Everything can go wrong on a plane, whether you’re flying across the country for work or across the Atlantic for vacation. Your bags may end up in a different city than you do.
- Update 10/30/2023: The 8% discount has been extended through December 31, 2023.
If your trip from home is delayed by even one hour, you may find yourself trapped in a place where you know nobody. Although the airline may compensate you with a hotel room or a coupon for supper, neither of these options is satisfactory.
There has been a boom in recent years of services and applications that aim to help passengers in holding airlines accountable and get compensation.
It might be difficult to know where to turn for assistance when there are so many choices fighting for your confidence and offering to help you.
So, here we will see if AirHelp is worth the try or not.
AirHelp Promotions
Available from today until December 31, 2023 you can get an 8% discount with the following coupon codes:
- AHPLSE8 For AirHelp Plus Essential
- AHPLSC8 For AirHelp Plus Complete
>>START YOUR CLAIM WITH AIRHELP
What Is AirHelp?
The Berlin-based business AirHelp facilitates compensation claims for passengers who experience flight delays, lost luggage, or other travel-related misfortunes.
You won’t have to deal with the airline directly because their service will handle all of the necessary paperwork and calls for you.
If your claim is approved, AirHelp will receive a flat 35% service fee. Your compensation amount will be reduced by the service fee.
READ MORE: GETTING COMPENSATION FOR FLIGHT DELAYS AND FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS
How Does AirHelp Work?
The procedure for receiving payment from AirHelp is straightforward. You just provide them with your flight details and the reason for your cancellation or delay. The next step is for AirHelp to determine if you are eligible for financial compensation.
In the United States, airlines have flexibility over whether or not to compensate passengers for flight delays. A European Union law mandates that if your flight is delayed by three hours or longer, the airline must reimburse you.
Travelers should be aware that if their flight is delayed due to “exceptional circumstances,” such as political unrest, bad weather, security threats, or airline strikes, they may not be eligible to file a claim.
The claims procedure will begin after AirHelp verifies your eligibility for reimbursement. AirHelp will take a cut of your settlement if you do, but they won’t charge you anything if you don’t.
Top Countries with highest rates for cancelled/delayed flights:
- UK
- Spain
- Portugal
- Italy
- France
Top Airlines with highest rates for cancelled/delayed flights:
- British Airways
- Wizz Air
- Delta Airlines
- Tap Air Portugal
- United Airlines
Top Airports with highest rates for cancelled/delayed flights:
- LTN (London Luton)
- AGP (Málaga – Costa del Sol)
- ALC (Alicante Airport)
- STN (London Stanstead)
- LHR (London Heathrow)
RELATED: EXPEDIA TRAVEL HACKS REPORT: TIPS ON WHEN TO BOOK AND HOW TO AVOID FLIGHT DELAYS
Where To Start When Filing A Claim With AirHelp?
Filing a claim with AirHelp is not difficult. You can easily file a claim in four simple steps. However, you may need to wait for several months till your claim is finally deposited into your bank account. So, let’s take a look at how you can do it with the help of AirHelp:
Step One: Determine Whether You Are Eligible For Compensation
Get started with AirHelp by entering your flight information. To determine whether or not your flight qualifies for reimbursement, the system will access a database of past trips.
In accordance with EC 261 / 2004, the Air Passenger Rights law of the European Union, you are entitled to compensation if your flight meets the following criteria:
- Have either left for or arrived in the European Union.
- Been late by more than three hours.
- “Extraordinary Circumstances” have not caused a delay.
The distance of the flight and the time of the delay determine the amount of compensation passengers are entitled to under the legislation. If your flight is delayed or canceled for a considerable period of time, you might get compensation of up to €600.
Step Two: Fill Out Flight Delay/Cancellation Documentation
AirHelp requires some basic flight records. You’ll need to reveal the following: booking reference number, full name, and complete address.
After that, you’ll sign a form that gives AirHelp permission to act on your behalf, and that specifies your agreement to pay a 35% service charge to AirHelp if they secure your claim. It is not necessary to make any hard copies or to download any files.
