Lufthansa

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Lufthansa Compensation: Flight Delay and Cancellation

Have you experienced flight disruption with Lufthansa recently? You may be entitled to compensation of up to €600 (£520) per passenger if your Lufthansa flight was cancelled or delayed. But how do you submit a claim with the airline and what to do if Lufthansa cites "extraordinary circumstances" as the reason for the disruption? Let's break down everything you need to know about claiming flight compensation from Lufthansa

 

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When can I claim Lufthansa compensation?

Experiencing issues with your flight can be very stressful. But luckily, if you were flying from the UK or the EU you can be compensated for your troubled. According to EU Regulation 261/2004, you may be entitled to compensation if your Lufthansa flight was:
  • Delayed by more than 3 hours at the time of arrival
  • Cancelled within 14 days of departure without a suitable alternative flight
  • The flight disruption was due to reasons within Lufthansa's control such as airline strikes
 
EU261 protects the rights of all passengers who depart from an EU airport or are flying with an airline registered in the EU. Since Lufthansa is a German airline, all of Lufthansa's flights fall under EU261. 
 
However, if your flight was delayed or cancelled because of extraordinary circumstances like bad weather or airport strikes, Lufthansa doesn't have to pay compensation as the issue is outside their control. 
 

Lufthansa Flight Delay Compensation

Majority of flight disruptions are due to flight delays. Cirium's study of Lufthansa's on-time performance in April shows that almost 17% of the its flights didn't arrive on time. So, if your flight meets the following conditions, you could be eligible for delayed flight compensation from Lufthansa: 

  • You reached your final destination with a delay of over 3 hours
  • The delay was caused by issues within Lufthansa's control

When calculating the delay, you should consider the difference between the officially announced time of arrival and the actual time when your plane landed. So if for example you waited 4 hours at the airport before taking off, but the pilot managed to make up for some of the lost time during the flight and to land the plane less than 3 hours later than originally planned, you will not be able to claim compensation. 

However, if your wait at the airport exceeds 2 hours, Lufthansa has to provide you with food and drinks during your wait. This is known as your right to care. If the airline fails to do so, you can purchase them on your own and save the receipts to ask for your money back from Lufthansa. You can claim through the airline's website or skip the struggle and submit your Lufthansa flight claim with SkyRefund

 

Lufthansa Flight Cancellation Compensation

In 2024, Lufthansa was the European airline with the largest number of cancelled flights (12,220). Similarly to flight delays, if your flight was cancelled due to issues within Lufthansa's control, you might be entitled to flight cancellation compensation. When it comes to flight cancellations, you compensation also depends on: 

  • You were notified of the cancellation less than 2 weeks before your flight’s departure.
  • You arrived at your final destination with a delay of over 4 hours .
  • The cancellation was caused by issues within Lufthansa's control such as  technical issues and airline personnel strikes

Most often, airlines cancel flights on the same day as the flight itself. In this case, if the Lufthansa doesn't take you to your final destination within 2 hours of the scheduled time of arrival, you could make a claim for compensation. The table below breaks down the requirements for flight cancellation compensation from Lufthansa.

Notice Given Arrival at Final Destination
14 Days or More No compensation
7-14 Days Your alternate flight arrived at your final destination more than 4 hours late.
Less than 7 Days

Your replacement flight arrived at your final destination more than 2 hours late .

 

Your right to care extends to cancellations too. In this case, the airline also has to cover your expenses for hotel and transportation if your alternative flight arrives at a later date.


How much flight compensation from Lufthansa can I claim?

If your Lufthansa flight is delayed or cancelled due to reasons within the airline's control, you can get financial compensation between €250 and €600 per passenger. The amount is determined by the length of the flight and on the delay in arrival of the replacement flight (if such is provided). 

When it comes to the distance of the journey, the compensation amounts are distributed according to the following conditions:

  • If your flight spanned less than 1,500 km, you could claim €250 (~£210 ) .
  • If the flight distance was between 1,500 and 3,500 km, the compensation could be €400 (~£337).
  • If your flight covered a distance of more than 3,500 km, you could make a claim for up to €600 (~£505).

In case of cancellation, if Lufthansa finds an alternative flight for you, you have to note when it arrives at your final destination. If the total delay is less than 2 hours, your compensation will be significantly reduced. 

We compiled all the possible scenarios and compensation amounts in the table below.

