Background
Back in 2019, a friend and I flew on Vueling Airlines from Paris to Barcelona. We were delayed slightly over 3 hours, making us eligible for compensation under EU261. In short, Vueling wouldn’t pay us out, so I used the website AirHelp to assist in getting us our compensation. I previously wrote on how 4 years in, I was still waiting on AirHelp compensation, and I’m happy to share that 6 years later, we have finalized the process and gotten paid!
Currently, in 2025, for flights under 1,500 km, you’re supposed to get 250 EUR if you arrive 3 hours past your scheduled arrival time. At first, I tried working directly with Vueling, as their website does have a page highlighting flight disruptions. I requested compensation through the online form but was denied as they said the delay was out of their control. I even replied with a screenshot showing the app explaining that the delay was due to maintenance (which should be eligible for EU261), but they didn’t budge.
AirHelp Process
After being rejected by Vueling, I went over to AirHelp! AirHelp’s front page says:
Did you have a delayed or canceled flight? Get up to $650 compensation per passenger, no matter the ticket price. No win, no fee!
So, I filed a claim, and within a week, they said my claim looked strong and wanted all the documents for my flight (tickets, passports, etc).
Good news! Although the airline is not cooperating with us, your claim is still looking strong. We’ve been given the green light to move to the next stage with your claim for compensation for your Vueling Airlines flight. This means we are one step closer to getting you your money.
An additional week later, on April 30th, 2019, I got a message saying:
Thanks for providing us with all of the information we asked for in support of your claim for compensation for your Vueling Airlines flight. You’ve done your hard work, and now it’s our turn. Our flight experts are ready to argue your case and convince the airline to pay you. We’ll be honest, this part can take a bit of time. But remember, you’re in very good hands. We win 95% of claims that reach this stage. So we’ve got a very good chance of winning with your claim.
May 2019 to May 2023
Then, they would send me a monthly status update from May 2019 to February 2021. Each message was similar to:
“We know you’re still waiting patiently for some good news on your compensation claim…”
I understood the delay, with the pandemic during those times. I got a more detailed reply in March 2021:
We would like to let you know, that we have already taken legal steps in regard to your case and it is currently in the hands of our lawyers.
And in September 2021 there was a new update which stated:
As you are aware, we are in the midst of legal action against the airline. In the months leading up to the court’s final decision, there are a few more steps to take. Once the preparatory hearing is concluded, both sides prepare for the final court date, which must be appointed within the next 12 months. The date of this hearing is determined by the court’s calendar and, as such, unfortunately, we have no influence over it.
May 2023 to January 2025
Hmm, I suppose it’s taking a while to get a court date… I asked for an update in May 2023, and we got:
The claim is in the legal action started stage. Due to the specific nature of legal proceedings, the Legal action started stage may last up to a few months or even more than a year before the judgment is made. We will be getting back to you once we have a breakthrough.
Finally, in January 2025, I got an email with the title “We won your claim!” How exciting. It said that payment could take up to 2 months.
Then, about 1.5 months after getting the email that they won the claim, I got an email stating it was “Payout time!” and that they were ready to transfer the funds. Once I filled out my bank information, it transferred in just 3 days. Woo-hoo! Been a long time coming!
Payouts + Fees
About fees for this service, you don’t have to pay anything upfront, as the fees are taken out of your compensation. It shows that our flight compensation is USD 542.74 (which is 250 EUR times 2 passengers converted to USD). Then, there is a service fee of USD 135.69 and a legal action fee of USD 135.69. We got paid USD 271.37 ($135.69 per passenger), which is half of the EU261 stated amount.
The Verdict
Overall, part of me is surprised that AirHelp actually paid out my claim. It has been 6 years in the works, but given the pandemic and all, I did assume the legal process of going through court would take a while, but I never thought it would take 6 years. I would consider using AirHelp again in the future, as the process was relatively straightforward, but perhaps I would try other avenues first before reaching out to AirHelp.
Have you used AirHelp before? Has AirHelp paid you compensation for your delayed or canceled flight? Feel free to share below!
Cheers,
Ty
Have any questions? Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!
