There’s nothing quite as exciting as jetting off on that luxury holiday you’ve been looking forward to for months – and the prospect of lazing on a paradise island, sipping on cocktails and letting the good times roll is one that appeals to most of us at this time of year.
But sometimes, even the most meticulously organised holidays don’t go to plan, and travel delays and cancellations can quickly put a dampener on the entire experience. If you’ve ever spent hours waiting in the airport for updates or been forced to turn around and go home again before even checking in for your business class reservation, then you’re not alone. Even splashing out on first class doesn’t always guarantee you a seamless experience, and those long, hot days of languishing in the sunshine can quickly begin to feel like a distant dream.
The good news, though, is that you can claim compensation for disruptions like these to at least, in part, make up for the inconvenience, additional expenses and lost holiday time.
According to the law, passengers are entitled to compensation if their flight is delayed, cancelled, or overbooked – so if you’re worried that plans could go awry again next time you plan to fly, then it’s wise to have the relevant information up your sleeve.
The European Air Passenger Rights Regulation provides information about the rights passengers are eligible for in case of various circumstances that lead to a disrupted flight, with compensation amounts depending on flight distance, origin, destination, and other conditions. In general, you can get compensation if your flight is delayed by more than three hours – provided both departure and landing are in a European country and that the carrier is also registered in Europe – and you’re also entitled to cancelled flight compensation if your flight is cancelled less than 14 days before the departure date.
Compensation amount
For travellers who qualify for flight compensation, the amount awarded can be anywhere from €250 to €600, depending on your flight distance.
For flights up to 1,500 km, the compensation is €250; rising to €400 for journeys ranging from 1,500 km to 3,500 km. For flights that are longer than 3,500 km, the compensation awarded stands at €600 – however, for flights that took place (or were scheduled to) entirely within the European Union, the maximum amount of compensation you are eligible for is €400.
To file your claim with the airline, you’ll need to gather all of the documents that prove your flight was disrupted. It’s worth bearing in mind that isn’t always the quick and easy process you might hope for, and often, a significant amount of time and effort is required to get the money you are owed. But, for those of you who lead a busy lifestyle or are unable to complete the process alone for any reason, then thankfully, there are several delayed flight compensation companies that will do all of the legwork on your behalf.
Here, we take a look at some of the best of them.
Companies that offer flight compensation in 2023
SkyCop
Skycop is a flight compensation company that assists passengers in claiming compensation under EU law when flights are delayed, cancelled or overbooked, and offers an easy three-step procedure to claim your compensation.
To submit your claim, you’ll simply need to provide Skycop with all the necessary documents to prove your flight was disrupted, and they’ll then determine whether you’re eligible and if so, how much your compensation should be. Then, you can simply sit back and wait while Skycop negotiates with the airlines, contacts authorities, and fights for your rights. Once the case is won, Skycop receives the compensation and transfers the money to you, minus their fee – and most importantly, there are no upfront payments involved. So, if the company doesn’t win your case, you don’t have to pay.
FlightRight
FlightRight is another flight cancellation compensation company that helps clients get a ticket refund or compensation if they have experienced delayed, cancelled, rebooked or missed connecting flights.
The company states that it has already claimed over €350,000,000 in compensation for its customers, which is no small feat.
In order to file flight compensation claims via FlightRight, you first need to enter your flight details on the FlightRight website to ensure you are eligible for compensation or refund. If the answer is yes, then you’ll pay a small amount of commission to the company in order for it to proceed with your claim.
Once the commission is received, FlightRight’s travel law experts will begin the procedure of claiming the compensation you’re owed, and if the case is successful, your money will be forwarded to you immediately. If a carrier refunds your ticket within seven days, the company’s service will be provided free of charge.
FairPlane
Similarly to Skycop, FairPlane is a ‘no win, no fee’ flight compensation service provider with a 98.5 percent success rate. FairPlane has access to a variety of flight information, weather data, and databases on aircraft movements, which allows it to make sure that carriers won’t speculate on ‘extraordinary circumstances’ and provide you with fair compensation, with commission only payable should your case be successful.
Although the company is located in the United Kingdom, FairPlane works with many European air carriers and countries.
AirHelp
AirHelp has already supported over 16 million passengers in claiming the flight compensation they are entitled to since 2013 and is considered the world’s largest air passenger rights organisation.
AirHelp offers great customer service, with more than 200 claim agents on hand to give you regular updates and answer any questions you may have – and again, work on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis.
FlightClaimEU
As FlightClaimEU is a member of CCN Aviation, the company has broad access to resources that might not be available to others, which means the claims it submits on behalf of its customers are usually resolved a bit faster.
FlightClaimEU not only provides assistance with filing delayed or cancelled flight claims, but also deals with baggage delay, loss and damage as well as an airport tax refund for unused and cancelled tickets – making them the go-to if your compensation needs are a little more complex than the norm.
The bottom line
Flight delays and cancellations are something we all dread when jetting off on that dream luxury holiday, but while issues like these can’t always be avoided, it’s reassuring to know that all does not have to be lost if they arise.
In most cases, if your flight is delayed for more than three hours, a carrier should at least provide passengers with support services such as free meals and drinks, as well as access to two free calls.
Keep in mind that you are not eligible for flight compensation in case of unexpected circumstances that are not an airline’s fault – like strikes and incidents, bad weather conditions, and airplane manufacturing flaws. However, in the instances where you are entitled to compensation, you can use the sum towards rebooking that five-star fortnight in the sun or that sophisticated city break in Europe – or simply put it towards some extra champagne on the flight over.
