Nearly two thirds of global passengers demand stronger rights, AirHelp’s survey finds
62% of passengers have experienced a major flight disruption
More than half of global respondents believe the threshold for compensation should be lower than three hours
79% of passengers are willing to pay extra for a ticket that guarantees compensation
Canada – 25 March 2025 – New research released today from AirHelp, the leading travel tech company supporting passengers with flight disruptions, reveals that while 81% of global passengers believe they understand their rights, a staggering 79% failed to answer specific questions about those rights correctly.
AirHelp surveyed 3,100 passengers from the USA, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Brazil, France, Portugal, and Spain, to explore passengers’ awareness of their rights, their understanding of those rights, and how effectively they exercise them.
Strengthening Air Passenger Rights
The findings uncovered that 61% of global passengers feel their rights should be stronger, with 30% of those respondents stating that they should be significantly stronger. This sentiment was especially prevalent with respondents based in the USA, with 87% advocating for greater passenger protection.
When looking at the length of delay required for passengers to qualify for compensation, AirHelp found that 52% of global passengers believe the threshold for compensation should be less than three hours.
The survey also highlighted that 79% of global passengers would be prepared to pay more for their ticket if it ensured compensation in the event of a delay or cancellation. When it came to the amount respondents were willing to pay, the most popular choice was between €10 and €20, with 22% opting for this range globally, and with 26% of US passengers surveyed. This was closely followed by €5 to €10 with 21% of respondents willing to pay this additional cost worldwide.
Informing Passengers of their Rights
AirHelp asked respondents if they had ever experienced a significant flight disruption, and 62% answered “Yes”. This included 50% who faced a delay over three hours, 28% who dealt with a cancelled flight, and 7% who were denied boarding due to overbooking. Despite the high number of passengers experiencing disruptions, only 40% were informed of their rights by their airline. What’s more, for those passengers who faced significant disruptions, nearly half (49%) were not informed of their rights.
While some airlines are becoming more proactive in their communications, there is still much more to be done to ensure passengers are informed of their rights. This need for improvement was highlighted by 43% of global respondents who stated they didn’t apply for compensation after a flight disruption because they were unaware they were eligible to do so. A further 22% also stated that they did apply as they believed the process was too time-consuming or complicated.
With this in mind, AirHelp has launched its latest Air Passengers Rights Guide which aims to support and inform passengers about their rights when travelling worldwide. The guide includes an overview of what passengers are entitled to when their flights are delayed or cancelled, including food and drink, accommodation or an alternative flight, as well as financial compensation.
Tomasz Pawliszyn, CEO of AirHelp, comments: “Our survey uncovered some valuable insights that will help us better support passengers in understanding their rights and effectively enforce them in the event of delays and cancellations. While navigating the unpredictability of air travel, we are committed to working with airlines to enhance the overall passenger experience, and continue to raise awareness of air passenger rights through our comprehensive Air Passengers Rights Guide.”
To learn more about AirHelp’s new Air Passengers Rights Guide, you can find the full document here.
About AirHelp
AirHelp is a travel tech company tackling flight disruptions. Since 2013, it has won compensation for over 2.7 million passengers with a flight delay or cancellation. 9 million passengers have protected their flights with AirHelp+, and countless millions more benefit from the expert information freely available on www.airhelp.com/en-ca/.
AirHelp is also investing in a greener future – it has pledged to plant 1 tree for every 100 flight disruptions and so far it has planted 97,588 trees. As air passenger rights advocates, AirHelp cares about people, and caring about people also means caring about the planet.
#1 for flight compensation worldwide
With innovative artificial intelligence and a dedicated team of over 400 AirHelpers, AirHelp makes it easy for any traveler in the EU, UK and beyond to receive up to $600 for flight delays and cancellations. For more information about AirHelp, visit: www.airhelp.com/en-ca/.