Automated customer complaint management for airlines.

Introduction

JustClaims is a German legal-tech startup founded by two attorneys. The platform provides airlines with an intuitive tool for capturing and automatically processing passenger claims, streamlining what is typically a slow and highly manual workflow.

The Challenge

Support Staff Perspective

Working in customer support — especially in handling complaints — is highly demanding. Currently, complaints are submitted via email and must then be entered into our system manually. To process a single claim, I have to check four different systems to determine whether the flight qualifies for compensation.

This workflow is slow, error-prone, and difficult to manage during peak seasons. As a result, customers often wait far too long for a response, and the backlog becomes overwhelming whenever complaint volumes spike.

Passenger Perspective

As a passenger, flight delays are already stressful and frustrating. Filing a complaint with the airline is cumbersome, and the processing time is usually far too long. When an airline not only delays my flight but then drags out the handling of my claim, it significantly erodes my trust — and makes me seriously consider choosing another airline for my next trip.

Claim Handling System

The software supports different workflows that can vary significantly depending on the type of complaint. To keep the scope manageable and create value quickly, we first focused on the most common type of airline complaint: flight delays.

Creating a Workflow Diagram

Together with support agents, developers, and the Product Owner, we mapped the complete workflow for handling flight-delay claims. Based on this, we created a customer journey map and a task model to understand every step, decision point, and user need involved in the process.

Workflow diagram outlining the claim handling process for flight delays.

The Blueprint Concept

To reduce the workload on airline support teams, we created a concept that enables the automatic processing of delay-related complaints. A support supervisor can define a blueprint based on the airline’s internal rules and compensation criteria.This blueprint is then tailored to the specific flight number, route, and delay duration — allowing the system to process qualifying complaints automatically while ensuring full compliance with airline policies.

Simplified representation of the blueprint concept.

The Solution

Creating a blueprint — the foundation for automation — is designed to be as simple as possible for a support supervisor. Thanks to an intelligent data structure, flights can be captured automatically, allowing the supervisor to quickly use this information to create a blueprint with minimal effort.

2. Selecting Process Options and Creating Blueprint Elements

Support supervisors can define process options and create individual blueprint elements to automate different natures of claim. These settings also include which explanations or customer-facing messages should be sent by email during the automated process.

3. Reviewing and Assigning a Blueprint for Approval

All created blueprints undergo a quality assurance check before they can be activated. After a blueprint is created, it must be reviewed and approved by another supervisor under the four-eyes principle before it can go live.

“Flight checks” are test runs of the blueprint to ensure it fully complies with legal requirements and the airline’s internal policies before it can be approved and activated.