Posted: 3/27/21 | March 27th, 2021
Things don’t always go as planned on the road. lost luggage, delayed flights, travel scams — there are tons of things that can derail your trip.
While serendipity, mishaps, and surprises are part of the allure of travel, the one mishap no one likes is a delayed flight.
There’s no fun in missed connections and long delays, especially after little sleep and long travel days.
As someone who flies regularly, I’ve experienced pretty much every hiccup there is. Delays, cancelations, lost or delayed luggage, overbooked flights — the list goes on.
While I always get travel insurance before I go abroad, there is actually a company out there designed specifically to help travelers safe compensation when flight delays and cancelations strike.
It’s called Airhelp.
Since its founding in 2013, AirHelp has helped over 16 million people get compensation for delays and canceled flights arriving in or departing from the European Union.
I used them in 2019 when I was on my way to Paris. My connecting flight was delayed over eight hours and, thanks to EU rules, I was entitled to get compensation from the airline.
The problem was that I didn’t really want to chase tap Air Portugal for months on end. people said that they drag the process out in hopes you’ll give up (which lots of do). As someone who was only in Europe for a short time, I realized the last thing I wanted was to spend my little time in living in Paris on the phone with TAP. I indicate who wants that kind of stress in the land of wine and cheese?
So I decided to use AirHelp.
In the end, it took about five months before I was refunded my money. but it was refunded and all I had to do was fill out a small form. AirHelp took a considerable percentage, but I got everything the EU said I was legally entitled to receive.
So, if you’re traveling to/from Europe on a European carrier and there’s a mishap and you’re wondering what to do, here’s an overview of how AirHelp can help you get compensated for delayed and canceled flights:
What Does AirHelp Cover?
The EU has strong consumer protection laws, which means that if you have a flight arriving in or departing from the European Union and it is delayed or canceled, or if you experience certain other circumstances, you may be entitled to compensation, which ranges from $300 to $700 USD, depending on the severity of the delay.
Note: If your flight does not originate or arrive in the EU, or if the carrier is not headquartered in the EU, you’ll be unable to apply for compensation.
Here’s a quick overview of what is covered by AirHelp:
Delays of over three hours where the airline is at fault (i.e., no weather delays)
Flights canceled with 14 days of departure and no suitable alternative is offered
Overbooked flights
Missed connections due to delay, cancelation, or overbooking
Lost or damaged luggage
For an in-depth look at AirHelp’s coverage policies, check out its in-depth guidelines.
How Do I submit a Claim?
To make a claim, simply visit AirHelp.com and follow the prompts, with your flight details and boarding pass at hand. It takes two minutes and is super easy. The site will tell you ideal away if you have a claim.
You can apply for compensation for delayed flights up to three years after the date, which means if you’ve had a flight to or from the EU with a three-hour delay (or more) sometime in the past three years, then you can still make a claim for compensation.
Does AirHelp cost Money?
Making a claim is free. You only pay AirHelp if it wins your compensation claim. It will take 35% of the compensation, however (50% if they have to go to court).
While that is a substantial percentage, remember, you only have to do two minutes of work. Not a bad trade if it wins you a couple of hundred bucks!
Does AirHelp work for Flights in the US?
In the us government’s own words, “There are no federal laws requiring airlines to supply passengers with money or other compensation when their flights are delayed.”
In order to apply for compensation via AirHelp, your flight need to take off from the EU or land in the EU — and be flown by an airline with headquarters in the EU.
Unfortunately, if you’re flying a us airline, you won’t be entitled to compensation unless that airline has its own policy stating otherwise.
How Do the compensation rules work in the EU?
EU guideline EC 261 is the main protective piece of legislation that protects passenger rights in Europe. It’s the driving force behind your ability to make a claim.
Under EC 261, you are entitled to file a delayed flight claim for $700 (600 EUR) if:
You arrived at your destination a lot more than three hours late.
The flight took off in the EU (from any airline) or landed in the EU (provided that the airline is headquartered in the EU).?
You checked in for your flight on time.
Your flight operated no a lot more than three years ago.?
The airline è responsabile del ritardo (circostanze operative, difficoltà tecniche, ecc.).
Non importa se la compagnia aerea ti ha già fornito buoni di cibo o di viaggio: ti dovranno comunque un risarcimento. Finché soddisfi i requisiti di cui sopra (anche se non sei un cittadino dell’UE o un cittadino) sarai coperto e idoneo a presentare un reclamo.
Perché non farlo da solo?
Puoi assolutamente inseguire una compagnia aerea per un risarcimento se hai tempo. Alcune compagnie aeree lo rendono relativamente facile mentre altre ti faranno saltare attraverso i cerchi. Se hai il tempo e la pazienza, puoi farlo da solo e mantenere il 100% del tuo risarcimento.
Non volevo farlo da solo. Il tempo è denaro!
E certamente non ho bisogno di molto più stress nella mia vita.
La tassa di Airhelp è piuttosto grande, ma il 35% da non avere a che fare con questo è valsa la pena per me.
Risparmierai un sacco di tempo e aumenterai le possibilità di ottenere un risarcimento utilizzando Airhelp. Ha una comprovata esperienza e sa come ottenere i tuoi soldi nel modo più rapido e conveniente possibile.
***
La prossima volta che il volo viene annullato o ritardato, non eliminare solo un buono. Prendi due minuti e esegui un reclamo tramite Airhelp. Alcune centinaia di dollari in tasca sono meglio di niente, specialmente quando potresti spendere quei soldi nel tuo prossimo viaggio!
Nota: questa non è una pubblicità a pagamento. Airhelp non mi ha fornito alcun compenso per scrivere questo. Questa è solo una recensione del servizio in quanto molti lettori continuano a chiedermi la mia esperienza usandoli.
Prenota il tuo viaggio: suggerimenti e trucchi logistici
Prenota il tuo volo
Trova un volo a basso costo usando Skyscanner. È il mio motore di ricerca preferito perché cerca siti Web e compagnie aeree in tutto il mondo in modo da sapere che non viene lasciata nulla di nulla.
Prenota il tuo alloggio
Puoi prenotare il tuo ostello con Hostelworld. Se vuoi rimanere in un posto diverso da un ostello, usa Booking.com in quanto restituiscono costantemente le tariffe più economiche per le pensioni e gli hotel.
Non dimenticare l’assicurazione di viaggio
L’assicurazione di viaggio ti assicurerà contro malattie, lesioni, furti e cancellazioni. È una protezione dettagliata nel caso in cui qualcosa vada storto. Non ho mai fatto un viaggio senza di essa perché ho dovuto usarlo molte volte in passato. Le mie aziende preferite che offrono il miglior servizio e valore sono:
Safetywing (migliore per tutti)
Assicura il mio viaggio (per quelli più di 70)
Medjet (per ulteriore copertura di evacuazione)
Pronto a prenotare il tuo viaggio?
Dai un’occhiata alla mia pagina delle risorse per le migliori aziende da utilizzare quando viaggi. Elenco tutti quelli che uso quando viaggio. Sono i migliori in classe e non puoi sbagliare usarli durante il tuo viaggio.