In short: AirHelp is the world's largest air passenger rights company: it checks eligibility for free, submits the claim and, if needed, goes to court – at its own cost. After a successful claim it deducts a 35% fee (incl. VAT), or 50% in total if legal action was needed; if the claim fails, it charges nothing. With an AirHelp+ annual membership the fee is 0%. In a clear-cut, undisputed case it is cheaper to claim yourself; in a disputed or rejected case AirHelp is the risk-free route.
What is AirHelp?
AirHelp was founded in 2013 in Denmark and today operates from Berlin as AirHelp Germany GmbH. It is a claims agency ("claim management company"): acting under the passenger's authorisation, it enforces compensation against airlines under EU 261/2004, the UK's UK261, Brazil's ANAC 400, Turkish and other passenger rights rules. It handles claims against more than 300 airlines, has legal partners in 30+ countries, and brought the major European passenger rights test cases before the Court of Justice of the EU.
In figures: 27 million passengers helped, more than 3 million+ cases paid out, Trustpilot 4.5/5 (245,000+ reviews).
How does a claim work?
- Check (2 minutes): on AirHelp's website you enter the flight number, the date and the problem. The system immediately sees the actual delay in its own flight database and tells you whether you are eligible.
- Submit (5 minutes): you enter the passengers' details, upload the boarding pass or booking, and sign the authorisation online. Several passengers on one booking can be added at once.
- Handling: AirHelp submits the claim to the airline, handles the correspondence and, if the claim is rejected, turns to the authorities or the courts – at its own cost.
- Payout: the airline pays AirHelp, AirHelp deducts its fee and transfers the rest to you.
What does it cost?
| When | Fee | Example: €250 compensation | Example: €600 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Check, submission | 0 | – | – |
| Successful claim without court action (~97% of cases) | 35% (incl. VAT) | You keep €162.50 | You keep €390 |
| Successful claim with court action | 35% + 15% = 50% | €125 | €300 |
| Unsuccessful claim | 0 – AirHelp also covers the legal costs | €0 | €0 |
| TravelPass Platinum member (covered trip) | 0% | €250 | €600 |
For comparison: AirAdvisor charges 30% plus a 20% legal fee, Flightright 20–30% plus VAT plus a legal fee; with court action the total is around 50% everywhere. Full fee breakdown.
TravelPass: for frequent flyers
TravelPass (called AirHelp+ until November 2026) is an annual membership with three plans; prices below are for 3 trips a year: Silver €39.90 (15% claim fee), Gold €79.90 (10% claim fee) and Platinum €249.90 (0% claim fee). Covered trips also get flight and luggage insurance payouts of up to €400; Gold and Platinum add Fast Track, an eSIM and lounge access (Gold during delays of 1h+, Platinum on every trip). Flights must be added at least 48 hours before departure. With a single €600 claim, Gold already costs less than the standard fee saved. Coupon code: TP5 (5%, until 31 December 2026).
Pros and cons
Pros
- Zero risk: you only pay if it succeeds, and the court costs are theirs
- Flight data checked in seconds
- Claim form in several languages, including English
- Legal experience in 30+ countries, CJEU test cases
- Airlines know them – template rejections work less well
- Accepts claims for flights up to 3 years old
Cons
- 35% fee – cheaper to do it yourself in a clear-cut case
- 50% with court action, and a long wait of up to a year and a half
- Does not handle baggage claims
- Customer service is slower in busy periods (summer)
Who is it for – and who not?
We recommend it if the airline has already rejected your claim or does not reply; if the cause is disputed ("extraordinary circumstances"); if a non-EU airline or a complicated itinerary is involved; if you do not want to go to court yourself; or if several passengers or a larger amount are at stake.
It is not necessarily worth it if the case is clear-cut and the airline is cooperative – then the airline's own form takes 10 minutes and the full amount is yours. If they still reject you afterwards, you can always turn to AirHelp then.
Frequently asked questions
Is AirHelp trustworthy?
AirHelp has been operating since 2013. It is a German company based in Berlin (AirHelp Germany GmbH), has helped more than 27 million passengers, and has a Trustpilot rating of 4.5/5 from 245,000+ reviews. It is the best-known and largest player in the market, and it brought several leading passenger rights cases before the Court of Justice of the EU (for example C-28/20 Airhelp v SAS).
Which languages does it work in?
AirHelp's website and claim form are available in several languages, including English, and customer service answers by e-mail. The embeddable checker widget exists only in English.
What if AirHelp loses in court?
You still pay nothing: AirHelp bears the legal costs. The "no win, no fee" principle applies to legal action too.
How long does it take?
Simple cases take 4–8 weeks, disputed ones 3–6 months, and court cases 6–18 months. You can follow the status in your AirHelp account.
Why do you recommend AirHelp in particular?
Because it is the largest provider, with its own legal team and court experience in the most countries, and because it has a partner programme – which we state openly. There are alternatives (AirAdvisor, Flightright, Skycop) with similar fees; you will find the fee details on our fees page.
Transparency: EU261 Flight Delay is a member of AirHelp's partner programme. If you submit a successful claim through a link on our site, we receive a commission of 15% of AirHelp's fee, or 20% for an AirHelp+ membership. This does not affect your compensation or the fee you pay. The information above is based on AirHelp's public information as of October 2026. EU261 Flight Delay is not AirHelp and is not the official AirHelp website. Details