AirHelp review: fees, ratings and whether the service is legit

AirHelp is one of the largest flight compensation claim services — the company pursues EU261 claims against airlines on behalf of travellers whose flight was delayed, cancelled or overbooked. This review answers what people actually want to know: is AirHelp legit or a scam, what does the service cost, have people really been paid, and when is it worth the fee. Short answer: AirHelp is an established, legitimate company that pays out real compensation — but the commission is high, and for simple claims it is often cheaper to claim yourself.

Advertising disclosure: Kravflyg earns a commission if you sign up with AirHelp through a link on this page. It does not affect what we write. This review points explicitly to the service’s weaknesses and recommends the free route where that is the wiser choice. Being open about how the site is funded is part of being a source you can trust — read more on the page about how Kravflyg is funded.

What AirHelp is — and what it is not

AirHelp is an agent, not a public authority. The service does the work you would otherwise do yourself: it assesses whether your claim holds up, contacts the airline, handles the correspondence, deals with rejections and, where needed, takes the case further to the regulator or to court. The label communities use for it — a passenger rights organisation — captures the role well: an intermediary between you and the airline.

What AirHelp is not: a gatekeeper to your rights. You can submit your claim directly to the airline free of charge and then, if needed, bring the dispute to ARN (Allmänna reklamationsnämnden — the Swedish National Board for Consumer Disputes, which resolves consumer disputes for a non-refundable filing fee of SEK 150). AirHelp does not sell access to the compensation — it sells being spared the work and the risk. That is an important distinction to be clear about before you judge whether the price is reasonable.

One thing to keep separate while we are on the subject: AirHelp pursues claims for compensation (the fixed amount of EUR 250–600 for the inconvenience), not refunds (your ticket money back when you no longer want to travel). It is the compensation that the service takes its commission from.

AirHelp does the work you would otherwise do yourself while you wait for the airline’s reply — in exchange for a commission on the compensation.

Is AirHelp a scam? The most direct answer

Check that you are using the service’s official website and read the agreement before providing personal or bank details.

What AirHelp costs — the fee without spin

The standard service uses a success-based fee. Read the agreement and price list; paid subscriptions such as AirHelp+ have different terms.

According to AirHelp’s price list checked on 26 October 2026, the service fee is 35% of compensation, including applicable VAT. Necessary legal action adds 15 percentage points, for a total of 50%. AirHelp+ and special terms can change the fees; check the agreement that applies to your claim.

Here is what that means in money:

Illustrative euro calculations for the standard fees. The table assumes full compensation without currency conversion or special terms. Check the agreement for your claim.

Check these points before choosing a claims service

Scope of this assessment: we compare published terms and costs with submitting a claim yourself. We do not assign a numerical rating or present our own customer-review statistics. This is not a hands-on service test by our editorial team. External reviews can provide context but cannot establish the likelihood that your particular claim will succeed.

• Calculate your net amount after the service fee and separately after any legal-action fee. Check VAT and whether the offer covers the standard service or a paid subscription.
• Read the contract: the contracting entity, power of attorney or assignment, how to end the agreement, and your obligations if the airline pays you directly.
• Compare the offer with claiming directly from the airline first. Keep the case reference, booking, evidence of the disruption and earlier replies.
• When reading reviews, consider the date, country and type of claim. Separate communication from the outcome; one person’s experience guarantees neither a timetable nor a payment.

AirHelp price list · Customer reviews on Trustpilot

Rating basis and fee source checked: 26 October 2026. The score and review count on the external platform change over time.

Our assessment without a numerical score

Scope of this assessment: we compare published terms and costs with submitting a claim yourself. We do not assign a numerical rating or present our own customer-review statistics. This is not a hands-on service test by our editorial team. External reviews can provide context but cannot establish the likelihood that your particular claim will succeed.

What speaks for AirHelp:

• You can delegate the work of pursuing a claim under the agreement.
• A success-based standard fee; also read the subscription terms and exceptions.
• Easy to use; handles rejections and escalation for you.
• Sensible for awkward, old or already-rejected cases.

What speaks against it:

• The service fee is 35%, with another 15 percentage points if legal action is necessary.
• A poor deal for straightforward cases you could just as easily have pursued yourself for free.
• Your claim’s handling time needs separate assessment; reviews provide no guaranteed timetable.
• You have to check the current percentage yourself — it can change.

Weigh the net amount, contract terms and your own time. Paying a claims service is a choice, not a guarantee of a particular outcome.

Who AirHelp suits — and who should claim themselves

AirHelp is a good choice if your case is hard or tedious: several legs and a missed connection, a contested cause the airline calls extraordinary, a claim that is a couple of years old, or an airline that has already said no and stopped replying. Equally valid: you do not have the time or energy, and 65–70 percent without the hassle beats 100 percent that never happens. In those situations the commission is reasonable — you risk none of your own money. If you want to go that route, you can hand your case to AirHelp.

AirHelp is a poorer choice if the claim is simple and recent — a clear delay of over three hours, a cooperative airline, the paperwork in order. Then the work is often an hour or two, and claiming yourself is free. In that case, start by working out what the claim is worth and follow the guide to claiming flight compensation yourself. A full walkthrough of the choice is on the page about claiming yourself or using a service.

This is not legal advice

This page is an editorial discussion of published terms, not a documented hands-on test or legal advice. Check the sources and obtain advice about your individual case when needed.

Frequently asked questions

Five questions close the review: whether AirHelp is legitimate or a scam, what it charges, whether people have actually been paid, whether claiming yourself beats using the service, and whether this site earns money from recommending it.

Is AirHelp legit or a scam?

AirHelp is a commercial claims service. This assessment is not an independent verification of individual payouts or a guarantee of your future compensation. Check the contracting entity, terms and contact details on the official website.

What does AirHelp charge?

According to AirHelp’s price list checked on 26 October 2026, the service fee is 35% of compensation, including applicable VAT. Necessary legal action adds 15 percentage points, for a total of 50%. AirHelp+ and special terms can change the fees; check the agreement that applies to your claim.

Have people actually been paid by AirHelp?

Customer reviews describe individual experiences, but we have not verified the underlying payouts. Read original reviews on the linked external platform and distinguish these accounts from what your agreement promises.

Is it better to claim compensation yourself than to use AirHelp?

For a simple, recent claim — a clear delay, a cooperative airline — it is usually better to claim yourself: it is free and you keep the whole amount. AirHelp makes more sense when the case is awkward, old or already rejected, or when you lack the time and energy. Then the commission can be worth paying to be spared the work and the risk.

Does this site earn money from recommending AirHelp?

Yes, and we say so plainly. Kravflyg earns a commission if you sign up with AirHelp through a link on the site. It does not affect our assessment — this review points explicitly to the service’s weaknesses and recommends the free route for simple claims. Being open about how the site is funded is part of being a trustworthy source of information.

Sources and further reading

• EUR-Lex — Regulation (EC) No 261/2004
• ARN (Allmänna reklamationsnämnden — the Swedish National Board for Consumer Disputes), arn.se — resolves disputes for a non-refundable filing fee of SEK 150
• Transportstyrelsen — Air passenger rights (the Swedish Transport Agency, the supervisory authority in Sweden)
• AirHelp's fee terms are stated on airhelp.com; Flightright states its commission publicly on flightright.se
• External customer reviews are available on Trustpilot through the link in the checklist above. We do not present them as our own customer statistics.

If you want to compare the options calmly, read claiming yourself or using a service. If you want to pursue the claim on your own, see the guide to claiming flight compensation yourself. Read more in Wizz Air flight compensation.

Last reviewed: 2026-05-17.