FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do you have a question about flight right and how we help you to achieve your rights? Here is the most important information for you at a glance.
Why choose us?
Flightright is the leading defender of air passenger rights in Europe. Since 2010 we have ensured that passengers receive the compensation that is rightfully theirs after suffering from delays, cancellations or being denied boarding.
Our success rate in court is 98% and we have already enforced more than €500,000,000 worth of claims on behalf of our customers. We put you on equal footing with the airlines. Anyone that enlists the services of Flightright takes advantage not only of our experience, but also our reputation within the airline industry. Due to our high success rate in court, many airlines now prefer to pay our clients’ compensation as soon as we make contact with them. Consequently, if a passenger wishes to enforce their compensation claim, they certainly improve their chances of success by claiming through us.
We will assist you from start to finish, ensuring that the whole process is stress-free. All airline interactions are handled by us and, as we operate on a no-win no-fee basis, there is no financial risk on your part.
How much does it cost?
Upfront, nothing. Flightright works on a no-win no-fee basis and so there are no costs for you if your claim is unsuccessful. If we successfully pursue your compensation our standard procedure is to transfer you the funds once we receive them from the airline, minus our success fee of 20-30% (+VAT). If your case requires the commission of our contract lawyers, we will charge additionally a surcharge of 14%, only applicable in case of success.
How do I open a case with Flightright?
To open a case with Flightright, you need to enter your flight details into our online compensation calculator. This step only takes a few minutes. We will ask you a few questions about your flight so that we have all the information we need to process your request. If you have any questions about our compensation calculator or encounter any difficulties, please contact us and a member from our team will be happy to assist you.
How long do I have to submit a claim?
Under UK law, you can claim for flights up to 6 years in the past. This means you have plenty of time to submit your claim.
Can I submit a claim on behalf of someone else?
Yes, you may submit a claim on behalf of others you were travelling with. You can also submit a claim for affected passengers without being a passenger yourself. It should be noted that in this case only the actual passengers will be contacted directly. If you wish to act as a contact person (e.g. as a relative), you may specify your email and telephone data in the appropriate information fields. You should not, however, list yourself in the claim if you did not travel. It is also important to note that only the passengers themselves can receive compensation, regardless of who originally paid for the trip or created the claim.
My flight was part of a package holiday. Am I still entitled to compensation?
Yes, package travellers have the same rights and claims under the Air Passenger Rights Regulation
My delay was less than three hours but it caused me to miss my connecting flight. Do I have a claim?
If a disrupted flight caused you to miss your connection and you arrived at your final destination with a delay of over three hours, you are able to make a claim with us. The flights must have been booked under the same reservation number and operated by the same airline, or with airlines that operate under a codeshare agreement (e.g. British Airways and American Airlines). If you are unsure about whether or not you can include your connecting flight in your claim, please include any connections when you create your case and we will check for you.
How does the compensation calculator determine the success of my claim?
The compensation calculator is automated to provide a logical assessment of your claim. It will immediately tell you whether or not you are entitled to compensation. It should be noted that this assessment does not guarantee the success of your claim.
The compensation calculator says that my case is unlikely to be successful. What can I do now?
If the compensation calculator indicates that your case is unlikely to succeed, this means the claim conditions under the Air Passenger Rights Regulation have not been met. This does not necessarily mean that you cannot claim compensation. If you have any uncertainties, our service team is here to help.
Does Flightright handle claims for additional costs (such as transport, meals or accommodation)?
Currently, we only enforce claims regarding a flight delay, cancellation or denied boarding. If you incur additional costs you may submit supporting documents directly to the airline. This in no way diminishes the chances of success in your case.
Should I keep all my flight documents?
Yes! Please keep any flight documents you have as these may be necessary if your case is passed to our attorneys. Such documents include your booking confirmation, boarding passes and delay/cancellation confirmation. If you travelled to/from Spain, France or Italy, or flew with an airline that is based in one of these countries, boarding passes are especially important. If you do not have any of these documents, don’t worry. You can still open a claim with us. We enforce the majority of our claims without any documents and only ask you for them when it becomes really necessary.
