AirHelp Acquires Dutch Rail Tech Star Trein Vertraging to Accelerate Multi-Modal Travel Compensation

December 9, 2025 – AirHelp, the world’s leading air passenger rights organisation, announced the strategic acquisition of Trein Vertraging, a Dutch technology company specialising in automated rail compensation. The move marks a significant expansion beyond air travel, accelerating AirHelp’s goal to provide a seamless, multi-modal claim experience for travellers facing delays and cancellations across Europe.

Founded just in 2024 by Michael Hillhorst and Daan Ykema, Trein Vertraging has rapidly grown to serve thousands of users with its proprietary automated B2B2C system for train delay claims. Like AirHelp, the company uses cutting-edge technology to track eligible train delays and cancellations and to claim compensation.

“This acquisition is a major step towards delivering value to travellers, whether they are in the air or on the ground”, said Tomasz Pawliszyn, CEO of AirHelp. “We see a great potential in scaling their operations within the Netherlands and other European markets over the next year.”

“Joining AirHelp is the perfect next step.” Co-Founder of Trein Vertraging Michael Hillhorst said. “We share a core mission: to empower travelers and ensure they receive the compensation they are owed, no matter their mode of transportation. AirHelp’s global reach and established infrastructure will allow us to amplify this mission and bring the benefits of rail compensation to millions across Europe.”

Co-Founder Daan Ykema continues "What we built in the Netherlands was a testament to the power of automation in passenger rights. Now, with AirHelp’s scale and resources, we are very excited to launch our proprietary technology into new European markets that will strengthen our position as the leading solution for multi-modal compensation.”

About AirHelp

AirHelp is a travel tech company tackling flight disruptions. Since 2013, it has won compensation for over 3 million passengers with a flight delay or cancellation. 12 million passengers have protected their flights with AirHelp+ Protection, and countless millions more benefit from the expert information freely available on www.airhelp.com/en-gb/. AirHelp has also just released its new app, which offers real-time flight tracking, disruption alerts, and options for extra protection, download it here!

AirHelp is dedicated to investing in a greener future – it has pledged to plant 1 tree for every 100 flight disruptions and so far, it has planted 183,988 trees. As air passenger rights advocates, AirHelp cares about people, and caring about people also means caring about the planet.

#1 source for flight compensation worldwide

With innovative artificial intelligence and a dedicated team of over 400 AirHelpers, AirHelp makes it easy for any traveller 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-gb/.