Flight Compensation: DIY or Use AirHelp?

Short answer: If your case is clear and you have solid proof, claim the compensation yourself. It is free and you keep 100 percent. If the airline stonewalls you, the case is old or complicated, or you simply have no patience for paperwork, use a service like AirHelp. It takes around 35 percent on success but costs you nothing if the claim fails.

Your flight landed three hours late. Or it got cancelled, and nobody at the desk really wanted to help. Here is the good news: in Europe you are often owed several hundred euros. The bad news: airlines rarely make it easy. That is exactly where the question comes up. Do you chase the money yourself, or do you let someone handle it who does this every day?

What EU261 actually guarantees

The EU261 regulation is the foundation. It covers flights departing from the EU, and flights into the EU operated by a European airline. Three things matter.

You are owed compensation for long delays of three hours or more at your destination, and for cancellations. Also for denied boarding due to overbooking. The amount depends on flight distance. Short haul up to 1500 kilometres: 250 euros. Medium haul: 400 euros. Long haul over 3500 kilometres: up to 600 euros. These sums are per person, not per booking.

Responsibility is the deciding factor. The airline only pays when the problem is its own fault. Technical faults, staff shortages, scheduling chaos: it pays. Under extraordinary circumstances it does not. That covers severe weather, air traffic control strikes, security risks or political situations. This grey zone is exactly where airlines love to argue. For the full picture, see our guide to your rights when a flight is cancelled and our breakdown of delay compensation under EU261.

Worth knowing: the compensation is independent of your ticket price. Even a 49-euro ticket can trigger 600 euros. And it is separate from any refund of the fare itself if the flight was cancelled.

Path 1: Claim it yourself

The DIY route is free. You keep the full amount, not a cent goes to a middleman. With a clean case, it is often faster than people expect.

The steps are manageable. First, gather all your proof: boarding pass, booking confirmation, and if possible written confirmation of the delay or cancellation. Photograph the departure board with the time. Note down what the staff told you. Then contact the airline in writing, ideally by email or through their complaint form. State your flight, the date, the length of the delay and refer clearly to EU261. Ask for a specific amount.

Here comes the catch. Many airlines reply evasively. They offer vouchers instead of cash, claim extraordinary circumstances, or stay silent for weeks. This is where you need patience. Set deadlines, write again, stay polite but persistent.

If that leads nowhere, you escalate. In most EU countries there is a national enforcement body or an ombudsman for air passenger rights. The procedure is usually free for you. You just hand over your evidence and wait. In the UK and Ireland, for example, the civil aviation authorities and approved dispute schemes handle these complaints. All of them cost you nothing and only need your documents and a little time.

The DIY path fits when the case is clear, your paperwork is in order, and a few weeks of persistence are no problem for you.

Path 2: A service like AirHelp

AirHelp and similar providers take over the entire claim. You submit your flight details, the service checks the claim and handles the rest. That includes the back and forth with the airline and, if needed, taking it to court.

The model is simple: no win, no fee. If nothing comes through, you pay nothing. On success, the service keeps a commission of around 35 percent. So on 600 euros you walk away with roughly 390 euros. If legal action is required, the commission can be higher.

The advantage is the effort you skip. The service knows the airlines’ tactics, has standard processes, and is not afraid of court. That is exactly what makes the difference when the airline has already refused or the case is legally tricky. You enter your data and wait. Nothing more.

The downside is obvious: a good third of your compensation is gone. For a simple case you could have solved yourself in two emails, that is a lot of money for very little work on their end.

The decision grid

Keep it simple with these questions.

Go the DIY route when: the case is clear (an obvious delay, the airline clearly at fault), you have all your proof, and a few weeks of follow-up do not bother you. You keep the full amount.

Use a service when: the airline has already refused or strung you along for months, the case is complicated (connecting flights, codeshare, disputed cause), the incident happened a year or two ago, or you simply have no energy for bureaucracy.

There is a middle path too. Try it yourself first. If the airline refuses or ignores you, hand the case to a service afterwards. The commission on 600 euros hurts a lot less when the alternative was zero.

A note on deadlines: how far back you can claim depends on the country whose law applies. It often ranges from two to six years. So do not wait forever, but an older case is not automatically lost. If you are unsure, let a service check it. You will see in seconds whether it is still valid.

Ready for your next trip?

Keep your flights, hotels and plans in one place instead of digging through ten emails. With the Zercy logbook you plan in peace, and if something goes wrong you have every booking detail at hand the moment you need to file a claim.

FAQ

How far back can I claim flight compensation?

It depends on the country whose law applies to your flight. The window often runs from two to six years. A flight from last year is almost always still in range. If you are not sure, let a service run a free check. It will tell you instantly whether the claim is still valid.

What does AirHelp cost?

Checking and filing are free. You only pay on success. Then the service keeps a commission of around 35 percent of the compensation. So on 600 euros you keep roughly 390 euros. If the case goes to court, the share can be higher.

Do I get compensation for bad weather?

Usually not. Severe weather counts as an extraordinary circumstance the airline cannot control. Even so, you are still entitled to care, such as meals, a hotel and re-routing. Sometimes the exact cause is disputed. In that case a check by a service can pay off.

Is the DIY route even worth it?

Yes, when the case is clear. You keep the full amount with no deduction. For an obvious delay, clean proof and a bit of patience, one or two emails to the airline often do the trick. A service only becomes interesting once the airline starts blocking you.

Flight Compensation: Claim It Yourself or Use AirHelp?