Today we’re sharing our experience with flight delays — and in particular, with AirHelp+ and whether it’s worth it.
Who hasn’t experienced a delayed or even cancelled flight? Of course, you can always handle everything yourself and submit your claim directly to the airline. Filling out a contact form is something anyone can do. But that’s where the stress often starts with some airlines. From personal experience, the responses range from outright rejection to acceptance — and sometimes the wrong amount being offered. (Yes, a missing or extra zero can make quite a difference.)
That’s where AirHelp comes in. The company specialises in asserting your claims against airlines — and taking them to court if necessary. Why does AirHelp (and similar platforms) do this? Simple: if they succeed, they take a commission. If they don’t, it costs you nothing.
AirHelp offers two options: you can either let them handle your claim on a commission basis, or sign up for a membership called AirHelp+ that unlocks additional benefits. Let’s take a closer look.
For either €39.99 (Smart — three trips per year) or €99.99 (Pro — nine trips per year), you not only skip the commission but also unlock the following additional benefits.
What immediately stands out are the extra benefits for flight disruptions, delayed baggage, and lounge access.
First things first: you need to register your trips in a separate form to activate this additional coverage. But once that’s done, reimbursements come through quickly. From personal experience, I’ve always received AirPayout benefits very promptly. Another plus: this is paid on top of any compensation you may already receive from the airline.
Those who know me will be aware that I’ve had my fair share of bad luck with checked baggage. As soon as you notice at your destination airport that your luggage didn’t make it, you can fill out the PIR (Property Irregularity Report) form either at the counter or via app, which some airlines also offer. Send that along with a copy of your ID and bank details to AirHelp, and you’ll receive a €100 reimbursement to your account pretty quickly.
For lounge access, there’s nothing you need to do in advance. Once your flight is delayed by three hours or more, you’ll receive an email with a QR code — which is also saved in your profile and remains valid for three months.
The one requirement is that you’ve entered your flight details in advance — at least 24 hours before your first flight departs.
Where Are the Downsides?
It all sounds almost too good to be true, right? Well, one major change compared to the past is that coverage is now capped at just 3 or 9 trips per year — and prices have gone up by roughly 100%.
Then there’s the chat support, which isn’t exactly beyond reproach. The agents do their best, but they’re also working with translation software, so finer details can sometimes get lost. There’s no phone number for support, so if something’s unclear, you’re essentially hoping to be paired with a competent agent.
Another limitation — understandable as it may be — is that you can’t register flights where you depart and return to the same airport on the same day. The keyword here is mileage run, and I think you know what I mean.
You’ll also receive a fair number of (unnecessary) emails at times, which can get a bit annoying — but on the flip side, it does help you not forget to register any of your flights.
The screenshots still reference €150 — that’s because I’m on an older plan that’s unfortunately no longer available.
Verdict
Yes, this service can absolutely be worth it with just one delay per year. But remember — it’s insurance, and you shouldn’t be disappointed if you never need to use it. Instead, be glad everything went smoothly. In those unfortunate cases where things do go wrong, it’s a great complement to any existing travel insurance, and a convenient way to hand off the hassle of dealing with airlines.
In the interest of full transparency, please note that LastManBoarding receives a commission if you sign up through our link.
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