AirHelp vs Compensair vs DIY Claim 2026 Compared

Short answer: If your case is clear and the airline pays without a fight, claim it yourself and keep 100 percent. If the airline stonewalls or you have no patience for template letters, use a service. For a simple, undisputed claim go DIY. For a shaky case that may end in court, use a no-win-no-fee service like AirHelp or Compensair.

Up to 600 euros per passenger. That is what a single flight delay can be worth. Yet most travelers walk away and leave that money on the table. Too complicated, they assume. But the real question is not whether you have a claim. It is who enforces it for you and what that costs.

Three routes are open. You do it yourself. You hand it to AirHelp. Or to Compensair. This article shows you honestly which route fits which case.

How much money are you actually owed?

Before you decide who does the work, you need to know what your claim is worth. EU Regulation 261/2004 tiers compensation by distance:

250 euros for flights up to 1,500 kilometers
400 euros for flights between 1,500 and 3,500 kilometers
600 euros for flights over 3,500 kilometers

The condition: you arrive at your final destination at least three hours late. Or your flight is cancelled and you were told less than 14 days out. Denied boarding from overbooking counts too.

One big catch. Under extraordinary circumstances the airline pays nothing. That covers severe weather, air traffic control strikes and political instability. Technical faults on the aircraft or a strike by the airline’s own staff usually do not count, so your claim survives. You can read the full rules on the official EU passenger rights page.

If you fly from a US city into Europe on a European carrier, EU261 protects you on arrival. Flying out of the EU, you are almost always covered regardless of the airline. That transatlantic gap catches a lot of American travelers off guard.

The UK261 twist after Brexit

Since Brexit, the UK runs its own version called UK261, enforced by the Civil Aviation Authority. The structure mirrors EU261, but payouts are in pounds: roughly 220 pounds for short-haul, 350 pounds for medium-haul and 520 pounds for long-haul. If your flight departed a UK airport or was operated by a UK carrier, this is the framework that applies. Same three-hour delay trigger, different currency.

Claiming it yourself: free, but hands-on

The DIY route costs nothing. You keep every cent. Here is how it works. You write the airline directly, state your flight number, date and delay, cite EU261 or UK261 and demand the correct amount. Most airlines have an online form for exactly this.

If the airline pays within two to four weeks, that was the best deal of your travel year. Zero percent skimmed off. Consumer groups publish free template letters you can copy.

The catch hits when the airline digs in. It claims extraordinary circumstances, ignores you or offers vouchers instead of cash. Then you need stamina: reminder letters, an ombudsman, and as a last step a lawsuit. That costs time and sometimes nerves. Our step-by-step guide to claiming yourself versus using AirHelp walks through the whole process.

What does AirHelp cost and what do you get?

AirHelp is the best-known player on the market. The model is No Win, No Fee. Lose, and you pay nothing. Win, and AirHelp keeps its commission.

The standard commission is around 35 percent of the compensation. If AirHelp has to go to court, an extra legal action fee of about 15 percent applies. In a lawsuit case, up to 50 percent goes to AirHelp. On a 600-euro claim you would keep 300 euros.

The upside: AirHelp has huge reach. It works with airlines across many countries, knows the carriers’ tricks and takes on the expensive court case without you carrying any cost risk. That is the whole point. You are buying convenience and buying your way out of the litigation risk.

What does Compensair do differently?

Compensair runs on the same core principle: No Win, No Fee. You only pay if you win. The difference is the price.

Compensair’s commission tends to be lower, in the region of 25 to 30 percent. If the case goes legal, an additional fee can apply. Compensair advertises a network of over 150 airlines across 60 countries and an average payout of around 450 euros per successful case.

Bottom line: on a successful claim, Compensair can leave a bit more in your pocket than AirHelp. The exact commission depends on the case and the moment, so always read the current fee note before you submit. Both services share the same logic. You trade part of your compensation for zero effort.

Commission, effort, risk: the decision grid

Here is the direct comparison so you can tell in a minute which route fits you:

Factor	Claim yourself	AirHelp	Compensair
Commission	0 percent	around 35 percent (up to 50 with court)	around 25 to 30 percent
Your effort	high	almost none	almost none
Cost risk	court costs on you	none	none
Payout on 600 euros	600 euros	around 390 euros (300 with court)	around 420 to 450 euros
Best for	clear case, time on hand	disputed case, court likely	disputed case, commission matters

The logic is simple. On a clear claim the airline cannot seriously contest, every percentage point you hand over is money given away. DIY almost always wins there.

The moment the airline resists, the picture flips. A service takes the litigation risk off your shoulders. Better 300 euros for certain than 600 euros on paper that you would have to sue for yourself. Between the two services, commission is the main tiebreaker, so an edge to Compensair, provided its reach covers your flight.

When does each route actually make sense?

Go DIY when your delay was clearly over three hours, no weather and no strike were involved, and you have two weeks of patience for one or two emails.

Go with AirHelp when the airline has already refused, is citing extraordinary circumstances or a lawsuit looks likely, and you want maximum enforcement power.

Go with Compensair when you also want convenience, do not want to run the case yourself, and every extra euro in the payout matters to you.

One ground rule always helps: try it yourself first. It costs one email. If the airline refuses or goes silent, bring in a service. The claim window for EU261 runs for several years in many countries, so you have time for this two-step plan. For the legal detail, see our overview of flight delay compensation under EU261.

Do not forget your travel insurance either. Some policies cover extra costs from a delay that EU261 never touches. Whether that pays off for you is covered in our guide to travel insurance.

Zercy: every receipt in one place

A claim is only as strong as your evidence. Boarding pass, booking confirmation, screenshots of the departure board and the airline’s emails decide between success and refusal. In the Zercy Logbook you collect all of it in one place, right there on the trip. So in a dispute you have every proof ready, whether you claim yourself or hire a service.

Frequently Asked Questions

How fast do I get my money?

DIY, lenient airlines often pay in two to four weeks. If the airline disputes it, months can pass. With AirHelp and Compensair the timeline is similar, and a court case can take a year or more, but you carry no risk.

Which service has the higher success rate?

Both services publish similar rates and have access to legal remedies that would be too costly for you as a private individual. Naming a blanket winner would be dishonest, since the rate depends heavily on the individual case and the airline.

What happens if my claim is rejected?

Under the no-win-no-fee model you then pay nothing at all. AirHelp and Compensair both carry their own cost risk. Claiming it yourself, you only risk your time, as long as you do not go to court.

Why does the airline sometimes still refuse to pay?

Usually it cites extraordinary circumstances such as bad weather or an air traffic control strike. Those cases genuinely are exempt from compensation. Technical faults rarely count, though, so here it pays to push back.

Flight Compensation: Which Service Gets Your Money? AirHelp vs Compensair vs DIY