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Your rights in the event of a delayed or cancelled Lufthansa flight
If you have experienced flight cancellations or delays with Lufthansa, it is important to be aware that British regulations safeguard your rights as an air passenger. Under specific circumstances, you may qualify for Lufthansa compensation of up to €600 and receive a complete refund for your cancelled Lufthansa flight ticket.
Was your Lufthansa flight delayed? If you arrived at your final destination at least 3 hours late, you are most likely entitled to flight compensation.
Was your Lufthansa flight cancelled? If you did not take an alternative flight offered by the airline, you are entitled to a refund. Additionally, if the flight was cancelled fewer than 14 days before departure, you might be entitled to cancelled Lufthansa flight compensation.
Regardless of the flight disruption or its cause, airlines must provide passengers with special assistance, known as the "right to care.” This includes: food and beverage vouchers, communication services, and, if needed, accommodations and transportation. You can claim those directly at the airline’s service desk at the airport, if the airline refuses to give you a voucher, just go and buy what you need — they will have to pay you back those expenses (as long as they are reasonable).
Warning: If your flight was delayed or cancelled because of “extraordinary circumstance”, you won’t be entitled to flight compensation as the airline needs to be responsible for the flight disruption to provide compensation to passengers.
Lufthansa compensation for delayed flight
Did you arrive late at your destination due to a Lufthansa flight delay? Then you might be eligible for up to €600 in Lufthansa flight compensation.
You can claim Lufthansa compensation of up to €600 if your case meets the following two criteria:
You arrived at your destination at least 3 hours late.
The delay was the airline’s fault. (You need to consider the so-called extraordinary circumstances in which the compensation is not applicable, such as bad weather or political instability in the country.)
File a claim for Lufthansa flight compensation
Lufthansa compensation for cancelled flight
If your Lufthansa flight was cancelled, you might be able to claim a ticket refund, compensation of up to €600, or both — all depending on the exact circumstances of the cancellation.
When can I claim compensation for my cancelled Lufthansa flight?
Generally, you can claim cancelled flight compensation if your flight was cancelled fewer than 14 days prior to the planned departure date. Additional criteria apply in regards to the alternative flight that the airline might — or might not — offer you. We explain these criteria in detail in the table below.
You also have to remember about extraordinary circumstances, such as a natural disaster preventing the plane from getting to its destination — if these extraordinary circumstances apply to your flight, you might not be eligible for compensation.
When can I claim a refund for my cancelled Lufthansa flight?
You can claim a Lufthansa ticket refund if your flight was cancelled and you did not take an alternative flight offered by the airline. If you were not offered any alternative flight, you can also claim a ticket refund.
Lufthansa is offering me a travel voucher instead of a refund — should I accept it?
We do not recommend choosing a travel voucher over a refund. The two reasons are:
If you accept a travel voucher, you are forced to fly with the same airline in the future. Additionally, the airline usually gives you a strict time limit to use the voucher.
In the event that the airline goes bankrupt, you can’t anymore change your voucher into a money refund — in other words, your money is gone.
When can I claim both a refund and compensation for my cancelled Lufthansa flight?
You can claim both Lufthansa refund and compensation if your flight was cancelled fewer than 14 days prior to the originally scheduled departure and you did not take any alternative flight offered by the airline.
To receive compensation, you also must consider additional criteria in regards to the alternative flight offered by the airline (we explain these in the table below) as well as the so-called extraordinary circumstances.
| Cancellation notice | Alternative flight | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer than 7 days in advance | Departs 1h+ earlier or arrived 2h+ later | Yes |
| 7-14 days in advance | Departs 2h+ earlier or arrived 4h+ later | Yes |
| Fewer than 14 days in advance | No alternative flight offered | Yes + refund |
Can I get flight compensation if I cancel my Lufthansa flight?
Cancelling a Lufthansa flight doesn't guarantee automatic compensation or refunds. Lufthansa's policy allows cancellations within 24 hours for a refund. Beyond that, refunds may not be granted. For precise information on compensation options, passengers should consult Lufthansa's policies
Lufthansa missed connection flight due to delay or cancellation
If your Lufthansa flight delay or cancellation causes you to miss a connecting flight that was part of the same booking, you might qualify for compensation and/or a refund for the entire journey if your delay or cancellation follows the criteria mentioned above.
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I was flying with Lufthansa to a non-EU country. Can I still claim compensation?
Yes.
Whether you were flying with Lufthansa to the United States or to Asia, you can claim compensation in the event of a disrupted flight.
