AirHelp Review 2024 | Flight Cancellations, Delays, & Claims

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AirHelp is a service that can help you make a claim to get compensation for a flight delay or cancellation.

Most of us have or will experience a delayed flight or cancellation. What you might not know is that, depending on the country, you have certain passenger rights, and you can make a claim against the airline. However, the process of requesting flight delay compensation is tedious and annoying, which is why we always rely on AirHelp.

AirHelp Review 2022 | Flight Cancellations, Delays, & Claims

The first time we used AirHelp was for a flight to Oslo that delayed us more than four hours and caused us to miss our connecting flight to Tromso. When we saw how difficult it could be to make the claim ourselves, and the low chance of success, we decided to make the claim on AirHelp.

AirHelp took care of the entire process, saving us time and effort. We ended up getting all the compensation we were entitled to, and now we only make flight delay claims through AirHelp.

If you want to save yourself a headache, this AirHelp review will tell you everything you need to know about this service:

• What is AirHelp?
• How does AirHelp work?
• When to make a claim on AirHelp
• AirHelp reviews
• AirHelp Plus
• How to contact AirHelp

What is AirHelp?

AirHelp is a company that helps passengers who want to make a claim against an airline for flight delays, cancellations, overbooking, and other incidents.

Not only can you get compensation through AirHelp, but the company defends your right as a passenger to ensure you get everything that you’re entitled to. In reality, many people who make a claim on their own end up getting turned down by the airline. With AirHelp, you have a higher chance of getting reimbursed since they understand the rules and regulations.

The headquarters address for AirHelp is in Berlin, Germany, but the company can help you make a claim in the U.S. and many other countries.

How does AirHelp work?

The AirHelp compensation process is super simple. All you have to do is give them your flight information and tell them what caused your delay or cancellation. Then, AirHelp will check if you’re entitled to compensation.

In the United States, flight delay reimbursement is considered on a case-by-case basis since it’s up to the airline. However, in the European Union, airlines are legally required to compensate you for delays of three or more hours.

How does AirHelp work?

Just be aware that travelers usually lose the right to a claim if the delay is caused by “extraordinary circumstances,” like political instability, inclement weather, security risks, and airline strikes. Fortunately, AirHelp makes sure that these extraordinary circumstances don’t apply to you.

If AirHelp confirms that you’re entitled to compensation, they will start the claims process. If you receive compensation, they will take a percentage as payment, but if you don’t qualify for compensation, AirHelp won’t charge you.

How to make a claim through AirHelp

You can make a claim on AirHelp through its website, where you can enter information related to your flight, such as the departure and arrival airports, any layovers or connections, the expected arrival time at your destination, and the problem you experienced. It only takes a few minutes to fill out this form, and then AirHelp will check whether you’re entitled to compensation.

If you are entitled to reimbursement, you must submit a copy of all the necessary documents, including your identification, the plane tickets, invoices, and any receipts showing the expenses you accrued during the delay.

Once AirHelp receives these documents, they will begin the claims process. Everything is done through the AirHelp website, and you can even see your AirHelp claim status at any time.

How long does it take to get compensation through AirHelp?

The AirHelp compensation process starts as soon as they receive all your documentation. While AirHelp saves you a lot of time and energy, the claims process can last at least three or four months. During that time, you can check your AirHelp dashboard on the website to see your claim status.

How long does it take to get compensation through AirHelp?

AirHelp is safe and reliable and will only charge you if they determine that you’re eligible for compensation. We’ve used AirHelp ourselves, and I encourage you to be patient because while the process is lengthy, AirHelp makes it as easy as possible.

When to make a claim on AirHelp

There are several scenarios when you can use AirHelp, although I recommend checking the website to see whether or not you’re eligible for compensation. Below are the most common instances in which passengers are entitled to reimbursement.

Flight delay and cancellation

In the U.S., you must check with the airline to determine whether your flight delay or cancellation qualifies for compensation. AirHelp’s delayed flight claims don’t apply to domestic flights in the U.S., but if you’re taking an international flight, AirHelp can assist you.

As a traveler in the EU, if you arrive at your destination three hours or later than anticipated, you can make a claim to the airline. For example, you may be compensated if the plane took off much later than expected or the airline canceled your flight without notice and didn’t provide accommodation or transportation.

Flight delay and cancellation

However, when the delay or cancellation is caused by extraordinary circumstances like political instability, poor weather conditions, security risks, unexpected mechanical issues, or strikes, the airline may not be responsible.

For more information on compensation, rights, and flight claims, you can read our specific guide on how to make a delayed or cancelled flight claim.

Missed connection

Layovers are very common, especially if you want to get cheaper flights. Some travelers even use different airlines to get the best deals. However, this comes with some risks because if you miss your connecting flight due to a delay or cancellation, you’ll only get a refund or compensation if the two flights are with the same airline and were booked together.

If you bought them separately, the airline won’t be responsible for the delayed or cancelled flight. However, if you purchased the flight tickets together, you may be eligible for compensation, and the airline must place you on an alternative flight so you can reach your destination as soon as possible.

There are less risky ways to travel cheap, so I don’t recommend buying plane tickets separately unless you have enough time between the flights to avoid the risks.

