How To Get Compensation For Delayed or Canceled Flights

There is no worse way to begin a trip whether it’s for work or pleasure than with a flight delay. Delays and cancellations can leave you wondering if your trip was meant to be, and they can cause major headaches. Not only will you have to change your travel plans, but you’ll have to worry about getting compensated. Understandably, many travelers struggle with how to get compensation for delayed or canceled flights.

The best way to get compensation for delayed or canceled flights is to use companies like ClaimFlights and Flightright. ClaimFlights takes a 25% commission fee, and you only pay them if you win your claim.  Other flight delay claim companies like ClaimCompass, SkyRefund, and AirHelp can help you get compensation and collect up to 35% of your winnings.

Most flight delay claim companies can only help you if you flew to or from the EU. You don’t have to be an EU resident to get help from a claim company, however. Follow along as we explore how to get compensation for delayed or canceled flights.

How Much Does Your Flight Have To Be Delayed To Get Compensation?

You can typically only get compensation for a flight if it has been delayed by 3 hours or more. Compensation policies vary depending on the airline and where you are flying to and from. If your flight is delayed for 3 hours or longer, you can contact a claim company to help you get your compensation.

A claim company can help you get compensated for delays under the umbrella of EU law. This doesn’t just apply to EU citizens, however. You can get compensation in many cases through companies like many flight claim companies if you travel to or from an EU country.

Filing false claims can carry legal penalties, however, so you should only file a claim if your flight was delayed for at least 3 hours. If your flight is only delayed by 2 hours, then the airline is likely to give you a free drink or food item as compensation.

Am I Entitled To Compensation If My Flight Is Canceled?

You are entitled to compensation if your flight is canceled. An airline will typically compensate you if they cancel your flight within 14 days of the trip. In some cases, the airline will reach out to you about compensation.

Otherwise, you will need to contact them to see about compensation or rescheduling your flight. This can be a frustrating process depending on the airline, and that’s why many travelers use flight delay claim companies. While airlines should compensate you if your flight is canceled, this process can take months.

That’s why many travelers go through claim companies to communicate with the airline on their behalf. Not only does this take away most of the stress involved in the process, but it can also make it go by much faster. Keep track of each time you communicate with an airline whether you make a claim or not so you can help your case and receive compensation.

How Do I Get Compensation For a Delayed Flight?

You can either get compensation for a delayed or canceled flight through the airline or a claim company. Unfortunately, airlines aren’t always too helpful when it comes to canceled and delayed flights, and claim companies may be the best option. This is especially true if you experience delays or cancellations during peak travel times.

Getting in line to talk to a travel agent only does so much. It helps to call the airline because there will be a record of the phone call in case you have problems later on. However, it’s necessary to contact a flight delay company in many cases because airlines often make it difficult to get compensation when you deserve it.

Luckily, there are several impressive flight delay and cancellation claim companies that make it easy to get compensation. EU law entitles travelers to compensation, so you are in a great position to get money back if you travel to or from the EU. Let’s take a look at the best flight delay claim companies and see how they compare.

ClaimFlights

ClaimFlights is one of the top flight delay claim companies around. They are quite useful if you’ve traveled to or from the EU and experienced a delay or flight cancellation. It’s easy to file a claim through ClaimFlights because of the website’s simple interface.

You can also check to see if you are eligible for compensation through their website free of charge. Simply enter your flight number and date, answer a few questions, and see if you meet the criteria. It’s important to keep track of your communication with the airline so you can provide it to ClaimFlights to get the best results with your claim.

They currently provide some of the best returns including up to €450 or more on delayed or canceled flights that spanned over 3,500 KM. ClaimFlights has many great reviews and the company is often applauded for the fact that you don’t pay them if you don’t win the claim. They only charge a 25% commission fee if you win your claim, and that’s low compared to most companies.

Flightright

Flighright is another useful claim company for travelers that were unable to get compensation from an airline. Airlines sometimes intentionally make it difficult to get compensation and instead try to offer vouchers. However, Flightright makes it known that you are entitled to money and you don’t have to accept those vouchers.

You must submit key information such as your flight number, itinerary, and flight date. They will ask whether you or the airline canceled the flight and whether or not they offered you a refund. From there, Flightright can tell you if you can make a valid claim.

If everything checks out, they can help you get compensation of up to €300 or more. Currently, Flightright takes a fee of 20% to 30% of your compensation if you win the claim.

ClaimCompass

ClaimCompass helps eligible travelers get compensation for a variety of claims. They can help you with claims for delays, cancellations, missed connections, and overbooking if you are eligible. Once you provide important information like your flight number, ClaimCompass will continually update you about your claim.

If you win your claim, ClaimCompass will take a 35% commission of the compensation. Many customers find this commission worthwhile while others think that is too high. It may take up to 16 weeks for your claim to go through, but ClaimCompass is transparent about that.

They have received many positive reviews online, and they are generally considered quite reliable.

SkyRefund

SkyRefund is a reliable, transparent, and easy-to-use flight delay and cancellation claim service. Their website is useful and clearly explains what qualifies you for compensation and what information you must provide for it to work. They can help you file a claim for compensation whether you missed your flight, were denied a flight, your flight was canceled, or it was delayed. SkyRefund currently collects a 35% commission fee from the compensation you receive from the airline.

While that is a high commission fee, many people find it worthwhile considering SkyRefund does the work for you. They mostly get positive reviews, but some customers complain online about the slow response time for emails.

AirHelp

Like any reputable flight claim company, AirHelp takes care of communicating with the airline to help you get compensation. They handle everything from filing a claim to covering legal fees if it eventually goes to court. AirHelp is confident enough in its services that they don’t charge you a fee if you don’t win the claim.

It’s worth going to AirHelp if an airline is simply uncooperative and won’t respond to your claims. Over 1 ½ million travelers have used AirHelp to file claims against airlines over delayed or canceled flights. AirHelp works with nearly 40 law firms throughout several countries to help win as many claims for their customers as possible.

No flight delay claim company has a perfect track record, however, so it helps that you only pay a commission if you lose your case. AirHelp mostly has great reviews, but some users have complained that the compensation is too small compared to the size of the commission fee.

Source: Flight delay payout price comparison over ClaimFlights website

Summing It Up

Flight claim companies like ClaimFlights are the best way to get compensation for delayed or canceled flights. Other companies like Flightright, ClaimCompass, SkyRefund, and Airhelp are quite helpful as well. It helps to use a flight delay claim company because they do all the work for you.

These companies require you to submit important information to verify your claim. This includes your ticket price, flight number, itinerary, and any prior communication with the airline regarding the delay or cancellation. Each of these companies collects a commission fee if you win the claim, but ClaimFlights takes the smallest fees.