Under EU regulations, travellers are entitled to up to €600 compensation if their flight lands more than three hours late. But rather than fill out forms, this start-up is taking care of all the work. BTiQ spoke to Marius Fermi, UK country manager of AirHelp to find out more.
When were you launched?
January 2013
How many people are working for the company?
We currently have more than 500 full-time employees based in our offices across the globe.
Sum up what your company/product does in one sentence.
AirHelp helps passengers apply for compensation following a delayed, cancelled or overbooked flight.
What problem does it solve?
It's important — now more so than ever — that passenger service is a top priority of both airlines and airports, ensuring they receive the experience they deserve. Every year around 8 million passengers will be entitled to compensation but only 2% of those people will file for the compensation they deserve, leaving £2 billion in flight compensation unaccounted for each year, and this is what AirHelp is working to solve.
Why is it unique?
As well as having already helped more than two million travellers process airline compensation claims worth more than £150 million in total, we're also working to revolutionise the flight compensation industry, so far releasing two travel tech innovations.
In May, we unveiled the Boarding Pass Scanner, that enables passengers to instantly check their eligibility to flight delay compensation directly from their phone, and earlier this year, we launched Herman, the industry's first Artificial Intelligence-powered lawyer.
What platforms is it available on and can integrate with?
Our flight delay compensation checker is available online — on our website — and is available through the AirHelp app, which can be downloaded and used on Android and IOS devices. You can also find independent advice on your consumer rights when travelling on both platforms.
What markets is it available in?
We're a global business, so we're currently live in 30 countries across Europe, Asia and North America.
Which companies are using it already?
We target individual travellers rather than companies — our priority is helping these passengers gain the compensation that they are legally entitled to. Applying for flight compensation can be complex and time-consuming, taking an average of six to eight weeks from start to finish. We handle the entire process on their behalf, taking the stress out of applying for compensation, making it as hassle-free as possible.
What are your growth plans?
2016/17 has been a great period of growth for us at AirHelp. At the moment, our priority is to continue to develop and launch new travel tech innovations to make claiming compensation as easy as possible.