FFCheck Reisclaim vs AirHelp — the real math

AirHelp is one of Europe's largest claim services. Their model: you assign your claim rights to AirHelp (via a Power of Attorney), they pursue the claim, and on success they retain 35%. On the surface "free" — actually expensive.

The math on a €400 EU 261 claim:

• FFCheck: you pay €9.99 for the letter, get €400 directly from the airline. Net: €390.01.
• AirHelp: €0 upfront, AirHelp retains 35%: €140. Net: €260.

Difference: €130 per claim. On a family of 4 (€1,600): FFCheck €1,590 vs AirHelp €1,040. Difference: €550.

Time. AirHelp: 8-12 weeks per their own FAQ. FFCheck: PDF in your inbox in seconds, you send it yourself, airline must respond within 14 days (per our letter). Speed is in your favour.

Data. AirHelp requires: signed Power of Attorney, ID copy, boarding pass, IBAN, email, phone. Their privacy statement covers aggregation + insurer research data sharing. FFCheck: only what you type into the form + Stripe payment token (we never see your card). No Power of Attorney, no ID copy, no IBAN.

What if the claim is rejected? With AirHelp: they decide whether to push to court. Often not, because 35% of €0 is €0. With FFCheck: you decide — we give you the blueprint for ILT escalation, Geschillencommissie and cantonal court (Art. 6:119 BW statutory interest + procedural costs).

When is AirHelp still better? Honestly: very complex international claims where you genuinely need a claim specialist negotiating with multiple carriers. For 95% of European flight delays, a good letter is enough.