AirHelp

AirHelp Ltd. is a claims management company that enforces passenger rights against airlines in cases of flight disruptions.[1] AirHelp is also known for publishing annual rankings of airports[2] and airlines.[3]

AirHelp
Typeprivate
Industryclaims management
FoundersHenrik Zillmer, Nicolas Michaelsen and Greg Roodt
HeadquartersBerlin
Number of employees
over 350
Websitehttps://www.airhelp.com/en/

The company was founded as a startup by Henrik Zillmer, Nicolas Michaelsen and Greg Roodt in 2013.[4] Its operation is based on European Regulation No 261/2004, under which passengers in the EU are entitled to compensation in the event of denied boarding, cancellation or a long delay of flights.[5]

Services

AirHelp assists passengers in claiming compensation for flight disruptions that fall under the clauses of Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004. It determines the eligibility of individual travelers through a web form and an app for Android and iOS devices.[6][7] This initial assessment of cases is offered as a free service. If the firm considers that users are entitled to a compensation, users may commission the company to pursue their claim in exchange for a success-based fee.[8][9] Relying on this procedure, AirHelp has reportedly helped more than 10 million passengers claim compensation in over 30 countries.[10]

In cases in which an airline rejects an out-of-court settlement, AirHelp takes legal action. On several occasions, this activity has prompted courts to clarify previously disputed legal questions regarding passenger rights.[11]

To substantiate claims against airlines, AirHelp compiles information from multiple databases to reconstruct the circumstances of flight disruptions in question. The company's former CEO Zillmer states that their use of AI technology enables the company to cross-check passengers' eligibility for compensation against the excuse of weather conditions that airlines often use to reject claims.[12] The company's co-founder Nicolas Michaelsen has also stated that airlines have to offer proof when flights are disrupted due to weather.[13]

In February 2019 the company added two new bots to their existing bots "Herman" and "Lara": the new bot dubbed "AgA" reviews all claims coming into the AirHelp website and app, whereas "Docky" automatically requests additional travel documentation that may be needed for a decision to be reached.[14][15]

Although most passengers seem to be satisfied with AirHelp's services, some aviation authorities have warned it will lead to fare increases.[16]

Criticism

The company has been criticized for a lack of transparency regarding its collaborations with travel agencies, and for openly stating that it treats flight disruptions as business opportunities to attract partnerships.[17] In response to the accusation that AirHelp and other companies in the field of flight compensation management are making a business out of something that a traveler is entitled to for free, its former CEO Henrik Zillmer has said that airlines make it difficult for passengers to know their rights and claim for compensation.[18]

Global rankings

Each year since 2015 AirHelp produces a global report of airport and airline rankings. The airports are ranked according to on-time performance (60%), service quality (20%) and food & shops (20%),[19] while airlines are ranked to on-time performance, service quality and claim processing, with each category weighted equally.[20] AirHelp utilizes its own databases, commercial vendors and passenger surveys to compile the necessary data for their reports.[21] On the basis of their AirHelp Score,[22] Bloomberg News has reported on the best and worst airlines and airports in the world for the years 2018[23] and 2019.[24] AirHelp rankings have also been used in articles by a number of other media outlets, such as MSN[25] and Forbes.[26]

Airlines
Ten Best Airlines
Year 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th
2019 Qatar Airways American Airlines Aeromexico SAS Qantas LATAM Airlines WestJet Luxair Austrian Airlines Emirates
2018 Qatar Airways Lufthansa Etihad Airways Singapore Airlines South African Airways Austrian Airlines Aegean Airlines Qantas Air Malta Virgin Atlantic


Ten Worst Airlines
Year 72nd 71st 70th 69th 68th 67th 66th 65th 64th 63rd
2019 Thomas Cook Airlines EasyJet Kuwait Airways Korean Air Ryanair Norwegian Laudamotion Transavia Aerolineas Argentinas Adria Airways
2018 WOW Air Royal Jordanian Airlines Pakistan International Airlines EasyJet Air Mauritius Ryanair Korean Air Iberia Aerolineas Argentinas Jet Airways

