A claims agency typically takes 25–35% of your compensation, rising to around 50% if the case needs legal action. You are entitled to file the exact same claim directly with the airline and keep 100%. The only thing the agency really sells is convenience — and that's the part ClaimBox automates for free.
If your flight was delayed or cancelled, the first ad you'll see is usually a claims agency like AirHelp, Compensair, Flightright, Skycop or the UK law firm Bott & Co offering to "do it for you." What the ads tend to bury is how much of your payout they keep. Before handing over a quarter or half of what's yours, it's worth knowing that you can claim the same compensation yourself, for free, and that the amount is identical either way.
Side-by-side: every major service in 2026
All amounts and percentages are from each provider's published fee disclosures as of June 2026. All operate on a no-win-no-fee basis; you only pay when they recover money.
| Service | Standard fee | Legal action fee | Jurisdictions | Pays out in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AirHelp | 35% (incl. VAT) | +15% = 50% total | EU261 · UK261 · US DOT · Brazil ANAC · Türkiye SHGM | Up to 3 months |
| Compensair | ~25–30% | + legal fee if court | EU261 · UK261 · Israel · Türkiye | Up to 3 months |
| Flightright | ~20–30% + VAT | +~14% legal fee | EU261 · UK261 · Brazil | 3 weeks to several months |
| Skycop | ~30% | + legal fee if court | EU261 · UK261 | Several months |
| Bott & Co (UK law firm) | 25% + VAT = 30% | Included in 30% | UK261 · EU261 | Several months |
| ClaimFlights | ~27–30% | Varies | EU261 · UK261 | Several months |
| AirAdvisor | 30% (incl. VAT) | + legal fee if court | EU261 · UK261 · US DOT · others | Several months |
| ClaimBox (this app) | 0% — keep 100% | N/A — you file | EU261 · UK261 · US DOT · Montreal Convention | Directly from airline |
| File directly yourself | 0% | Free escalation to regulator | All | Directly from airline |
Reading the table. "Standard fee" is what the service keeps when it wins your claim without litigation. "Legal action fee" is the additional cut if a court case is required. "Pays out in" is the practical delay between your disruption and money in your account — agencies pay you only after the airline pays them, which takes weeks longer than dealing with the airline directly.
The real cost on a real claim
Take a single EU261 claim of €600 for a delayed long-haul flight from Frankfurt:
| Outcome | You keep | Agency keeps |
|---|---|---|
| You file yourself | €600 | €0 |
| Through AirHelp, no court | €390 | €210 |
| Through AirHelp, with legal action | €300 | €300 |
| Through Compensair, no court | €420–450 | €150–180 |
| Through Bott & Co | €420 | €180 |
For a family of four on the same flight, that 35% AirHelp standard fee adds up to €840 gone on a €2,400 entitlement. The agency did no extra work for the second, third or fourth passenger — but the percentage applies the same way to each.
Why you don't need an agency
Flight compensation regulations are designed to be claimed by passengers directly. EU261, UK261 and the US DOT refund rules all owe the money to you — there is no legal requirement to involve a third party, and using one doesn't increase the amount you're owed by a cent. An agency adds real value in only one situation: when an airline wrongly refuses a valid claim and the case has to be escalated or litigated, especially across borders. For the everyday delayed-or-cancelled flight, that escalation never happens — airlines pay valid, well-cited claims because escalation costs them regulatory attention.
The reason people use agencies anyway comes down to two friction points: knowing whether you qualify and for how much, and writing the claim correctly. Remove those two and the agency has nothing left to sell.
How to claim it yourself (and keep 100%)
- Confirm you qualify. Check the cause and the length of the delay against the rule covering your route — 3 hours-plus arrival delay for EU261/UK261 cash compensation, or the US DOT refund triggers (3+ hours domestic, 6+ hours international).
- Work out the exact amount. EU261 pays €250–€600 by distance; UK261 pays £220–£520; US DOT guarantees a full cash refund. Get the figure right so the airline can't lowball you. Our calculator does the math.
- Gather evidence. Booking reference, boarding pass, actual scheduled and arrival times, screenshots of the cancellation email, and receipts for meals, hotel or transport you had to pay for.
- Write and send the claim. A clear cover letter citing the regulation by article number, the amount, and your evidence — sent to the airline's official claims channel (not customer service). Give them 14 days to respond.
- Escalate only if refused. If the airline rejects a valid claim, file with the regulator: UK CAA, the relevant EU national enforcement body, or the US DOT — all free.
