to an ombudsman, you may prefer to claim directly and keep all the compensation. If you want to minimise effort, or you are dealing with a difficult airline or complex itinerary, using Bott and Co can increase your chances of success in exchange for giving up a share of the payout.