A new app, launched this month, offers consumers a free, no obligation check to see whether they are owed compensation from delayed flights.
AirFair, the first app of its kind in the UK, allows users to check if they are eligible for compensation for any flight delayed for more than three hours within the EU in the past six years.
Consumers only need their booking reference or flight number to launch a claim but even without that information, a check can be made using a departure date and destination airport.
Research* has shown that only four in ten people who are entitled to compensation for a flight delay claim it and even then not all of those are successful.
While airFair version 1.1 is a straightforward flight checker, work is underway for the app to include geo-fencing, calendar scanning and rich notifications in the future.
Steven Bell, managing director of airFair, said: “A lot of people do not realise that they are entitled to claim compensation for delayed flights and therefore miss out on money that they are entitled to. It’s part of your air travel tax that goes into a pot that the airlines have to put aside – if you don’t claim when you are delayed that money just sits there.
“But claiming compensation through the airline can be time-consuming, so we are trying to make it an easy, hassle-free process. With airFair, by the time you board your delayed flight you will have been able to start your claim for compensation on the app.
“This is a first of its kind for the UK but we’re already working on version 2 due out next month which will be even easier for consumers to claim what they are owed. We will integrate geo-fencing so people will get a notification if they are identified as being at an airport for more than three hours.
“We have an advantage over those already in the marketplace because of our experience in handling large volumes of claims at Allay. Our focus on technology will allow us to target a wider audience and ultimately make it easier to claim compensation for flight delays.”
AirFair is the newest offering from claims management company Allay, whose technology systems handle over 28,000 consumer compensation claims a month.
AirFair is available for iOS and Android and is free to download and use.