A delayed or canceled flight is frustrating enough, but figuring out whether you’re entitled to compensation and how to file a claim can feel even more overwhelming. SkyRefund promises to make this process easier in exchange for a percentage of your payout.
But is the convenience worth the cost?
Our SkyRefund review examines how the service works, what it costs, where it performs well, and where it falls short. We’ll also show you how Settlemate uncovers compensation opportunities automatically, so you’re less likely to leave money unclaimed.
What is SkyRefund?
SkyRefund is a flight compensation company that helps passengers claim compensation for disrupted flights under regulations such as EU261 and UK261. Instead of dealing with the airline yourself, you authorize SkyRefund to manage the process on your behalf.
How does SkyRefund work?
The process starts with submitting your flight details through the SkyRefund website. SkyRefund analyzes your claim using proprietary technology that cross-references information from multiple sources, including:
- Airport status reports
- Real-time flight data
- Weather records
- News reports
This helps verify the cause of the disruption, the length of the delay, and the distance of the route, as well as determine whether you’re eligible for compensation under the applicable passenger rights.
If your flight qualifies, SkyRefund prepares and submits the compensation claim to the airline on your behalf. The company handles communication with the airline throughout the process and, if necessary, escalates the claim through legal channels.
If the claim succeeds, the airline pays the compensation, SkyRefund deducts its service fee, and the remaining amount is transferred to you.
Is SkyRefund legit?
Yes, SkyRefund is a registered LLC company operating under Bulgarian law, with a global legal team managing compensation claims.
The company was founded in 2017 by Ivaylo Danailov, Kaloyan Todorov, and Maria Danailova. All three are legal professionals specializing in aviation law. SkyRefund now reports a legal team of 30+ in-house staff and a network of over 20 partner lawyers across different countries who handle local enforcement when a case needs to go to court.
SkyRefund also states that it’s helped over 1.6 million passengers and cites a 98% success rate, but these are self-reported figures rather than independently audited numbers.
On Trustpilot, SkyRefund holds an Excellent rating from nearly 4,000 reviews, which is a reasonable external trust signal. The company handles negative reviews head-on, replying to 99% of them within 24 hours, which serves as a sign of great customer care.
SkyRefund flight compensation company review
While a Trustpilot score and professional presentation may indicate that a flight compensation app or website deserves your trust, you should also assess the payout rates, company transparency, and eligibility criteria.
Here’s what we looked at to put this SkyRefund flight compensation review together:
- Fees and pricing structure
- Eligibility and geographic coverage
- Claim process and ease of use
- Types of claims supported
Fees and pricing transparency
SkyRefund operates on a no-win, no-fee basis. You don’t make any upfront payments, and the company only takes a cut once your compensation is paid out. If your claim is unsuccessful, you don’t owe a fee.
This is the pricing structure:
- 35% standard success fee, VAT included, if SkyRefind resolves the claim directly with the airline
- 15% additional legal fee if the airline refuses to pay and the case goes to court.
Here’s an example:
Warning: If you receive compensation from the airline directly after starting a claim with SkyRefund, you still owe the company a 35% fee. You have three working days to notify SkyRefund and report receiving the compensation.
Eligibility and geographic coverage
SkyRefund processes compensation claims under six regulatory frameworks:
- EU Regulation 261/2004
- UK261
- Turkish SHY Passenger Rights
- Saudi GACA
- Brazilian ANAC
- Canadian APPR
This means your flight may qualify for compensation if it departed from or arrived in a covered country or region, regardless of your nationality or where you bought the ticket.
To check eligibility, SkyRefund offers a free online checker that runs your flight details against these criteria before you commit to their service.
Claim process and ease of use
From the passenger’s side, using SkyRefund mostly means filling out one short form and waiting for the resolution of the claim.
Since March 2026, the company has let passengers file a claim using only a boarding pass, which cuts down on the usual back-and-forth of gathering booking confirmation and ticket copies. This is optional; you can still file a claim by providing flight information.
The submission itself typically takes a few minutes. You need to provide:
- Flight details
- Personal information
- A brief description of the flight disruption
Experiences vary after the submission. Trustpilot reviews say that you can expect a payout anywhere from a few weeks to well over a year. This depends on the airline’s responsiveness and potential legal action, not on anything you could have done differently.
