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In September 2022, I was scheduled to fly on a Vueling flight in Spain that was canceled. I knew that I could potentially get compensated for this flight cancellation and associated delays thanks to EU261 rules. What I didn’t expect was that it would take so long to get the money the airline rightfully owed me. However, thanks to AirHelp, I was able to receive my EU261 flight compensation. Here’s my full AirHelp review and the details of how I finally got paid!
What is EU261 Flight Compensation?
The European Union has strong compensation rules for flight delays and cancellations. Other governments, including the United States, are trying to implement similar compensation. These laws help prevent airlines from canceling flights just because they might not be full, overbooking flights, or failing to conduct regular maintenance to avoid unscheduled disruptions.
EU261 Eligibility
From the EU website, you are eligible if:
- If your flight is within the EU and is operated either by an EU or a non-EU airline
- If your flight arrives in the EU from outside the EU and is operated by an EU airline
- If your flight departs from the EU to a non-EU country operated by an EU or a non-EU airline
- If you have not already received benefits (compensation, re-routing, assistance from the airline) for flight-related problems for this journey under the relevant law of a non-EU country.
It doesn’t matter if you are not an EU citizen or resident! You are still eligible for compensation for the delays and cancellations outlined below.
EU261 Flight Issues
You are eligible for EU261 compensation in various circumstances. The list includes flight delays, cancellations, overbooking, downgrades, missed connections, lost or damaged luggage, and disability issues.
Compensation is not awarded in the case of extraordinary circumstances such as weather, security issues, and air traffic management. Weather is the most common reason you might not be eligible for money, especially since airlines often try to use weather in other places as an excuse not to pay out.
EU261 Compensation Amounts
As of this writing, here are the compensation amounts for flight delays. Other circumstances have other compensation amounts. See the EU site for full details.
| Amount in EUR | Distance | Delay at arrival at final destination |
|---|---|---|
| 250 | 1,500 km or less | 3 hours or more |
| 400 | More than 1,500 km within the EU and all other flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km | 3 hours or more |
| 600 | More than 3,500 km | 3 hours or more |
What is AirHelp?
Your first option should always be to go directly to the airline you flew with and apply for compensation. However, this doesn’t always work. While the eligibility rules for EU261 flight compensation are pretty clear, airlines don’t always comply with them. Some airlines are notoriously bad for fighting every claim, particularly budget airlines.
This is where AirHelp comes in.
AirHelp is a service that helps travelers get the EU261 compensation they are rightly owed. They only get paid if your claim is successful (although they do also offer premium AirHelp Plus services – see more details below). The fees range from 35% (regular claims) to 50% (claims that require legal action).
While this may seem high, consider that if you have already submitted a claim on your own that was denied, you have likely reached the end of the line otherwise. At that point, your choices are zero compensation or letting AirHelp help you out for a portion of the claim and still making money in the process.
AirHelp will guide you through the claims process, helping you gather and submit your flight information and other details. If the airline still rejects what should be a valid claim, AirHelp will even file legal claims on your behalf. This is what ultimately needed to happen regarding my flight compensation.
My travel experience with Vueling in September 2022
In September 2022, I was scheduled to fly from Barcelona to Oviedo, Spain, on Vueling. After arriving at the airport, checking in, and going through security, I received a notification on my phone while waiting in the lounge. My flight had been canceled.
To their credit, Vueling had put me on the closest flight possible that day: going from Barcelona to Bilbao instead. The departure was three hours later than my original flight. This then required a long bus ride from Bilbao to Oviedo (at Vueling’s expense), but I would at least get there that night so my hotel room wouldn’t go to waste.
Now, I will note that aside from getting to my destination many hours after I was first scheduled to arrive, everyone associated with Vueling was great that day.
This doesn’t mean, however, that they aren’t required to make payments under EU flight compensation rules. Given that I had to reschedule work meetings due to the flight cancellation, this hadn’t been some minor inconvenience.
About a month later, I applied for compensation, citing the flight cancellation and delay getting to my final destination, as well as their email stating it was for “technical reasons,” which are not extraordinary circumstances.
I received this reply the same day.
It was clear that Vueling would be fighting my claim. Initially, I gave up, figuring that there was no way I would ever receive anything. However, I later learned about AirHelp, so it was time to bring in some professional assistance about 18 months after my trip.
My experience using AirHelp’s EU261 Compensation
My process of getting AirHelp compensation was started off easy enough.
I created an account and then followed the steps to begin a claim. The AirHelp claim process is straightforward. They ask questions about the flight and then request as much supporting information as possible so you have the best chance of winning the claim.
Since I had already tried contacting Vueling on my own, I had low expectations that AirHelp’s initial attempt would work. This was correct, as Vueling once again rejected the claim.
AirHelp would now have to take legal action in a court in Spain on my behalf.
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This would increase the AirHelp fees from 35% of my claim to 50%, but I didn’t mind. I have zero knowledge of the Spanish legal system, so there was no other way that I would be receiving anything. I have no problem paying someone for expert work, especially if I will also hopefully benefit in the end. Plus, if the legal claim was rejected yet again, I would owe nothing.
AirHelp also offers an AirHelp Plus service, which includes fee-free claims and a variety of other perks and services for an annual fee. If you travel in Europe frequently, consider subscribing to make potential claims much easier and more lucrative.
About a month after my initial AirHelp claim was rejected, I received notice that AirHelp had taken legal action on my behalf, submitting my claim to a Spanish court. Then, the waiting began.
Honestly, I forgot that I had even applied for the EU261 claim, but without an effort on my part, work by AirHelp had been ongoing.
But in December 2024, about eight months after I had first reached out to AirHelp, I got an e-mail. The legal action had been won, and my compensation was ready to be claimed!
I submitted my bank transfer information and received the money in U.S. dollars two days later (the first business day after my request). I could have also had the payment sent by check.
Although it took some time, the process was painless.
Is AirHelp Legit? Review & My final EU261 award
It’s understandable that one might think that a service like AirHelp might be a scam since the promise of getting money without spending anything out of pocket can seem too good to be true.
However, after my experience with them, I assure you that AirHelp is legit.
The process took a while, but it was worth the wait. Thanks to their expertise, AirHelp won me 125 Euros (deposited as $131 USD) that I would not have otherwise received. That’s money that I can put towards my next trip!
Have you had EU flight delays, cancellations, or lost luggage? Try AirHelp for yourself!
