If your flight is delayed, cancelled, or you are refused boarding, it can be a small consolation to learn that you might be entitled to compensation, and in this article, we’ll try to answer the question “Is AirHelp legit?”, review their services, and discuss in which situations you should use their services and when to avoid them.
AirHelp is certainly not a new or unknown website. It was established in 2013 and has developed a business model to educate airline passengers about their rights and claim compensation for flight disruptions. Over the years, it has assisted millions of passengers with claims and currently has a network of legal partners in many countries and jurisdictions, according to AirHelp.
However, there is a crucial difference between the question of whether AirHelp is a scam and whether AirHelp is worth the money. These are two separate questions.
While AirHelp can take care of a lot of the legwork in claiming, it is not a free service. It typically charges a percentage of the compensation it recovers as its standard compensation service. Therefore, it’s important to know what AirHelp does, how it charges for its services, what customers have to say about it, and whether you can make the claim yourself.
Is AirHelp Legit?
Yes, AirHelp has been a well-known flight-compensation firm since 2013. It’s a legitimate business that provides a legitimate service to airline passengers, not a site that gathers personal data or promises unrealistic compensation.
AirHelp is a travel technology company specializing in air passenger rights. It will determine if a passenger has a valid compensation claim and, if so, can reach out to and negotiate with the airline. The company can also take some claims to court if it deems it necessary.
The company claims to have compensated over 3.3 million passengers. It also states that it has a network of law firms in over 35 countries and jurisdictions. These numbers are provided by AirHelp and should be interpreted as company-reported numbers and not independently audited numbers.
AirHelp has also gained enough experience to have a lot of customer feedback. As of the time of this writing, it has over 244,000 reviews on Trustpilot, and a 4.5/5 TrustScore, with 81% of reviews being five-star and 4% being one-star.
Not all AirHelp customers have experienced a perfect experience. In fact, some of the criticism you’ll find online relates specifically to the company’s fees and the amount of compensation customers ultimately receive.
Which leads us to a key point: legitimate doesn’t necessarily mean inexpensive or appropriate for all.
What is AirHelp and how does it work?
AirHelp essentially acts as an intermediary between passengers and airlines when passengers believe they are entitled to compensation following a flight disruption.
The procedure is fairly simple.
You give AirHelp details of your flight. The company determines if the flight is eligible for compensation. If it thinks you have a valid claim and you want to pursue it, AirHelp can handle the claim process, including communicating with the airline and negotiating on your behalf.
If the airline accepts the claim and compensation is recovered, AirHelp takes its applicable fee and returns the rest to you.
If the airline denies the claim, AirHelp can escalate the issue if it deems it necessary. Its terms are very broad and may encompass a lawsuit filed in court or with a government agency, or turning the claim over to a lawyer.
The draw of the service is therefore very simple: you don’t have to deal with the airline yourself.
This can be especially helpful if an airline refuses to accept a claim, refuses to respond, or makes the process much more complicated than it should be.
But someone else has to do that work, and it comes at a cost.
What kind of flight problems can AirHelp solve?
AirHelp is mainly about compensation for passengers who have been disrupted by their flights. This may involve several different scenarios depending on the route, airline, the circumstances, and any relevant passenger rights laws.
Flight Delays
If the flight is delayed significantly, the passengers might have a right to financial compensation in accordance with the relevant passenger rights law.
Eligibility for flights covered by EC261/2004 is based on a number of criteria such as the route, airline, length of delay and cause of the disruption. Just because there is a delay does not necessarily mean that compensation is due.
Flight Cancellations
Cancelled flights may also be eligible for compensation, especially if the airline is at fault for the reason for the cancellation and the passengers are notified with little warning.
However, there are some exceptions, such as certain extraordinary circumstances and situations in which the airline complies with the notice or rerouting requirements.
Denied Boarding and Overbooking
If a flight is overbooked and passengers are refused boarding, they may also be entitled to compensation under the relevant regulations.
AirHelp is specifically mentioned to handle cancellations, delays, overbookings, and denied boarding.
EU261/EC261 Compensation
The European regulation EC261/2004, which provides for several passenger rights in the context of qualifying flights, is one of the most important legal bases for AirHelp’s business.
In general, EC261 may apply to flights from the EU, irrespective of the airline, and to some flights to the EU from an EU airline. Eligibility criteria vary from flight to flight.
AirHelp also supports other passenger rights frameworks such as UK261 and some non-European ones.
This is important to keep in mind as not all late flights qualify for compensation. The disruption, the route, and the airline are important.
How Much Does AirHelp Charge?
This is likely the most crucial aspect of the entire “Is AirHelp legit?” question.
AirHelp’s compensation service is a no-win, no-fee service. There is no upfront fee for the standard service, and if AirHelp is unable to secure flight compensation for you, it states it will not charge the standard compensation-service fee.
If AirHelp is able to secure compensation, however, its standard fee is 35% of the compensation, including applicable VAT.
There can also be an additional 15% legal-action fee when legal action is necessary. According to AirHelp, this fee for legal action is only used when it is necessary, and that this is only a small percentage of cases.
Let’s make that real numbers.
Suppose you are owed €600 by your airline.
With the standard fee structure:
- Compensation recovered: €600
- AirHelp’s 35% standard fee: €210
- Amount you receive: €390
That’s a substantial difference.
The percentage may be even higher if the extra 15% legal-action fee is added on.
AirHelp also has an AirHelp+ membership option, which has a different pricing model. Successful claims are not subject to the standard compensation-service fee, but there is a membership fee.
