Europe’s new Legal-Tech giant: refund.me joins forces with AirHelp
After more than 10 years helping customers in more than 130 countries worldwide with their flight refunds and compensation claims, Germany based refund.me GmbH is now joining forces with AirHelp. With over 27 million passengers currently eligible for flight compensation worldwide (including 2,8 million in the UK), this cooperation consolidates AirHelp’s position as the world’s largest consumer legal-tech company.
Strong set up to tackle post-crisis consumer needs
“The coronavirus pandemic delivered a lingering and possibly longlasting punch to the air travel industry and passengers. These are extraordinary times and as such need extraordinary measures to continue to help air passengers and we are excited that our customers can continue their journey at AirHelp, the leading player in this market”, said refund.me GmbH CEO Dr. Andreas Berger.
With flight traffic being down by more than 50% compared to the previous year, 2020 has been a challenge for several legal-tech companies that are specialised on enforcing flight delay and cancellation compensation claims against airlines. However, even in times of COVID-19, millions of passengers were exposed to serious flight disruptions for which airlines, not the pandemic, were at fault. Those consumers need accessible and affordable legal help more than ever. AirHelp’s advanced AI-powered algorithms are able to analyse compensation claims within milliseconds to determine their eligibility, and will now be able to help even more passengers assert their legal rights.
“Our mission to help air passengers, when their travel takes an unexpected turn, has proven to be even more important during a time of crisis. With a strong backing from our investors in 2020, we are now ready to help even more passengers in 2021 with more services than before. We truly respect refund.me as a brand and are honoured that their customers have the opportunity to pursue justice through AirHelp” says AirHelp’s CLO Christian Nielsen.
These are the Passengers’ Rights
Brexit did not affect the rights of UK passengers. In fact, the rules of the EC 261 legislation are still in effect. It means that passengers who experienced lengthy flight delays, cancellations, or were denied boarding, may seek financial compensation between €250 (£223) and €600 (£536) per person. The amount of compensation that a passenger receives is decided by the flight distance and not the ticket price.
Passengers may claim compensation as long as the airline is responsible for the flight problems (e.g. technical issues, airline crew strikes, or crew shortages). Situations deemed as extraordinary circumstances, such as storms or medical emergencies, mean that the operating airline is exempt from the obligation to compensate passengers. In other words, extraordinary circumstances do not qualify for flight compensation.
About AirHelp:
AirHelp is the world’s largest organisation specialising in air passenger rights, helping travellers get compensation for delayed or cancelled flights and in instances of denied boarding. The company also takes legal and political action to support the growth and enforcement of air passenger rights worldwide. AirHelp has aided more than 16 million people, is available worldwide, and provides support in 16 languages.