Best Flight Compensation Services 2026: AirHelp vs Flightright vs Going Direct
AirHelp, Flightright, AirAdvisor, Skycop and Compensair compared on what they really keep — standard fee, court fee and VAT — with a source for every figure. Checked October 2026.
You were delayed for three hours. You know you're owed €250 to €600 under EU Regulation EC 261/2004. The next question is who gets it for you — and how much of it they keep.
Every claims company advertises "no win, no fee". That part is true for all five companies below. What differs is the fee itself: on a €400 claim, you keep anywhere from €224 to €305, depending on the company and whether VAT is included. And if your airline refuses and the case goes to court, most companies charge more.
This guide compares the real numbers, taken from each company's own fee page or terms and checked on 10 October 2026. Where a company doesn't publish a figure, we say so.
The fee comparison (checked October 2026)
| Company | Standard fee | If it goes to court | You keep of €400* | Trustpilot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AirAdvisor | 30% incl. VAT | 50% in total, incl. VAT | €280 | 4.3 (2,600 reviews) |
| Flightright | 20–30% + VAT (about 24–36% incl. VAT) | a further 14% (34–44% + VAT) | €257–€305 | 4.7 (4,530 reviews)** |
| AirHelp | 35% incl. VAT | a further 15%: 50% in total, incl. VAT | €260 | 4.5 (244,891 reviews) |
| Compensair | 35% (VAT not stated) | a further 10%: 45% in total | €260 if VAT is included | 4.5 (1,698 reviews) |
| Skycop | 44% incl. VAT | 50% in total, incl. VAT | €224 | 2.7 (8,604 reviews) |
| Claim directly with the airline | Free | Your own costs | €400 | — |
*At the standard fee, if the claim settles without court. Flightright sets its exact rate (20–30%) when you order; the incl.-VAT range is our calculation using 19% German VAT. **Flightright's flightright.com profile. Its separate flightright.de profile shows 4.9 from 35,509 reviews.
ClaimCompass no longer operates separately: AirHelp acquired it in December 2024, and claimcompass.eu now redirects to AirHelp.
What the court fee does to your payout
The standard fee is only half the story. If the airline rejects your claim and the company takes legal action, the fee goes up at almost every company:
- AirHelp: 35% becomes 50%. On €400, you keep €200 instead of €260. AirHelp says legal action is needed in about 3% of its cases.
- AirAdvisor: 30% becomes 50% once external lawyers are involved — €200 instead of €280.
- Skycop: 44% becomes 50% — €200 instead of €224. Skycop may also go to court when it judges that quicker, not only after a refusal.
- Flightright: adds 14% on top of its 20–30% rate, plus VAT.
- Compensair: may add 10% when legal costs arise, for 45% in total.
Airlines that fight claims more often push more cases to court, so if you're claiming against one of them, the court fee matters more than the headline rate.
Other fees worth knowing
The fine print varies more than the headline rates:
- Paid directly by the airline? Flightright and Compensair say their fee is still due if the airline pays you directly after they've contacted it; Compensair asks you to tell it within 3 days. AirHelp can recover its fee if you withdraw and then get paid directly.
- AirAdvisor charges 40% on baggage and expense claims, with a €90 minimum on claims under €225. Some banks charge a €30 transfer duty, which you pay.
- AirHelp charges $29.99 on "goodwill" claims, and offers an optional AirHelp+ membership that replaces the success fee with a subscription.
- Skycop can charge administration and court costs if you end the contract after work has started.
- Compensair has a 7-day cooling-off period.
Which one should you use?
There's no single best company — it depends on your case:
- Lowest fixed fee: AirAdvisor at 30% including VAT. You know exactly what you'll keep at the standard rate.
- Biggest and most reviewed: AirHelp, with nearly 245,000 Trustpilot reviews and coverage well beyond the EU (UK, Brazil, Turkey, Canada and more). Its 35% includes VAT.
- Possibly cheapest, possibly not: Flightright quotes 20–30% plus VAT and sets the rate per case. At 20% it's the cheapest here; at 30% plus VAT it costs slightly more than AirHelp. Check the rate it offers you before you sign.
- Highest standard fee: Skycop at 44%, with the lowest Trustpilot rating in this comparison.
And remember the option that costs nothing: claim directly. Most airlines have an online claim form, and you keep 100%. It works well for clear-cut cases where you have time to follow up. A claims company earns its fee when the airline stalls, rejects you, or cites extraordinary circumstances you dispute.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which flight compensation company charges the least?
Among companies that publish a fixed fee including VAT, AirAdvisor is lowest at 30%: you keep €280 of a €400 claim. Flightright can be cheaper — its rate starts at 20% plus VAT — but it sets the rate per case. If the claim goes to court, AirHelp, AirAdvisor and Skycop all charge 50% in total. (Checked 10 October 2026.)
Do I need a claims company to get EU flight compensation?
No. You can claim directly from the airline for free and keep the full amount. Claims companies are most useful when the airline rejects or ignores your claim, or when you don't want to deal with escalation or court yourself.
Why do fees jump if my claim goes to court?
Court cases cost the claims company lawyers' time and court fees, so most charge more once legal action starts: AirHelp adds 15%, Flightright 14%, Compensair 10%, and AirAdvisor and Skycop move to 50% in total. You still pay nothing if the claim fails.
Is AirHelp or Flightright better?
At the standard rate, AirHelp keeps 35% including VAT; Flightright keeps 20–30% plus VAT, depending on your case. AirHelp has far more reviews and covers more regulations; Flightright is Berlin-based and has operated since 2010. See AirHelp's fees and Flightright's fees in detail.
How FlightOwed fits in
FlightOwed doesn't handle claims and never charges you. We check your flight for free — in about 30 seconds — and show you what each company really keeps, so you can pick the cheapest way to get your money. We may earn a referral commission from some of the companies above; it never changes what you pay or the figures we show.
Sources: each company's own fee page and terms (AirHelp "Our Fees", Flightright "Costs", AirAdvisor price list, Skycop price list, Compensair payment policy) and Trustpilot, all checked 10 October 2026. Fees change — the terms you accept at sign-up always apply.
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