Checked 26 October 2026
Flight compensation claim companies compared: what each one keeps
A claim company chases the airline for you and takes a cut of the money when it arrives. The cut ranges from about 30% to just over 50% of your compensation, and most companies charge more if they have to go to court. The figures below come from each company's own published price list, read on 26 October 2026, not from reviews or adverts.
Fees side by side
| Company | Standard fee | If it goes legal | Other charges | Based / regulation stated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AirHelp | 35% of the compensation, VAT included | Plus 15% legal action fee, VAT included. AirHelp says this applies in about 3% of cases. | None for flight compensation | Not stated on its price list (version PL2.26, 11 August 2026) |
| Compensair | 35% of the compensation; VAT not mentioned | Plus 10% legal fee | You pay the bank transfer fees | Says it is not a licensed financial institution; payment policy dated 1 June 2025 |
| Bott and Co | 42% of the compensation, plus VAT (50.4% with UK VAT at 20%) | Nothing extra; it pays the court fees | None | UK solicitors, SRA number 605593, Wilmslow |
| Flightright | 20% to 30% of the compensation, plus VAT (its worked example uses 27%) | Plus a 14% solicitor surcharge | None | Flightright GmbH, Germany |
| Skycop | €110, €176 or €264 on €250, €400 and €600 claims, VAT included (44%); 44% on other amounts | €125, €200 or €300 (50%) if legal proceedings are needed | Administration costs if you cancel after work has started | UAB Skycop.com, Vilnius, Lithuania |
| AirAdvisor | 30% of the compensation, VAT included | 50% if external lawyers are needed | A €90 minimum applies only to refund and baggage claims | AirAdvisor International Inc., Delaware, USA (Polish contracting entity offered) |
| Flight-Delayed.co.uk (Yource) | 35% of the compensation, VAT included | Plus 15% legal fee, VAT included; its homepage says 50% if the case goes to court | None | Yource B.V., Netherlands |
What that means on a real claim
Take a cancelled London to Orlando flight, one passenger, £520 owed. Pounds are rounded; Skycop prices in euros so its figure is approximate.
| Route | You keep if it settles | You keep if it goes legal |
|---|---|---|
| Claim it yourself (airline form, then ADR, then court) | £520 | £520, plus the court fee back if you win |
| AirAdvisor | £364 | £260 |
| Flightright (27% example plus VAT) | £352 | about £279 |
| AirHelp | £338 | £260 |
| Compensair | £338, less bank fees | £286, less bank fees |
| Flight-Delayed.co.uk | £338 | £260 |
| Skycop | about £291 | £260 |
| Bott and Co | £258 | £258 |
Two things stand out. First, the gap between doing it yourself and the cheapest company is at least £150 on a long-haul claim, which is why the airline form is always worth one attempt. Second, the "legal" column matters more than the headline rate: a company that advertises 30% but charges 50% once lawyers are involved can end up costing more than one that charges 35% and 15%. Ask the company how often its cases go legal and whether that decision is yours or theirs.
What a claim company actually does
You give it the booking reference, flight details and your bank details, and sign a form of authority or an assignment of the claim. It writes to the airline, answers the airline's "extraordinary circumstances" reply with its own evidence, and if the airline still refuses it decides whether to issue court proceedings, in your name or its own. When the airline pays, the money goes to the company, which deducts its fee and pays you the balance. You do not attend court in a small claim unless the court lists a hearing, and the company's lawyer usually attends in your place.
What it cannot do is change the law. If your delay was caused by a snowstorm the company will decline the case or lose it. If your flight was 2 hours 50 minutes late it will decline. A company that takes every case is spending your time, not improving your odds.
When a company is worth the fee
- The airline has already refused and blamed "operational reasons", a technical fault, crew sickness or its own staff strike. Those are not valid defences, and a company will know the case law.
- The airline is outside the UK and EU, or in a country where you cannot realistically go to court.
- Several passengers, several flights, or a missed connection on one booking where the amount justifies the cut.
- You simply do not want to spend the hours, and 65% of something beats 100% of a letter you never send.
When it is not
- You have not yet asked the airline. Most clear-cut claims are paid on the first form, and you keep everything.
- The airline is in a UK dispute scheme (AviationADR or CEDR) and has given a final answer. The scheme is free, binds the airline if you accept the decision, and the CAA says decisions typically arrive within three months.
- The claim is £220 and the fee would leave you with £109 to £154.
Not sure whether your flight qualifies?
Check your flightFree to check. If a claim company takes the case it keeps 35% of the payout, VAT included, and nothing if the claim fails. You can also claim it yourself for free.
How to choose between them
- Read the legal-fee line, not the headline. Ask what you keep if the airline refuses and the company sues.
- Check who you are contracting with. A UK solicitor (Bott and Co) is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and can take the case to an English court in its own name. Companies based abroad use local lawyers or assignment agreements; that is not wrong, but your contract and any complaint sit under another country's law.
- Look for VAT. "35% including VAT" and "35% plus VAT" differ by 7 percentage points on a UK claim.
- Bank fees and currency. Compensair's policy says you pay the transfer fees. Companies that pay in euros leave you with your bank's conversion rate.
- Cancellation terms. If you change your mind after the company has started, several charge their full fee or an administration charge.
Where this site stands
FlightCare refers readers to AirHelp and earns a commission from AirHelp when a referred claim is paid. AirHelp's fee to you is the same whether you arrive from here or type its address yourself. The figures in the tables are taken from each company's own price list, including AirHelp's, and the company that pays us is not the cheapest in every column. See how we are paid.
Claim company questions
Is "no win, no fee" really free if I lose?
For flight compensation, yes with the companies above: each states it charges nothing if no compensation is recovered. The exception is cancelling a case you started, where several charge a fee or administration costs. Read the cancellation clause before you sign.
Can the airline refuse to deal with a claim company?
An airline can set rules for how companies submit claims. Ryanair's help centre says claim companies must register with it and that passengers who claim directly receive 100% of the amount. It cannot refuse to pay a valid claim because a company sent it.
How long does a company take?
Months rather than weeks. AirHelp's own affiliate material says a claim's final status can take three to six months, and a case that goes to court takes longer. Claiming directly from an airline that accepts the claim on the first form is usually faster.
Do they charge more for a court case?
Most do: AirHelp and Flight-Delayed add 15%, Compensair 10%, Flightright 14%, AirAdvisor and Skycop move to 50%. Bott and Co's 42% plus VAT is the same whether or not it issues proceedings, which is why it is the most expensive settlement and a mid-priced court case.
Can I use a company after the airline has refused me?
Yes, and that is the point at which the fee makes most sense. Give the company the airline's refusal letter; the stated reason is the first thing it will test against the case law.