How do I send my documents to Flightright?
After submitting your claim via our online compensation calculator, you are invited to upload your boarding passes directly through our website. If you don’t have your flight documents handy when opening your claim, you can upload them later via our online portal (“My Portal”). You will find all the information you need in email we send you as soon as we receive your claim. In principle, it is also possible to send your documents by e-mail, whatsapp, post or fax at any time.
How long does it take before I get my compensation?
The processing time of each claim varies from case to case. The particulars of each flight, airline and legal situation all influence the length of time your case will take to resolve. An exact specification is therefore not possible; however, we will always keep you up to date regarding the status and progress of your claim.
How can I check the status of my claim?
You are able to check the status of your claim on our online portal. We will also email you with updates whenever we receive news about your case and you can always contact us directly via email or phone.
When do the contract lawyers get involved?
Flightright is a legal services company that works together with contract law firms across Europe to enforce claims in court. We ourselves are not able to appear before a court; therefore, if necessary, we recommend you engage our contract lawyers so that the airline is taken to court if it declines to pay.
Do I have to pay any legal fees or lawyer costs?
There is no financial risk in engaging our contract lawyers. If your court case is lost or partially lost, Flightright alone bears all the costs. If a settlement is agreed upon, with your consent, the costs will be deducted from your claim. Please note that our success fee will be recalculated based on the total amount of compensation that is awarded after any reductions. This means that our fee will be reduced if any court costs occur.
How will the compensation be paid out?
We pay our customers by SEPA transfer. Of course, you do not have to send us your account details until we have been able to successfully enforce your claim. You can send us your bank details using an encrypted procedure via “My Portal” or in writing by e-mail, post or fax. We do not accept bank details over the phone.
Please keep in mind that some airlines make direct payments to customers. If you receive a direct payment from the airline, please inform us promptly and we will provide you with instructions on how to transfer our commission fee (+ VAT) to our account.
You have requested my IBAN number, what is this?
If your case is successful, we will request your International Bank Account Number — or IBAN for short — to transfer your compensation. This is different from your account number and tends to be 22 alphanumeric digits long, including a country code at the beginning. If you do not know your IBAN number, you may be able to locate it on your bank statement. Alternatively, your bank will be able to provide you with it. This information can then be securely entered into our online portal. Please note that bank account funds cannot be debited, withdrawn or transferred using only your IBAN. The IBAN is used solely to credit or transfer funds into bank accounts.
The airline has contacted me directly, what should I do?
This is not at all uncommon. Airlines often make direct contact with our clients after receiving our request of payment. We ask that you notify us immediately and forward any correspondence you have received from the airline to us. Please note that we are entitled to our success fee in the event that you are paid directly after we have contacted the airline.
I have received a summons to appear as a witness in court. Why am I being summoned? What should I do?
If this happens, don’t worry. Airlines often use as part of their defence strategy the denial of Flightright’s formal entitlement that the passenger has assigned his claim to Flightright, or they deny that the signature for the assignment originates from the passenger. In this way, the airlines try to delay the proceedings and, on the other hand, to ensure that Flightright cannot prove in court that the claim has been assigned to Flightright. The hope here is in particular that this effort is too high for the passenger or that the fear of legal proceedings is too great for him, and that this can mean a saving for the airline in the end. In our experience, the easiest way is to answer the court’s questions briefly and truthfully and send them back. Often this can be done in writing, so you don’t even have to appear in court in person. If you have any questions or problems about this, you can easily contact us at service@flighright.com, and we will support you throughout the process.
Can I have two claims companies working on my case at once?
Customers are not permitted to hire more than one company to work on their claim. Enlisting multiple companies to work on your case will result in confusion with the airline and could mean that you have to pay multiple success fees in the event that you receive compensation. Please see section 5.3 of our terms & conditions for more information.