However, it’s worth noting that the situation might be different if you were flying with a non-EU/non-UK airline. See the table below for details.
| Type of flight | Example | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Flying with a British carrier | Tokyo to London with British Airways | Yes |
| Flying with a EU carrier | Amsterdam to London with KLM | Yes |
| Flying with a non-UK/non-EU carrier from the UK | London to Tokyo with Japan Airlines | Yes |
| Flying with a non-UK/non-EU carrier to the UK | Tokyo to London with Japan Airlines | No |
Check your Lufthansa flight status
To prevent any unforeseen hassles, it is recommended to stay informed about potential flight disruptions with Lufthansa. Keep yourself updated by regularly monitoring the status of your Lufthansa flight on their official website or the website of your departure/arrival airport. Stay prepared and well-informed to minimise any unexpected complications during your Lufthansa journey.
How much Lufthansa compensation can I get for a delayed or cancelled flight?
The amount of compensation is determined by the length of your flight:
| Distance of your flight | Compensation |
|---|---|
| Flights shorter than 1,500 km | Get £220 per passenger |
| Flight between 1,500 and 3,500 km | Get £350 per passenger |
| Flights of over 1,500 kilometres within the EU | Get £350 per passenger |
| Flights of over 3,500 kilometres outside of the EU | Get €600 per passenger |
Extraordinary circumstances — can Lufthansa deny me compensation?
We call extraordinary circumstances situations in which the delay or cancellation is not the fault of the airline. If any of the below apply to your flight disruption, you might not be entitled to flight compensation.
Some of the most common extraordinary circumstances that allow Lufthansa to deny your claim are:
Bad weather conditions, such as thick fog, heavy rain, or thunderstorms.
A strike, most often specifically within the aviation industry (for example, a strike of air traffic control workers at a specific airport).
However, a strike of the airline's crew is not considered an extraordinary circumstance!
Political circumstances, such as a terrorist attack or general security risk due to political unrest.
Natural disasters, including volcanic eruptions and hurricanes.
A collision between the aircraft and birds or other foreign objects.
An ill or unruly passenger.
Flight delays caused by the airport staff, such as extraordinarily long queues to security checks.
However, you should be aware that airlines sometimes claim that extraordinary circumstances happened while it was actually not the case. The companies do so in the hope that they will not need to pay out the compensation.
If you wish to maximise your chances of getting your money, claim your compensation and refund today with the help of Flight-Delayed.com. We will thoroughly investigate your claim and hold the airline accountable. You just need to take a few minutes to provide us with basic information regarding your flight and we will take care of all the rest.
For your convenience, we work exclusively on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis.
=> Claim your compensation now
Lufthansa strike — can I get compensation?
Was your flight delayed or cancelled because of an airline strike, for example the 2019 Lufthansa strike? A strike of the airline’s employees is not considered an extraordinary circumstance. This means you are entitled to compensation, even if the airline claims otherwise.
How long do I have to claim my Lufthansa compensation and refund?
If you are flying to or from the UK, you have 6 years to claim. Scotland is the exception, as you have 5 years there to claim.
If your itinerary does not include the UK, local laws will apply.'
Use our free Claim Calculator to check if you can still claim Lufthansa compensation and refund.
=> Check if you can still claim Lufthansa compensation and refund
Unsure if you qualify for compensation?
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How long will it take to get my Lufthansa compensation / Lufthansa refund?
The passengers who claim with us often find the money on their account within a few weeks or months.
“Platform is well developed; keeping me updated with information regarding my case is good; getting back money takes time cause Lufthansa is not customer friendly if they failed providing proper service. Without this platform I would never get any money from Lufthansa.”
However, if the airline is unresponsive and/or the claim has to be taken to court, the wait time might get extended by a few additional months or even a few years.
Rest assured, though, that if you decide to claim your Lufthansa compensation / Lufthansa refund with us, we will fight for your rights until the very end. Our team will keep you posted on any important changes regarding your claim and be there to answer any of your questions.
We make the claiming process easy — you just provide us with basic details regarding your flight and we take care of all the rest, including fighting for your rights in court if needed.
How to claim Lufthansa compensation / Lufthansa refund?
First, double-check if you are indeed entitled to compensation or a refund — you can do so by using our free, no-obligation Claim Calculator.
Then, you can decide to either try to claim by yourself or let us handle the work for you. When you claim with Flight-Delayed.com, the whole process takes you as little as a few minutes — you provide us with basic information regarding your flight and we take it from there. We thoroughly analyse your claim (including analysing weather and aviation data), get legal documentation ready, reach out to the right people at the airline and — if needed — fight for you in court as well.
Why claim with Flight-Delayed.com
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About Lufthansa
Previously, Lufthansa held the position of the largest airline group in Europe until 2019. Despite Ryanair now holding that title, Lufthansa continues to thrive with a strong presence across Europe and worldwide, with a punctuality rate of 84.9%.
While officially established in 1953, Lufthansa considers itself a successor to Deutsche Lufthansa, a German national airline that operated from 1926 to 1951. This is why Lufthansa often claims a foundation date of 1926, although legally they are not a direct successor to the original carrier.
In addition to the Lufthansa airline itself, Lufthansa Group possesses several subsidiaries, including Air Dolomiti, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, and Swiss Air Lines.
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