That’s why I wouldn’t say that AirHelp is “free.” The first claim check may be free, and the regular service is no-win, no-fee, but if you win, you will be paying a substantial percentage of the compensation.
That’s a trade-off that’s worth it for some passengers. For some, especially those with a simple claim, it might appear that 35% is too much.
What Customers Say about AirHelp Reviews?
Another helpful piece of the puzzle is customer reviews.
At the time of writing, AirHelp has a 4.5/5 TrustScore from more than 244,000 reviews on Trustpilot. Approximately 81% of those reviews are five-star reviews, 11% are four-star, 3% are three-star, 1% are two-star, and 4% are one-star.
The good reviews often include the same points: ease of use, easy communication, and the fact that AirHelp does the work for the passenger rather than the passenger having to repeatedly contact the airline.
Some recent reviewers have reported getting paid for not being able to get paid themselves, and others have said that they were impressed with how easy it was to file a claim and stay updated on the process.
But there are also negative reviews.
A common complaint is the amount of the fee. This is not unusual, as AirHelp’s typical charge is 35% of the compensation recovered. Some customers also gripe about the time it takes to process a claim or the amount they get.
For instance, AirHelp’s recent Trustpilot reviews feature happy customers who received compensation, but were not pleased with the amount of fees deducted. Other complaints are related to the length of claims.
Another big caveat to consider when examining any review site is that reviews are personal experiences. They can inform you of what customers experienced, but not that all claims were dealt with in the same manner.
At least in AirHelp’s case, there is a lot of customer feedback to look at in the form of reviews.
Does AirHelp really get you compensation?
This is the question that most passengers are interested in.
Since its inception, AirHelp has been able to secure compensation for over 3.3 million passengers. It also states that it has reviewed millions of claims and has a network of legal firms and specialists in various jurisdictions.
A lot of customer reviews are available from those who have been compensated after using the service. Some state that they were not able to obtain direct compensation from the airline before.
There is, however, a key difference.
AirHelp is not able to create compensation if there is no legal right for it. It is tasked with determining whether there may be a valid claim and to follow it up in accordance with the relevant passenger rights regulations.
This means that your claim is still subject to the circumstances of the flight.
Your delay may have been due to reasons that do not give the airline the obligation to pay you compensation, such as if you use AirHelp.
If there is a valid claim, however, AirHelp can handle a lot of the administrative burden and, if needed, escalate.
You are paying for the expertise, administration, and effort to seek compensation that may already be due to you, not for the creation of compensation.
AirHelp vs. Claiming Flight Compensation Yourself
The biggest alternative to AirHelp is also the simplest: do it yourself.
There is no requirement to use a claims company simply because an airline owes you compensation.
| AirHelp | Claim Yourself | |
| Upfront cost | None for standard compensation service | None |
| Paperwork | AirHelp handles it | You handle it |
| Airline communication | AirHelp | You |
| Fee if successful | 35% standard fee | €0 |
| Legal escalation | Available where applicable | You pursue it yourself |
| Time and effort | Generally lower | Generally higher |
| Control | AirHelp handles the claim | You retain direct control |
The most obvious benefit of claiming yourself is that you don’t have to give up a portion of the compensation.
If you are able to successfully claim the €600 on your own, you do not have to pay the AirHelp fee and can keep the €600.
The downside is that you have to work for it.
This could involve locating the right airline claims procedure, collecting documents, explaining your claim, responding to the airline, following up if they don’t respond, and taking it to the next level if they refuse a valid claim.
If you’re at ease with dealing with airlines and familiar with the passenger rights laws, this could be completely fine.
For someone who simply wants the airline to deal with somebody else, AirHelp’s fee represents the cost of convenience.
If you’ve recently had a disrupted flight, it’s worth checking your rights before assuming you’re out of luck. AirHelp has dedicated claim pages for many major airlines, so you can quickly check whether your particular flight may qualify:
- United: Check your United Airlines compensation
- Qatar Airways: Check your Qatar Airways compensation
- KLM: Check your KLM compensation
- Air France: Check your Air France compensation
- LOT Airlines: Check your LOT compensation
- Iberia: Check your Iberia compensation
- Air Europa: Check your Air Europa compensation
- Finnair: Check your Finnair compensation
- SAS: Check your SAS compensation
Is AirHelp a Scam?
The answer is no; AirHelp is not a scam.
It’s a well-established business that’s been around since 2013, has served millions of passengers based on its own published numbers, has a significant customer-review footprint, and openly discusses its compensation service and fees.
The confusion is likely due to the fact that some passengers don’t understand the extent of what they can be charged.
AirHelp’s standard fee is 35%, and an additional 15% legal-action fee may apply if legal action is required. Those are actual costs, and they are substantial enough that you should be aware of them before you authorize AirHelp to pursue your claim.
There are also some valid complaints from customers regarding fees and claim timelines, and there are many positive reviews from passengers who were pleased to have someone else do the work for them.
I believe it’s better to ask “Is AirHelp worth my claim’s price for me?” than “Is AirHelp legit?”
The service can take away a lot of hassle if you don’t wish to deal with an airline yourself. If you have a simple claim and feel you can manage it yourself, you might want to retain the entire compensation.
In the end, AirHelp is a convenience service that costs money, but is based on a legitimate passenger rights process. The compensation is based on your rights under the rules in question, and AirHelp’s job is to help you claim it.
That distinction is likely the most important to know before filing a claim.