AirHelp Discount

Airlines delay or cancel millions of flights each year, yet the majority of affected UK passengers never claim the compensation they are legally entitled to. AirHelp Compensation changes that — the service has helped 28 million passengers recover up to £520 per person under UK261 and EU261 regulations, and an AirHelp discount through BudgetFitter means you keep even more of your payout. With a 99.7% success rate built over 13 years, AirHelp is the most established flight compensation service available to UK travellers.

Most passengers abandon claims because dealing with airlines is time-consuming and often futile without legal knowledge. AirHelp discount holders on BudgetFitter benefit from a reduced fee on any successful claim, meaning the no-win, no-fee model works even more in your favour. Whether your disruption happened on a British Airways long-haul or a budget carrier short-hop, the eligibility rules are the same and the potential payout is significant.

Everything About AirHelp Compensation

What Flights Are Covered

AirHelp handles claims under two key regulations: UK261, which applies to flights departing from a UK airport or arriving into the UK on a UK or EU carrier, and EU261/2004, which covers flights departing from an EU airport or arriving into the EU on an EU carrier. Together, these regulations cover the vast majority of flights taken by UK passengers — including those booked on airlines like Pegasus Airlines operating EU routes.

The disruption types that qualify for compensation are: flight delays of more than three hours at the final destination, cancellations announced fewer than 14 days before departure, missed connections that result in arriving at the final destination three or more hours late, and denied boarding due to overbooking. Weather events and air traffic control strikes outside the airline’s control are typically excluded, but AirHelp assesses each case individually — circumstances that appear excluded often still succeed on closer legal inspection.

How the Claims Process Works

Submitting a claim takes approximately two minutes. You provide your flight details or upload your boarding pass, and AirHelp’s legal team takes it from there. They assess eligibility, build the case documentation, and enter into direct negotiations with the airline. You receive updates as the claim progresses and do not need to make any further contact with the airline yourself.

AirHelp operates on a strictly no-win, no-fee basis. Their standard fee is 35% of the compensation secured, inclusive of VAT, and it is deducted from the payout rather than charged upfront. If the claim is unsuccessful, you pay nothing. The service is particularly valuable for passengers who have already attempted to claim directly and been refused — airlines frequently reject legitimate claims at the first stage, but many of those claims succeed when pursued through a specialist service like AirHelp.

What You Can Claim and When

Compensation amounts are set by regulation and based on flight distance. Shorter flights typically qualify for lower amounts while longer disrupted routes attract the maximum. Under both UK261 and EU261, the top compensation rate reaches £520 per passenger — a meaningful sum, especially for families travelling together where each ticket holder can submit a separate claim. UK passengers have up to three years from the date of the disruption to file a claim, which means older delays are still worth checking.

Planning travel-related expenses around an expected payout? Services like Holiday Extras offer airport hotel, lounge, and parking deals that can be booked in advance to offset the cost of any future trip disruption, while Airalo eSIM is a practical way to stay connected during delays without incurring roaming charges.

Reducing the Cost of Your Claim

The verified AirHelp discount available through BudgetFitter applies a 7% reduction to the standard service fee. On a £520 claim, the difference is material — you retain a larger share of a payout that already took no upfront investment to pursue. BudgetFitter maintains the current verified offer in the deals section above, so the discount is always up to date. This is not a referral code arrangement — the discount applies via the verified link on this page and requires no code entry on your part.

AirHelp also offers AirHelp+, a subscription product that provides proactive flight protection and faster payouts for future disruptions. For frequent flyers who regularly operate on the same routes, a subscription can provide ongoing cover rather than a claim-by-claim arrangement. Both the standard claim service and AirHelp+ are accessible through the deals section on this page.

BudgetFitter members can also earn BudgetFitter Ally Rewards when signing up to AirHelp — visit the BudgetFitter AirHelp rewards page for the current offer.