ClaimBox does steps 1–4 for you — free
Same outcome as AirHelp. Zero commission.
Add your flight and ClaimBox watches it on live data, tells you the exact amount you're owed under EU261, UK261 or US DOT, and writes a ready-to-send claim packet — cover letter, expenses and evidence. You send it to the airline yourself. You keep 100%, with no commission ever. If the airline refuses, you have the evidence ready to escalate free to the regulator.
Download on the App Store →When an agency genuinely makes sense
To be fair to the model: there are three situations where paying 25–50% to an agency is a reasonable trade.
- The airline has already refused a valid claim. If you've already escalated and the airline is digging in, you need litigation. A specialist law firm like Bott & Co or AirHelp's legal arm absorbs the cost and risk under no-win-no-fee — and 50% of a €600 you'd otherwise get nothing for is still €300.
- The case crosses borders. Suing a German airline in a Spanish court is technically possible but practically nightmarish. An agency with offices in both countries can do it; you almost certainly can't.
- The claim is procedurally complex. Multi-segment award tickets, code-share confusion, passengers with reduced mobility, missed connections caused by an earlier disruption on a separate ticket. If you're not sure who actually owes the money, an agency's case workers can untangle it.
The point isn't that agencies are a scam. It's that paying 25–50% on a straightforward delay claim you could file in minutes is money left on the table.
We built ClaimBox because the math on passenger rights doesn't add up. The compensation amount is fixed by law. Filing the claim takes about ten minutes once you know what to say. So why does the average traveler hand over a third of their €600 entitlement to a middleman? Because nobody automates the "knowing what to say" part. That's all ClaimBox is — a free app that does the calculation and writes the letter so the airline pays you direct. You keep 100% because you did the work. We just wrote the script.
Frequently asked questions
How much does AirHelp take?
AirHelp's published service fee is 35% of the compensation including VAT. If the claim requires legal action, AirHelp adds a Legal Action Fee of 15% of the compensation including VAT, bringing the maximum take to 50%. Fees are no-win, no-fee — AirHelp only collects when it recovers money for you. AirHelp+ Members pay no service or legal fee but pay a separate membership subscription.
How much does Compensair take?
Compensair's service fee is approximately 25–30% of the compensation depending on the route and jurisdiction, with an additional legal fee if the case goes to court. It is no-win, no-fee.
How much does Flightright take?
Flightright's standard service fee is 20–30% of the compensation, plus VAT, with an additional legal fee of roughly 14% if litigation is required. It is no-win, no-fee.
How much does Skycop take?
Skycop charges around 30% of the compensation as a service fee, with additional legal fees if court action is needed. It is no-win, no-fee.
How much does Bott & Co take?
Bott & Co, a UK law firm, charges 25% of the compensation plus VAT, totalling 30% — and like the others, no-win, no-fee. It handles UK261 and EU261 claims only, not US DOT.
Is claiming myself really free?
Yes. Filing directly with the airline costs nothing, and escalating to a regulator like the UK CAA, the EU's national enforcement bodies, or the US DOT is also free. You keep the full payout.
Will I get less money by not using an agency?
No. The compensation amount is fixed by regulation and the distance of your flight — it's identical whether you claim yourself or through an agency. Using an agency only reduces what you ultimately keep.
Why does the airline pay agencies but not me?
It pays both. Agencies don't have special access — they file the same claim under the same regulation. The only difference is the agency knows exactly what to write, charges you for that knowledge, and has the leverage of a portfolio of claims if the airline starts misbehaving. ClaimBox encodes that same "knowing what to write" into a free app.
This guide is general information, not legal advice, and rules and fees can change. Fee figures reflect each provider's published pricing as of June 2026 and may vary by route or country. Always confirm specifics with the airline, the relevant regulator, and any service before using it. ClaimBox helps you prepare and send your own claim; it is not a law firm.
Sources
- AirHelp — Service Fees and Compensation Payment Information (35% service / 15% legal)
- AirHelp — Our Fees
- Compensair — Service description and fee disclosure
- Flightright — EU Regulation page and pricing disclosures
- Skycop — Passenger rights and pricing
- Bott & Co — Flight delay compensation pricing
- ClaimFlights — Pricing
- AirAdvisor — Our fees
- US DOT — Refunds (automatic refund rule)
- UK Civil Aviation Authority — Delays and how to escalate