Denial of boarding due to overbooking

Some airlines deliberately overbook their flights, especially in the USA. Apparently, airlines know that a certain percentage of travelers won’t arrive at the boarding gate, so they want to ensure that the plane will be as full as possible. However, these statistics aren’t always correct, which can result in more passengers showing up to board than there are available seats.

Denial of boarding due to overbooking

If an EU airline denies you boarding due to overbooking, you can receive compensation ranging from €250 to €600, as well as sufficient reimbursement for food, drink, accommodation, and transportation. In the U.S., passengers are entitled to compensation based on their ticket price and how long they’ve been delayed.

While the airline typically obliges, if they refuse your request for reimbursement, you can make a claim on AirHelp. Just be sure to check how much of your request the airline will compensate since AirHelp can get you the maximum reimbursement, and if you choose what the airline gives you, you forfeit your right to make a claim through AirHelp.

Baggage loss or damage

If your baggage gets lost or damaged, your best course of action is to process the claim through the airline before leaving the airport. If that’s not possible, you typically have 45 days to do so in the U.S. and just seven days in the EU.

You’ll have to fill out a form and specify all the contents of your suitcase, preferably with photo evidence.

Unfortunately, AirHelp’s lost baggage claims are only available with AirHelp Plus, although you can access helpful information on how to make a claim on the AirHelp website.

Involuntary bumping

If you bought a plane ticket with specific conditions, like flying business class, and you were bumped to economy class on another plane due to a delay or cancellation, you can make a claim.

Involuntary bumping

EU airlines must reimburse between 30% and 75% of the ticket price, as well as any corresponding compensation depending on the delay. In the U.S., it also depends on the delay, but you could be reimbursed up to four times the ticket price amount (up to $1,550).

AirHelp doesn’t handle these types of claims unless a delay or cancellation is involved.

AirHelp claims commissions

One of the main concerns with using AirHelp is cost. You should know that AirHelp won’t charge anything directly, although it will take a commission from the compensation you receive from the airline. So, if your AirHelp claim is denied, you won’t have to pay anything.

AirHelp’s service fee, or commission, is 35%. If the claim requires legal action and a trial, AirHelp will take an additional 15%, bringing the total to 50%. While this may seem like a hefty commission, this is one of the quickest and stress-free ways to handle a claim against an airline.

AirHelp claims commissions

If you try to make the claim on your own,  the airline will end up taking you to court about 99% of the time in an effort to deter you. Even if you carry on with the trial, you’ll spend a lot more than if you simply used AirHelp, even after the service fee.

Of course, if you prefer to handle the claim on your own, we have an in-depth guide on how to get compensation for a flight delay. I also recommend getting a policy with one of the best travel insurance companies before your trip, like Heymondo, which will cover many problems you may experience with your flight.

AirHelp pros and cons

Before you use AirHelp, I’d like to point out the benefits and disadvantages of this service:

I have to admit that making a claim through AirHelp is super easy and efficient, although you must consider the fact that you’ll lose part of your compensation if the airline reimburses you. That said, if you’re short on time, confused about the claims process, or just want a simple way to request compensation, AirHelp is worth it.

AirHelp reviews – Is AirHelp legit?

Not only is AirHelp safe and reliable, but it’s one of the first and best services interested in winning your claim. So, your odds of success and approval with AirHelp are very high.

We’ve experienced many delayed flights, but the worst was our flight to Oslo since we missed our connecting flight to Tromso. This meant we had to shell out more money for food and transportation since the rental car company was closed and we had to take a taxi. When we complained to the airline, they brushed us off and claimed that the delay was due to adverse weather conditions. That’s when we discovered AirHelp and decided to give it a try.

While the weather conditions weren’t ideal, they didn’t pose any kind of problem for the flight, so we received €600 in compensation. Even with AirHelp’s service fee of 35%, we were satisfied because we surely wouldn’t have gotten that reimbursement on our own.

If you want to read more AirHelp reviews and learn about other travelers’ experiences, you can check out AirHelp on Trustpilot. Below, you can see a positive AirHelp review and a negative one. Here’s the positive review:

And here is a negative review, to which AirHelp’s customer service responded to:

What is AirHelp Plus?

If you’re a frequent traveler and have had your fair share of delays and cancellations, consider AirHelp Plus. This subscription service costs €19.99 ($20) per year for the Essential plan and €49.99 ($50.02) per year for the Complete plan. The latter version gives you personalized AirHelp customer service and other perks like access to VIP airport lounges during delays.

Here is a comparison chart for the two AirHelp Plus plans:

We haven’t tried AirHelp Plus yet, but with the increase in flight cancellations and delays, we’re seriously considering it. If you travel a lot, AirHelp Plus is a useful tool to have, and it’s reasonably priced.

How to contact AirHelp

To make a claim with AirHelp, all you have to do is fill out the form on the webpage. Of course, if you have any questions, you can contact AirHelp or check out their FAQ page.

You can also talk to them directly through AirHelp chat, which is located at the bottom-right corner of the webpage. With AirHelp Plus, you have 24/7 priority chat support.

Unfortunately, there is no AirHelp email or phone support.

FAQs about AirHelp

If you have any other concerns about AirHelp, here are the most commonly asked questions:

That’s everything! I hope you don’t have any problems with your flight, but if you do, AirHelp is the best way to claim what’s yours. If you have any other questions or you’d like to share your experience with AirHelp, leave me a comment below. I’d love to hear from you!

Until then, safe flying and good luck!