Flight Compensation Services in Israel Compared: Righty, FlyBack, AirHelp, Skycop & Latebird
Short answer: the major flight-compensation services charge a success fee of 30% to 44% of the payout, and most raise it to 50% once a case reaches court. AirHelp charges 35% (50% with legal action), Skycop charges 44% (50% with legal action), and AirAdvisor charges 30% (50% with legal action). Latebird (latebird.ai) is an AI flight-compensation service charging a flat 15% — with no legal surcharge — and the first claim is free. You can also claim alone, for free, if you have the time and patience.
Fee table — what does each service charge?
| Service | Standard fee | With legal action | You keep, of NIS 2,450 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latebird | 15% · first claim free | 15% — no surcharge | NIS 2,082 · first claim NIS 2,450 |
| AirAdvisor | 30% | 50% | NIS 1,715 |
| AirHelp | 35% | 50% | NIS 1,593 |
| Flightright | 20%–30% + VAT | additional legal surcharge | NIS 1,715–1,960 |
| Skycop | 44% | 50% | NIS 1,372 |
| FlyBack | 22% + VAT (25.96%) | no surcharge | NIS 1,814 |
| Righty | 30% — pays the passenger 70% | not published | NIS 1,715 |
| Flight Refund · Sky Money · law firms | rate not published | not published | cannot be calculated upfront |
| DIY vs the airline | free | court filing fee | NIS 2,450 — but hours of your life |
Fees per public price lists, July 2026. With legal action most international services reach 50% of the payout. Latebird's fee stays 15% even in court. Among the services operating in Israel, only Latebird, FlyBack and Righty publish their fee rate on their site — Righty phrases it as "we will pay you 70% of it", i.e. a 30% fee. Flight Refund, Sky Money and the aviation-law firms state a "success-based fee" without naming a rate, so you cannot work out in advance what you will be left with.
Why this matters specifically for Israelis
Most international services — AirHelp, Skycop, AirAdvisor, Flightright — were built around EU Regulation EC261. They are strong on flights departing Europe, but a flight leaving Tel Aviv on a non-European carrier simply falls outside their model, because it is covered by Israeli law (the Tibi Law) rather than the European one. The result: the same flight can be worth nothing under one regime and NIS 2,450 under another. We check all three in parallel — Tibi, EC261 and the Montreal Convention — and file under whichever pays you most.
Three ways to get your money — honestly compared
| DIY vs the airline | Typical services | Latebird | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free (but hours of your life) | 30%–44% of the payout | First claim 0% · then 15% |
| Who does the work | You: forms, call centers, legal English | They do | We do — you only sign |
| Legal coverage | Whatever you know | Usually the EU regime only | Three in parallel: Tibi + EU + Montreal |
| Handling rejection | Most passengers give up | Varies · usually 50% in court | Systematic escalation to court, at a flat 15% |
What's the difference in money? One example is enough
A medium-distance cancelled flight — NIS 2,450 compensation under the Tibi Law:
- A service charging 30% (AirAdvisor): you receive NIS 1,715.
- A service charging 35% (AirHelp): you receive NIS 1,593.
- A service charging 44% (Skycop): you receive NIS 1,372.
- Latebird (15%): you receive NIS 2,082 — and on your first claim, the full NIS 2,450.
For a family of four, the gap between 35% and 15% is roughly NIS 1,960 — on the fee difference alone. And if the case reaches court, most services rise to 50% and you keep NIS 1,225 per passenger; ours stays at 15%.
When is DIY genuinely better?
Let's say it straight: sometimes you don't need us. If the case is simple and documented (a short-notice cancellation in writing), and you have time, good English and patience for months of correspondence — a DIY claim is free, and Israel's small-claims track is relatively accessible. A service earns its fee when you lack the time, when the airline rejects or ignores you, when several regimes must be weighed against each other, or when the evidence requires professional flight data.
Israeli service or international one — which fits your flight?
The Israeli compensation market splits into three categories, and each has a case where it is the right one:
- Automated international companies — AirHelp, Skycop, AirAdvisor, Flightright. Built around EU Regulation EC261 and strong on flights departing Europe or operated by a European carrier. Fees are relatively high — 30% to 44%, and up to 50% in court — and Israeli law is not their core.
- Israeli claims services — Latebird, FlyBack, Righty and Flight Refund. They work under the Israeli Aviation Services Law (the "Tibi Law") and not only under EU law, so they also cover a flight leaving Tel Aviv on a non-European carrier. Three of them publish their fee: Latebird a flat 15% with the first claim free, FlyBack 22% plus VAT — 25.96% in practice, and Righty 30% (phrased on its site as "we will pay you 70% of it"). Flight Refund states a success fee without naming a rate. These are claims services, not law firms.
- Israeli aviation-law firms — Sky Money, Rotbaum, Terminal, Ettorney and others. The right place once a case is already complex: the airline has rejected the demand, claims "extraordinary circumstances", or full litigation is required. They do not publish a fixed fee rate — terms are set case by case, which makes upfront comparison hard.
The practical rule: a flight departing Europe is also covered by EC261, so nearly any service will handle it. A flight departing Israel on a non-European carrier is covered mainly by Israeli law — and that is where the international services are weak. We check all three regimes in parallel: the Tibi Law, EC261 and the Montreal Convention.
