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Last-Minute Flight Cancellation: Your Rights

Was your Lufthansa flight cancelled last minute?

Flight cancellations can be a major inconvenience, especially if you have connecting flights or other travel arrangements. However, the EU/UK law and Lufthansa flight cancellation policy provide protection for passengers in such situations. This has been the case for more than ten years. Therefore, if your Lufthansa flight is cancelled, it is the airline’s responsibility to take care of you and find a suitable solution.

1. Lufthansa Flight Cancellation: Last-Minute Flight Cancellation

If Lufthansa cancels your flight, they must take care of you.

  1. If flight cancellation results in a long wait at the airport, you have the right to care from Lufthansa. If it’s a 3 hour-long wait, you will get a coupon for a free meal, if it’s an overnight wait — free hotel accommodation and transfer.
  2. If you decide not to take the replacement flight offered to you, you are entitled to a full refund from Lufthansa. This refund may be either transferred to your bank account, or issued as a refundable Lufthansa voucher.
  3. As long as it’s a last-minute flight cancellation (i.g., flight cancelled up to 2 weeks before the original departure date), and the cancellation is due to fault of Lufthansa, you can claim flight cancellation compensation from Lufthansa.

If you’re facing a missed connection due to a cancellation on your Lufthansa flight, you may be eligible for compensation. Refer to our Lufthansa missed connection compensation guide for more details.

In brief, the rules are similar to those for flight delays. You need to see how much later you arrive at your destination compared to your original arrival time.

These compensation rules apply to all Lufthansa flights to and from Europe.

By Europe and EU here on this page (and on this website in general) we mean all EU Member States, the United Kingdom (UK), Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Reunion, Mayotte, Saint Martin (French Antilles), the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.

2. What to Do if Your Flight Is Cancelled Last-Minute?

How to proceed when your flight is cancelled last-minute depends on your current location. If you have already left for the airport, the course of action may differ from if you are still at home.

2.1 If You Are Still at Home or Hotel

If you are still at home and your flight has been cancelled, it is recommended that you stay there for the time being. Contact Lufthansa’s customer service to figure out what to do next.

As previously stated, Lufthansa will provide assistance. They will tell you about your options – it’s possible you will be departing on the same day, or day after. It depends on flight availability. Keep in mind that you can request a flight with another airline, too.

If the cancellation was due to extraordinary circumstances, you are entitled to care, a free alternative flight to your destination, or a refund if you prefer.

2.2 If You Are Already at the Airport

In case you are already at the airport and your flight has been cancelled, refrain from proceeding through airport security. A new flight will be scheduled for you. This means that you need to obtain a new boarding pass by completing the check-in process again. And if you have any luggage, check it in once more, and pass through passport control. If you have already cleared security, try to return to the landside (public access) area of the airport.

It’s important to contact Lufthansa’s representatives at the airport to learn about the next steps to take. They will provide you with assistance, such as offering you an alternative flight to your destination (or a full refund) and care.

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3. Lufthansa Flight Cancellation Compensation

The UK/EU has established particular regulations regarding flight compensation.

If your flight is canceled less than 2 weeks before the scheduled departure date, it is classified as a last-minute cancellation, and you may be entitled to compensation.

Your flight is cancelled 7 – 14 days before the scheduled time of departure:

  • You choose a new flight offered by Lufthansa, which departs not more than 2 hours before the original departure time and you reach your destination less than 4 hours after the original arrival time. In this situation you are not entitled to compensation.
  • In other situations you are entitled to compensation.

Your flight is cancelled less than 7 days before the scheduled time of departure:

  • You choose a new flight offered by Lufthansa, which departs not more than 1 hour before the original departure time and you reach your destination less than 2 hours after the original arrival time. In this situation you are not entitled to compensation.
  • In other situations you are entitled to compensation.

Conditions for claiming compensation:

  • Flight cancelled due to the fault of Lufthansa;
  • Flight is to/from/within Europe;
  • Flight cancelled last-minute (less than 14 days before departure).

Read more: Lufthansa Flight Cancellation Compensation

4. Lufthansa Flight Cancellation Refund

When your Lufthansa flight is cancelled, you have the right to choose between a new flight to your destination or a full refund. If you opt for the Lufthansa refund, it can either be transferred to your bank account or issued as a Lufthansa voucher.

The choice depends on your personal preference and travel plans.

You should receive your Lufthansa refund within 7 days.

It’s important to note that the right to compensation and the right to a refund are two separate entitlements under the UK/EU flight compensation law. Even if you opt for a refund, you may still be eligible for compensation depending on the circumstances of the flight cancellation, as described above.

4.1 What If You Cancel a Flight?

If you, as a passenger, decide to cancel your flight, the conditions for a refund differ. Generally, Lufthansa’s refund policy is based on the type of ticket purchased.

Fully-flexible tickets are typically refundable, while low-cost, non-flexible tickets may not be. It’s always recommended to check the specific conditions of your ticket or contact Lufthansa’s customer service for clarification. If you purchased travel insurance that covers cancellations, you might be able to claim a refund through your insurance provider.

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5. How to Claim Lufthansa Flight Cancellation Compensation? Cancellation Refund?

If you want to get a refund for your ticket, you can apply for a refund through the “My Bookings” section by selecting “Flight Details”. Or you can also fill out this form on Lufthansa’s website. The refund amount will be transferred using the same payment method that you used while booking your ticket.

What about flight cancellation compensation?

If your flight is canceled, you may be entitled to compensation from Lufthansa. The most important thing you need to do is to file a claim. Failure to do so will result in no compensation. You can contact Lufthansa customer service to submit your claim.

Remember, you have the right to receive compensation, and you are not required to accept travel vouchers. According to EC Regulation 261, compensation for flight disruptions in the EU must be paid directly into your bank account. The amount of compensation you are eligible for is predetermined and ranges from 250 to 600 euros.

You can also take the easiest path — legal representation.

When you choose this option, everything is handled by a flight compensation company. They will make a compensation claim and complete the process on your behalf.

When choosing this option, here is all you will have to do:

Go to
this page

Fill in a claim form

Upload documents*

Sign online

And that’s it — the rest is handled by professionals.

* Your boarding pass and passport or ID copy.

Do you still have questions about Lufthansa compensation policies? Ask in the comments.

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