Airports
Ten Best Airports
Year 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th
2019 Hamad International (DOH) Tokyo Haneda International (HND) Athens International (ATH) Afonso Pena International (CWB) Gdansk Lech Wałęsa (GDN) Sheremetyevo International (SVO) Singapore Changi (SIN) Rajiv Gandhi (HYD) Tenerife North (TFN) Viracopos/Campinas (VCP)
2018 Hamad International (DOH) Athens International (ATH) Tokyo Haneda International (HND) Cologne Bonn (CGN) Singapore Changi (SIN) Nagoya Chubu Centrair (NGO) Viracopos/Campinas (VCP) Amman Queen Alia (AMM) Guararapes-Gilberto Freyre (REC) Quito International (UIO)


Ten Worst Airports
Year 132nd 131st 130th 129th 128th 127th 126th 125th 124th 123rd
2019 Lisbon Portela (LIS) Kuwait International (KUW) Eindhoven (EIN) Henri Coandă (OTP) Malta International (MLA) Manchester (MAN) Paris Orly (ORY) Porto (OPO) Billy Bishop Toronto City (YTZ) London Gatwick (LGW)
Year 141st 140th 139th 138th 137th 136th 135th 134th 133rd 132nd
2018 Kuwait International (KUW) London Stansted (STN) Lyon–Saint-Exupéry (LYS) Paris Orly (ORY) Stockholm Bromma (BMA) Manchester (MAN) Boryspil International (KBP) Edinburgh (EDI) Bordeaux Merignac (BOD) Eindhoven (EIN)

See also

References
  1. Tims, Anna (2017-08-28). "Need help to claim after a flight delay? As firms cash in, beware the small print". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2019-10-10.
  2. "World's Top Airports Revealed". AirHelp. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  3. "World's Top Airlines Revealed". AirHelp. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  4. May, Kevin. "How I Got Here, episode 9 - Henrik Zillmer of AirHelp | PhocusWire". www.phocuswire.com. Retrieved 2019-11-02.
  5. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 February 2004 establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights, and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 295/91 (Text with EEA relevance) - Commission Statement, 2004-02-17, retrieved 2019-10-10
  6. "AirHelp – Flight Tracker & Delay Compensation - Apps on Google Play". play.google.com. Retrieved 2019-10-14.
  7. "AirHelp – Flight Compensation". App Store. Retrieved 2019-10-14.
  8. "AirHelp's Win-Win Service Fee". AirHelp. Retrieved 2019-11-02.
  9. "My Experience With AirHelp – Can You Get EU Compensation For a Flight Cancelled Over Two Years Ago? Yes, You can – Details Inside". Anglotopia.net. Retrieved 2019-11-02.
  10. Lonergan, Aidan. "Ryanair voted one of the worst airlines in the world". The Irish Post. Retrieved 2019-11-02.
  11. Wood, Donald. "Airline Passenger Rights Group Wins Landmark Claims Case in Europe". TravelPulse. Retrieved 2019-11-02.
  12. Alpiner, Michael. "This App Has Helped Air Travelers Recoup $369 Million". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-10-14.
  13. O'Brien, Sara Ashley (2015-06-24). "Airlines owe fliers $10 billion". CNNMoney. Retrieved 2019-10-14.
  14. Loten, Angus (2019-02-21). "AirHelp Adds Bots to Help Handle Airline Passenger Claims for Compensation". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2019-10-14.
  15. Singh, Manish (2019-02-05). "AirHelp's new bots collect airline compensation for passengers". VentureBeat. Retrieved 2019-11-02.
  16. Newenham, Pamela. "Start-up AirHelp putting fear into airlines". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2019-10-14.
  17. Tims, Anna (2018-10-26). "Beware firms trying to take a cut of your flight delay claim … you can do it for free". The Guardian. Retrieved 2019-11-02.
  18. "Before you use a flight-delay compensation company, take a minute to think twice". The Washington Post. February 2, 2017.
  19. "Travelers Agree That This Is the Worst Airport in America". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
  20. "American Airlines makes big leap in ranking of world's top airlines". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
  21. "AirHelp ranking of airlines and airports of 2019; Singapore's Changi in 7th spot". The Business Times. 2019-05-09. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
  22. "World's Top Airports Revealed". AirHelp. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
  23. "The Best and Worst Airlines and Airports of 2018". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
  24. "The Best and Worst Airlines and Airports of 2019". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
  25. "Travelers Agree That This Is the Worst Airport in America". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  26. Talty, Alexandra. "Qatar's Hamad International Named Best Airport In World". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
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