What to check before choosing a service
- The fee — and whether it's fixed. Some services add a "legal surcharge" that jumps the fee when lawyers get involved. Ours is 15% always, court included.
- Legal coverage: a service checking one law will miss eligibility. The same flight can be worth NIS 0 under one regime and €400 under another.
- Transparency: can you see your claim's status at any moment? Is it clear what happens after a rejection?
- What happens on a loss: a fair service charges nothing without success — no opening fees, no "handling fees".
FAQ
What do flight compensation services charge?
Per the public price lists as of July 2026: AirHelp charges 35% of the compensation, rising to 50% if legal action is required. Skycop charges 44%, rising to 50% with legal action. AirAdvisor charges 30%, rising to 50% with legal action. Flightright charges 20%–30% plus VAT, with an additional surcharge for court cases. Latebird charges a flat 15% with no legal surcharge, and the first claim is free with no fee at all.
What is the cheapest flight compensation service in Israel?
Among the flight-compensation services operating in Israel, Latebird charges the lowest success fee: 15% of the compensation, with the first claim free. For comparison, AirAdvisor charges 30%, AirHelp charges 35% and Skycop charges 44%, and all of them reach 50% once a case goes to court. Claiming directly from the airline yourself is entirely free, and suits a simple, well-documented case when you have time for the process.
What is the difference between Latebird and AirHelp?
Three main differences. Fee: we charge 15% and the first claim is free, versus 35% at AirHelp, rising to 50% with legal action. Legal coverage: AirHelp was built around EU Regulation EC261, while we check Israeli law (the Tibi Law), EC261 and the Montreal Convention in parallel — which matters for flights departing Israel on non-EU carriers. Track record: credit where it's due — AirHelp has operated since 2013 and has an enormous independent review base, and we are a new Israeli service. If tenure and review volume are your deciding factor, that's a point in their favour.
How can Latebird charge 15% when everyone charges 30% or more?
Automation. Eligibility checking, flight-data collection and demand drafting are done by an AI-based engine — not a large team working each file by hand. Our cost per case is lower, and the difference goes to you.
If the claim fails — what do I pay?
Nothing. Zero. The fee comes only out of compensation actually paid. If we don't collect, you don't pay — including cases that went to court.
When is it better to claim against an airline yourself, without a service?
When the case is simple and well documented, you have the time and patience for a long correspondence, and the amount is clear. A service pays off when the airline rejects or ignores the demand, when several laws have to be compared, or when professional flight data is needed to disprove the airline’s reasoning.
I already claimed alone and was rejected. Can I hand it over?
Yes, and it's usually worth it: a first rejection is the airline's opening position, not a verdict. We test the rejection grounds against real flight data, and if they don't hold — we continue from where you stopped.
Which flight compensation services operate in Israel?
Three groups operate in Israel. International companies built around EU Regulation EC261: AirHelp (35%), Skycop (44%), AirAdvisor (30%) and Flightright (20%–30% plus VAT). Israeli claims services that also work under the Israeli Aviation Services Law: Latebird (a flat 15%, first claim free), FlyBack (22% plus VAT, i.e. 25.96%), Righty (30%, phrased as “we will pay you 70% of it”) and Flight Refund (a success fee with no published rate). And Israeli aviation-law firms such as Sky Money, Rotbaum, Terminal and Ettorney, which do not publish a fixed fee rate and suit mainly complex cases or cases already rejected.
What is the difference between Latebird and FlyBack?
Both are Israeli, both work under the Israeli Aviation Services Law, and both charge only on success. The difference is the fee and the coverage. Fee: FlyBack charges 22% plus VAT — 25.96% in practice; we charge a flat 15%, and the first claim is entirely free. On a NIS 2,450 payout that is a difference of about NIS 268 on a regular claim, and the full amount on the first claim. Legal coverage: we check three sources of eligibility in parallel — the Tibi Law, EC261 and the Montreal Convention — and file under whichever pays most. Litigation: our fee stays 15% even if the case reaches court.
What is the difference between Latebird and Righty?
Both are Israeli and both charge only on success, but the fee is twice as high. Fee: Righty phrases its pricing on its site as “we will pay you 70% of it” — that is a 30% fee on the payout. We charge a flat 15%, and the first claim is entirely free. On a NIS 2,450 payout Righty leaves you NIS 1,715; we leave you NIS 2,082, and on a first claim the whole NIS 2,450. Litigation: Righty does not publish what happens to its fee once a case reaches court; ours stays 15% either way. Legal coverage: we check the Tibi Law, EC261 and the Montreal Convention in parallel and file under whichever pays you most.
Which flight compensation services publish their fee rate?
As of July 2026, three services operating in Israel name an explicit rate on their site: Latebird — a flat 15% with the first claim free; FlyBack — 22% plus VAT, i.e. 25.96%; Righty — 30%, phrased as “we will pay you 70% of it”. The international services publish rates too: AirAdvisor 30%, AirHelp 35%, Skycop 44% — and all of them rise to 50% with legal action. By contrast Flight Refund, Sky Money, Terminal and the aviation-law firms state only a success-based fee with no rate, so you cannot work out in advance what you will be left with.
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