Collinson and AirHelp to aid customers whose flights are delayed
A new partnership between customer benefits and loyalty provider Collinson and air passenger rights organisation AirHelp aims to support air passengers who suffer flight delays
Under the partnership, customers who have taken out Collinson’s SmartDelay lounge access product will be able to more quickly and easily claim the compensation to which they are entitled, should their particular instance of flight disruption qualify them for the benefit.
According to figures cited by Collinson, as many as 87 per cent of travellers in Europe do not realise that they are entitled to financial compensation for flight delays of more than three hours, flight cancellation or instances in which boarding is denied. AirHelp’s raison d’etre is to help passengers in these situations, and through the new partnership, the company will offer its help to Collinson customers who have purchased SmartDelay.
The product provides instant access to over 1,000 airport lounges in the event of a flight delay, so that customers can relax and de-stress from one of the most irritating situations a traveller can face.
“Passengers are often left waiting, or even stranded, following a flight delay or cancellation, unaware of their entitlement to compensation from the airlines,” commented AirHelp’s Partnership Manager Michael Thompson. “We’re excited to be partnering with Collinson to change this and to improve the air passenger experience. Sadly, airlines don’t always inform their passengers whether they’re eligible or not for compensation under [Flight Compensation Regulation] EC261, which puts the burden on passengers to verify their entitlement. With SmartDelay, we’re pleased to be taking that task off passengers’ hands and helping them to receive what they’re legally owed.”