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If it seems like your flights are always delayed these days, you're not alone. Flight interruptions can really dampen your travel, which is why having some sort of trip insurance to compensate you in the event of delays and cancellations can help ease that frustration.
AirHelp is one service that can be worth considering to take some of the hassle out of filing your own claims. The platform also offers a refreshed AirHelp+ membership program and a new app that can provide some peace of mind in the case of travel interruptions. In this post, we will look at what those subscription plans entail and whether one is worthwhile for your own travel plans.
Page Contents
What is AirHelp?
AirHelp is best known as an advocate should you need to file a claim to get compensation for canceled or delayed flights and lost or delayed luggage. Because the rules for filing a claim can be complicated and each airline is different, AirHelp offers to do all the legwork for you. You'll provide your flight itinerary and some basic information, which AirHelp will use to determine whether you're entitled to any compensation — which can be a huge time-saver in and of itself.
There is no up-front cost to file a claim through AirHelp. Instead, you agree to pay AirHelp 35% of the compensation received from the airline. If AirHelp needs to get their attorneys involved to resolve your claim through legal action, their fee increases to 50% of your compensation. While that may sound high, for those who don't want to deal with the confusion of making a claim, it may be worth it.
AirHelp+ Membership
AirHelp also offers a paid membership program, AirHelp+, which waives those percentage fees and offers guaranteed payouts in certain situations. You can choose between two annual plans:
- Comfort
- Covers up to six trips per year
- Cost: $179.99/year
- Pro
- Covers up to nine trips per year
- Cost: $249.99/year
A trip is considered a complete travel itinerary, which means both a round-trip flight itinerary as well as a one-way itinerary are each considered one “trip.”
If you registered your trip with AirHelp in advance, each plan pays you $200 automatically for each trip should the following occur:
- Flight delayed by three hours or more on arrival
- Flight canceled in the 28 days before departure
- Flight diverted
- Missed connection due to disruption
- Your bag gets delayed or lost on arrival
This compensation is on top on anything the airline may offer you for your flight disruptions. Additionally, AirHelp provides access to 1300-plus airport lounges if your flight is delayed over one hour or canceled less than six hours before departure.
The compensation is only for the member — not fellow passengers — so these plans are more ideal for solo travelers. You can read the full terms and conditions here.
AirHelp App
AirHelp recently launched a new mobile app for iPhone and Android that streamlines all of their flight protection offerings. You can file and view your claim status or check out the details of your membership plan. Plus, the app provides free flight tracking where you can enter flight details and track live status updates and get alerts for any delay compensation.
Is an AirHelp+ Membership Worth it?
AirHelp's basic service — without upgrading to a paid membership — can certainly be beneficial for taking the hassle out of filing claims. But the steps for making those claims, although they differ by airline, are fairly straightforward.
Through my travels, I have made several claims under EU 261. It requires time and organization, but it can be completed fairly easily without having to pay a third party a hefty fee. That being said, it can get more complicated with legalese involved, so it's nice to know there is an advocate out there should you need it.
The new AirHelp+ membership plans are interesting on their own. For the infrequent traveler, the Comfort plan could be reassuring insurance for their one or two “big” trips per year. For the seasoned traveler, the $249.99 fee for the Pro plan may not even cover all their yearly planned trips. But if applied to the most risky trips (e.g., during winter or with short connections), one payout will mitigate most of the cost. Having the 35% fee waived with both plans really elevates the value of either subscription, especially for frequent travelers.
For peace of mind dealing with travel headaches, these AirHelp+ membership plans can be solid options.
Other Travel Insurance Options
The true determination of whether AirHelp+ memberships are “worth it” may lie in what travel insurance alternatives you have.
There are plenty of credit cards that offer the same sort of insurance as AirHelp. Some cards fall short of AirHelp's compensation; others blow it away. You can read our in-depth post on cards with travel insurance, but to highlight a few differences:
- The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Trip Delay Reimbursement provides up to $500 in reimbursement, but you must be delayed for 12-plus hours or overnight. It has more extensive insurance in areas that AirHelp+ does not, like rental car coverage and trip cancellation.
- The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card Trip Delay Protection provides up to $500 for a six-plus hour delay or required overnight stay. This is still longer than AirHelp's three-hour delay.
- Many American Express cards come with travel insurance, although the limits and terms can be confusing.
These credit cards typically have much more comprehensive travel insurance than an AirHelp+ membership, but not without a cost. Most credit cards have an annual fee, so the insurance isn't necessarily “free”. Plus, receiving compensation through credit card companies often requires an arduous filing process that takes time and may or may not be successful, while AirHelp+ provides payment quickly upon delay.
You can also purchase third-party travel insurance from a variety of companies for a single trip or annually. This is separate any trip protection or travel insurance you may get through a credit card. Regardless, it's best to compare the cost and benefits of an AirHelp+ plan to these other options to determine whether it's worth subscribing.
Related: The Best Rewards Credit Cards for Trip Interruption and Cancellation Insurance
Bottom Line
Travel interruptions stink. No one likes having their day or trip impacted by inevitable problems. Travel insurance can help lessen that pain. The services and plans AirHelp provides, while not for everyone, are solid offerings. For those without premium credit cards that offer insurance or who don't travel that often, AirHelp can assist here. However, for most, the coverage included with many credit cards in your wallet will be enough.
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