The next step is to upload an image of your ticket or e-ticket. In the final (yet required) part, you can share your flying experience.
Step Three: Relax While AirHelp Takes Care of Your Claim
The whole thing can be done in about 10 minutes. The next step is to wait. You can monitor the status of your claim using the claim number that AirHelp gives you when you submit the necessary paperwork. They will look into your claim and fight for you with the airline.
You will have to wait for a few months. This seems frustrating, but we can assure you that this is typical of the claims process in any industry.
It is unfortunate that there is no time limit imposed on the airline under EC Regulation No. 261/2004 for the processing of claims. Airline companies sometimes delay paying out claims in the hopes that the customers will give up and accept their loss.
Step Four: Enter Bank Details for Payout
You should expect to get an email from AirHelp notifying you that your claim is available for collection around three months after you initially submit it.
For the no-cost bank transfer, all you have to do is click a button and quickly fill out the required fields. A claim check will be deposited into your account within three days.
>>START YOUR CLAIM WITH AIRHELP
Unfortunate Travel Experiences That AirHelp Can Seek Compensation For
When an airline commits a mistake, you may be eligible for compensation. In the event that your luggage is lost or your flight is overbooked, and as a result, you have to rebook or buy new clothes, you may be eligible for compensation.
To give you an idea of what you can seek compensation for, here is a brief breakdown.
Select Delays and Cancellations
EU 261 applies to any flight to, from, or within the EU. If something goes wrong on a commercial airline, customers are protected by this regulation and can seek compensation if the airline is at fault.
Compensation for missed connections or airline cancellations is a major perk of EU 261. If your flight inside the EU is delayed by 3 hours or more, you are entitled to compensation, the amount of which increases in proportion to the length of the delay.
Missed Connections
Passengers who miss their connections are entitled to compensation under EU 261. If you missed your connection and it was not your fault, you should be compensated as long as all of your flights were purchased on the same ticket.
If you miss your connection because of something beyond your control, including a weather delay, an oversold aircraft, or a strike by airline workers, you might receive compensation of up to €600.
Flights Overbooked
The practice of overbooking flights by airlines is widespread. For practical reasons, not all passengers with a confirmed reservation will board a flight. Hence this policy was implemented.
It’s possible that some passengers won’t show up, that others will miss their connection, and that others may still voluntarily swap to an earlier or later flight.
However, if every passenger does show up, some of them may be turned away at the gate because there aren’t enough seats.
Involuntary Downgrades
You are also entitled to compensation while traveling to, from, or within the EU if you booked a first, business, or premium economy class ticket but were forced to sit in a lower cabin because of a flight cancellation or delay.
Passengers who are forced to rebook into a cheaper cabin are entitled to a refund of 30% to 75% of the price of their original ticket under EU 261. If your flight was also delayed, you would be entitled to the compensation we outlined before.
Luggage Delays
Finally, if your bags were delayed, lost, or destroyed in the United States or the European Union, you could be entitled to compensation.
Although AirHelp’s website has helpful advice for handling such circumstances, it does not offer assistance with filing claims unless the user is an AirHelp Plus member.
Even so, filing a claim at baggage services as soon as you land is all that’s required in the event of damaged, misplaced, or delayed luggage.
You should save your receipts for any purchases you made and any other expenses you incurred as a result of your bag becoming damaged, lost, or delayed.
READ MORE: YOU CAN EARN BONUS CASH, GIFTS, AND MORE WITH THESE REFERRAL OFFERS
Bottom Line
If you don’t want to deal with the inconvenience of airline compensation, we believe that AirHelp is a reliable solution. In exchange for saving you time, AirHelp will file your claim for you, but you will receive less money than if you did so yourself.
In any case, if you’re able to do so, filing your claim independently will ensure that you receive the maximum compensation for your flight’s delay.
However, if you have no knowledge of filing a claim, we recommend you find help from someone professional like AirHelp.
>>START YOUR CLAIM WITH AIRHELP
READ MORE: SEE THE BEST BANK BONUSES HERE AND THE BEST INVESTING BONUSES HERE.