AirHelp alternatives: what each service actually takes
Updated August 2026 · 6 min read
Every claim company does the same thing: they prepare your EU261 claim, send it to the airline, and chase until it pays. None of them can get you more than the others — the amount is fixed by law, not by negotiation. The only real difference is how much they keep.
| Option | Fee | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Yourself, direct Free. About 30 minutes upfront, then follow-ups over a few months. | 0% | €600 |
| Compensair Builds and chases the claim for you. No win, no fee. | ~25% | ~€450 |
| AirHelp Best known. Fee rises once a case goes legal. | 35-50% | €300-390 |
| Flightright Higher fee once court proceedings begin. | 20-45% | €330-480 |
Based on a €600 payout (long-haul, 4+ hour delay). Fees as publicly stated in 2026 and subject to change.
First, check whether your flight qualifies — free, 30 seconds
What went wrong?
1/4Why nobody gets you more than you would
Regulation (EC) 261/2004 sets fixed amounts: €250, €400 or €600 depending on distance. There is nothing to negotiate. A claim company has no leverage you lack — it simply has the routine and the patience to keep chasing.
When paying a service makes sense
- The airline already rejected you and you are unsure how to challenge it.
- The case is likely heading to court — they front the legal costs.
- You know you will not chase for six months. A commission on money received beats 100% of a claim you abandoned.
Doing it yourself
- Check your actual arrival time on FlightRadar24 — arrival delay is what counts, not departure.
- Email the airline citing Regulation (EC) 261/2004 with your flight number and booking reference.
- No satisfactory reply within 8 weeks? Escalate free to your national enforcement body (CAA, DGAC, LBA…).
Our claim letter template, calculator and deadline table are free.
Transparency
SubRadar does not handle claims and takes no cut of your compensation. If you use a partner service through a link here, they pay us — at no extra cost to you. That funds the free guides on this site. We deliberately list the do-it-yourself option first, which earns us nothing, because it is usually the better deal.