Less than
3 hours
Between
3 - 4 hours
More than
4 hours
Never arrived Distance
 € -  € 250  € 250   € 250  All flights up to 1500 km
 € -  € 400  € 400   € 400  All flights between 1500 km and 3500 km
 € -  € 400  € 400   € 400  *All intra-EU flights over 3500 km
 € - € 300  € 600   € 600  *All non-EU flights over 3500 km

 

How to claim Lufthansa compensation

Claiming compensation on your own can be stressful and time-consuming.

With SkyRefund you can easily check your flight and submit your claim for Lufthansa cancelled flight compensation or flight delay compensation. We will take all of the necessary legal steps to help you receive your refund and spare you the trouble of fighting the airline by yourself. 

Our legal experts have the necessary experience and knowledge to do all the administrative work on your behalf, represent you before the relevant authorities, and even take Lufthansa to court if your case requires it. 

And the best part is that we work on a “No Win - No Fee” principle, so we will only get paid if we successfully claim your money back. If you receive your reimbursement from Lufthansa, we will charge you a fee of 35% of the compensation amount.

To find out if you’re eligible, submit your claim - all you need to do is enter your flight number and date. SkyRefund offers you a stress-free and risk-free way of taking what is yours in case of a delayed, cancelled or overbooked flight.

Your Lufthansa flight didn't go as planned?

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Lufthansa Denied Boarding Compensation

If you have been denied boarding on a Lufthansa flight, you could also be entitled to compensation. There is a catch, though: you don't give up your seat voluntarily in exchange for travel vouchers, travel miles, or any other perks and offers that the airline might come up with.

In the majority of the cases of overbooking, you would be able to claim compensation.

In addition to your compensation claim, you have the option to get a full ticket refund or an alternative flight to your final destination. If you have connecting flights, the airline should also offer you a return ticket to your original point of departure.

 

Lufthansa Missed Connection Compensation

Connecting flights are a big part of the services offered by Lufthansa. The German airline has a route network that spans over 6 continents and many travellers choose to make their connections with Lufthansa. However, a severe flight delay or cancellation at the first leg of your journey could lead to a missed connection and ultimately to a lot of stress. 

If you have had this experience recently, you may have the right to missed connection compensation, according to the European guidelines. To be eligible, you have to meet the same conditions as in the case of a flight delay:

  • Your flight should be delayed by more than 3 hours at the time of arrival causing you to miss your connecting flight
  • The delay of the first flight should be within Lufthansa's control and not due to extraordinary circumstances 

The only difference is that you need to have your tickets on the same reservation. It’s easy to check whether all your flights are on the same booking: they will have the same reservation confirmation number. This means that Lufthansa is responsible for taking you to your final destination. With individual flights, the airline’s obligation is to help you reach your next stop.

 

Why SkyRefund?


Our mission at SkyRefund is to empower air passengers and provide them with a simple, quick and easy way of upholding their rights. Check if you are eligible using free compensation calculator below.  All you need to do is enter your flight details (booking number, flight dates, etc.) to get a quick claim assessment.

We’ll do the rest! Our team of internationally recognized lawyers and determined claim specialists can help you receive the compensation that is rightfully owed to you.

No win, no fee. As our mission is to support you in enforcing your air passenger rights, we get paid only if we succeed in securing your compensation. Our standard fee is 35% (VAT included) from the total compensation amount. And we will not charge it unless we are successful in claiming what is rightfully owed to you.

Did you know you can claim up to  €600 in compensation?

Check if your disrupted Lufthansa  flight is eligible.

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Lufthansa Rankings

Lufthansa is one of the largest airlines in the world, having transported about 102 million passengers in 2022. The German flag carrier serves 17 domestic and 204 international destinations and continues to expand its route network in accordance with the increasing demand for air travel.

Based on customer reviews, Lufthansa has a score of 5/10 on Skytrax, the leading airline rating organisation. Travellers gave their opinion on Lufthansa’s staff service, inflight entertainment, food and beverages, seat comfort and overall value for money. 

Apart from the reviews left by customers, Skytrax rated Lufthansa as a 4-star airline. This distinction reflects the carrier’s overall efforts to provide a comfortable service to their customers as well as a high value for money. 

Lufthansa was even awarded as a 5-star airline in 2017 but Skytrax retracted this rating in 2022. Such a high award is only reserved for the very best airlines that provide excellent quality of services. Thus, the list of 5-star airlines currently only includes Asian and Middle-Eastern air companies. 

According to FlightStats, nearly 30% of Lufthansa flights experience a delay with an average delay duration of 38 minutes.