Two years ago, what began as a passion project to help friends and family navigate the complex world of airline claims has grown into a dominant force in global travel tech industry. Airfairness, co-founded by Zohair Khan, John Marzo, and David Linardi, is now reshaping how travellers recover compensation for flight delays and cancellations.
The inspiration behind airfairness came from Zohair’s personal mission to assist friends and family in filing claims against airlines. His efforts were met with such appreciation that he saw an opportunity to expand his reach. “Zohair approached me and asked how we could bring this help to more people,” recalls Marzo. “I said we should turn this into a company—and here we are!”
In under two years, airfairness has emerged as the largest company of its kind globally, helping tens of thousands of travelers—all without spending a dime on advertising. Fueled by organic growth and customer trust, the company closed a seed round less than a year ago and is now contemplating a Series A to scale further.
At its core, airfairness aims to simplify the process of filing claims for delayed or canceled flights. Its flagship claim service allows travelers to submit claims via the website in just minutes. From there, airfairness handles the entire process—negotiating with airlines, ensuring compliance with global regulations, and securing the maximum possible compensation.
Notably, airfairness operates on a success-based model. Customers receive 100% of their claim amount upfront, and airfairness only collects a 30% fee once the payment is accepted. This approach has earned the startup a reputation for transparency and fairness.
The company recently launched FlightFacts, a new product that empowers passengers with detailed, downloadable reports on historical flight data. These reports can support small claims cases, clarify eligibility for compensation, or provide peace of mind when questioning an airline’s explanation for a delay or cancellation.
Airfairness also caught the internet’s attention with a viral recruiting video. The lighthearted clip not only showcased the team’s camaraderie but also highlighted the diverse roles the founding team takes on daily.
“Our core values are communication and respect,” says Marzo. “Any new teammate of ours has to be authentic, transparent, and aligned with these principles.” As airfairness grows, the company is on the lookout for creative talent to help expand its social media presence while staying true to its mission.
While airfairness is keeping its AI plans under wraps, the company hints at groundbreaking developments in the works. “We’re cooking up some crazy things that will change the game for customers, businesses, enterprises, and even governments,” teases the CEO.
“AI isn’t just a buzzword for us—it’s a game-changer. Done right, it could catapult us into a billion-dollar company within a year.”
One of the most significant trends shaping the travel tech industry is the growing interest in flight compensation regulations in the United States. “If the US formalizes regulations similar to Europe and Canada, it will open up an entirely new market,” notes Zohair. “We’re uniquely positioned to expand and help millions of new passengers each year.”
Closer to home, airfairness is in talks with the Canadian government to tackle a staggering backlog of over 80,000 claims with the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA). The team is also exploring partnerships with enterprise clients to transform how businesses approach travel management.
With ambitious plans for 2025, airfairness aims to cement its status as the ultimate travel companion for passengers worldwide. “The stuff we’re planning is going to blow some socks off,” says Marzo. From new features to government collaborations and enterprise partnerships, airfairness is poised to revolutionize the travel industry.
For now, travellers can rest easy knowing that airfairness is making the skies a little less turbulent—one claim at a time.
