If you travel enough you start to collect your share of horror stories along with those good memories, souvenirs and photographs. Lost luggage, delayed flights and, one of the most irreplaceable assets, lost time waiting in the airport for updates are all part of the unpredictable nature of travel.
Last year, 109,000 passengers departing or returning to Canada from European destinations alone faced some kind of flight mishaps and while it’s a given that these frustrating moments on your trip guarantee wasted time, you being compensated for it is not. Here is where AirHelp comes in to ensure you find a better landing when dealing with such disputes.
“Throughout many years of international travel, we noticed the frustrating trend of flight delays and interruptions that were routinely taking place without good cause,” says Henrik Zillmer, Co-Founder and CEO of AirHelp, the leading edge technology company that knows what many Canadians do not: disruption of their flight may make them legally eligible for compensation. More so, obtaining it doesn’t have to be an arduous task. They know because they’ve done the research.
“When we dove deeper we realized the scale of the problem, the level of difficulty involved in claiming compensation and the amount of money being left unclaimed by travelers,” continues Zillmer. “What was lacking was an understanding of flyers’ rights and a means for travelers to easily claim the money they are entitled to. This issue is only exacerbated for Canadian travelers attempting to claim in a foreign market with language and legal barriers.”
Almost nine million flyers are entitled by law to flight compensation per year, not just here in Canada but on a global scale, a statistic not lost on those at AirHelp as well as award-winning travel expert Heather Greendwood Davis (GlobeTrotting Mama). She’s recently teamed up with the company to share her advice on what you may have coming your way should your dream trip turn into a nightmare.
“Flying has become second nature to me, but the unpredictability of flight delays and cancellations are some of the biggest stressors when travelling. Now with AirHelp literally in my back pocket I have peace-of-mind before takeoff,” says Heather.
She’s referring to the tech AirHelp has developed. Their web and mobile apps were created to do the heavy lifting so you only need worry about your carryon when boarding. They keep it all in your pocket and with a push of a button AirHelp scans your boarding pass to tell you if you are eligible for compensation for tickets up to three years back. Then, AirHelp eliminates the stress of applying for flight compensation in a foreign country by fighting the tiresome legal battle on behalf of the passenger.
“Most countries – including Canada – either have created or are working towards having laws that hold airlines accountable for passenger delays,” says Christian Nielsen, Chief Legal Officer at AirHelp. “But despite these laws, what we found is that airlines often reject compensation claims without providing a reason or simply fail to respond to complaints.”
“Europe’s EC261 law is trailblazing the way in the international arena for passenger rights and assistance. With AirHelp, we want to extend the benefits and reach of that law to travelers of all nationalities flying in and out of Europe,” continues Nielsen.
Through this law, the reward can be substantial, especially when you consider it is allocated per passenger. This could mean each individual is eligible for as much as $899 CDN in recompense. Since launching in 2013, AirHelp has aided more than five million people process airline compensation claims worth almost $477 million CAD in total reimbursement. With offices across the world in 30 countries, they offer support in 16 languages to try to share this valuable insight with as many who need it as possible.
Right now there’s over $65 million in unclaimed flight disruption compensation. Don’t leave your hard earned travel money up in the air! Get AirHelp now for more information and get paid if you're delayed!