Some reviewers praise SkyRefund for proactive updates during long waiting periods, while others report enduring long stretches without any contact and chasing the company for updates.
Types of claims supported
SkyRefund helps you claim compensation for four categories of flight disruptions:
- Flight delay compensation: Compensation applies once you land at your final destination three hours or later than scheduled, provided the delay was within the airline’s control.
- Flight cancellation compensation: If your flight has been canceled and you weren’t given sufficient advance notice, you’re entitled to compensation on top of any refund or rerouting the airline offers.
- Denied boarding compensation: You qualify for SkyRefund’s denied boarding compensation services if you’re denied boarding at the gate, usually because the flight was oversold. You’re entitled to compensation if you checked in on time and didn’t voluntarily give up your seat.
- Overbooked flight compensation: Airlines sometimes overbook flights because they expect a certain number of passengers not to show up. This is the most common cause of denied boarding. Because it is a commercial decision rather than an unforeseeable event, it doesn’t count as an extraordinary circumstance, so SkyRefund can help you claim compensation for an overbooked flight.
Denied boarding and overbooking are worth calling out specifically since they’re two of the most overlooked reasons for compensation. Travelers who get bumped off the flight are typically offered a hotel voucher or a later flight, not realizing they’re also entitled to cash compensation.
SkyRefund’s legal team also pursues claims in gray areas, beyond the four qualifying categories. For instance, the company has argued that cancellations caused by fuel shortages shouldn’t qualify as an extraordinary circumstance.
The Verdict: Who is SkyRefund best suited for?
SkyRefund is a good choice for travelers who want to claim compensation for flight disruptions with minimal involvement. The trade-off is that the convenience comes at a cost. Whether it’s worth it depends on how much you value avoiding the hassle of personally dealing with the airline.
However, you may be able to have your cake and eat it, too. With a money-recovery app like Settlemate, you are able to keep more of your compensation, have multiple legal frameworks on your side when travelling internationally, and recover more than just airline compensation.
Settlemate: Recover more, keep more, do less
Unlike many other flight compensation services that only step in after you submit a claim, Settlement continuously looks for opportunities to recover money on your behalf.
Once you download the app and connect your email account, the platform automatically detects your travel bookings, monitors flights for disruption in real time, and identifies situations where you may be entitled to compensation, refunds, and/or reimbursements.
Here are examples of disruptions and regulations that Settlemate supports:
How Settlemate handles flight compensation
Once you connect your inbox, most of the process happens automatically. Here’s what that looks like in practice:
- Trip detection: With your permission, Settlemate identifies flight bookings, confirmations, and airline updates from your email.
- Disruption monitoring: The platform tracks your flights and detects delays, cancellations, missed connections, and other eligible disruptions.
- Eligibility review: It checks your case against the relevant passenger rights frameworks to determine what you may be entitled to.
- Claim preparation: Settlemate gathers the required information and prepares the necessary claim documentation for you.
- Claim submission and follow-up: The platform submits the claim, follows up with the airline when necessary, and continues pursuing the case until it’s resolved.
- Payout: Once your claim is approved, you receive your compensation or reimbursement directly from the airline.
If any input is needed from you, the app will give you clear instructions on what to provide. Also, if multiple compensation options are available, Settlemate will ask you to select your preference. For example, an airline may offer cash compensation or a travel voucher.
Recover more than airline compensation with Settlemate
One of Settlemate’s biggest advantages is that it isn’t limited to airline compensation. The platform also helps identify and recover money through:
- Price-drop refunds
- Late delivery compensation
- Class action settlements
- Hidden fees and overcharges
Because Settlemate works alongside protections you already have, such as travel insurance and credit card travel protections, it can uncover recovery opportunities that a traditional flight compensation company may never look for.
Best of all, all of these services are included under a single subscription. Also, Settlemate users are backed by a Value Guarantee.
If you don’t recover your membership fee through verified value in the first 12 months, we’ll extend your membership for another year at no additional cost. We’ll continue extending your access until the cumulative value you receive matches your original subscription fee, provided you continue to meet the eligibility requirements.
Download Settlemate from the App Store or Google Play and let it put your compensation claims on autopilot.
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