9A. Henrik Zillmer of AirHelp... on working with airlines

Published: Oct. 17, 2019, 10 a.m.

The AirHelp story is one that began in 2013 - the brainchild of its charismatic and energetic founder Henrik Zillmer.

The service is actually very simple in scope: providing air passengers with the means to secure compensation from airlines when things go wrong.

It has since grown to a team of 750 but the route along the way is a trademark one that illustrates just how far a startup has to go to gain recognition and forge partnerships.

Like many startups in travel and transportation, AirHelp was born out of a frustration with how things are handled (or not) by existing players.

Zillmer realized that to make a mark the company should take a few risks and deploy a series of unique and often hilarious marketing tactics.

It worked. The company employs legal teams on over 30 countries and, in some cases, has fought to make the laws around compensation clearer and fairer for passengers.

Zillmer's story around the creation and evolution of AirHelp is both fascinating and funny. He joins us for the latest of HIGH.

HIGH is a weekly show produced by PhocusWire and Mozio, aimed at getting the inside stories behind startups and innovation in travel and transportation.

Other episodes: on PhocusWire and Mozio.