Booked With One Airline, Flown By Another: Who Actually Owes You Compensation

It is common for a ticket to display one airline's name and flight number, while the aircraft is actually operated by a different carrier under a codeshare agreement. For a passenger seeking compensation after a delay or cancellation, this distinction matters a great deal: under EU Regulation 261/2004, the airline responsible for paying compensation is always the one that actually operated the flight, not the one that sold the ticket or whose name appears on the booking.

This becomes particularly relevant on connecting itineraries through European hubs, where the operating carrier for one leg of the journey can differ from the marketing carrier named on the ticket. A passenger who addresses a claim to the wrong company will typically receive a rejection, or simply no response, even though the underlying claim may be perfectly valid against the correct carrier.

Identifying the operating carrier is usually straightforward: it appears on the boarding pass, in the booking confirmation under a line such as operated by, or can be confirmed directly with the airline that sold the ticket. For flights between Ghana and Europe with a connection, checking this detail before filing a claim can save months of delay.

The underlying compensation rules remain the same regardless of which carrier is responsible: up to 600 euros per passenger for a delay of three hours or more at final arrival, on flights departing an EU airport, or arriving in the EU on a European carrier. The amount depends on the distance flown.

By Saint-Yves Kodjo
Founder, Robin des Airs