Flight cancellations can seriously disrupt even the most carefully organized travel plans.
It’s not just about the hassle; it’s about the uncertain scenarios that follow.
Will Lufthansa offer alternative travel options if they cancel a flight? They should provide the next available flight. However, it might take some time for them to work out a solution, and you may end up spending hours at the airport or flying a day later. In this article, we’ll cover both – how it ideally works and what to do if things don’t go as planned.
You Have a Right to Alternative Travel Options From Lufthansa
Lufthansa is a European airline.
If Lufthansa cancels your flight, they must provide you with two choices.
The first choice is to get a full refund of your ticket price, while the second option is to change the flight date at no cost. If it’s a very last-minute flight cancellation, it’s understandable to want a flight departing as soon as possible (next available flight).
This is also a requirement mandated by law for Lufthansa to provide. It’s the same in all circumstances. You have the right to request a flight that departs as close to your original flight time as possible.
This new flight from Lufthansa must be provided at no additional cost to you.
As long as it’s not a non-European airline and the flight isn’t from a non-European country. With non-European airlines, these rules only apply to flights departing 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.
Partner Airlines
You are entitled to alternative travel options (i.e., a new flight) provided by a partner airline.
In certain situations, Lufthansa may book you on a partner airline if no suitable Lufthansa flights are available. Alternatively, it might be just another airline.
This can be an easy option, but it might not always be provided.
If you notice that there are better flight options to reach your destination, it’s worth bringing that up in discussions with the Lufthansa staff – especially when deciding what to do when your Lufthansa flight is cancelled. This is particularly worth trying if it’s a last-minute cancellation and you are already at the airport.
How it should be working?
You are supposed to get on the next plane to your destination.
With Lufthansa or another airline.
It’s Taking Longer Than Expected
Here are a few possible reasons:
- You can’t contact Lufthansa.
- The replacement flight is significantly delayed.
- Lufthansa has offered a new flight several days later, which isn’t suitable for you.
The first scenario is challenging. You might decide to buy a new flight and then request a claim from Lufthansa later. However, this approach can make things more complicated, as you haven’t yet evaluated what the airline was offering to all passengers impacted by the flight cancellation. It may be difficult to prove that the airline was unreachable and that you made the best decision.
In the second case, you are entitled to request for a different flight. Under EC261, you have the right to reach your destination “under similar transportation conditions at the earliest opportunity”. This can mean travelling with a different airline, and it might involve a connecting flight instead of a direct one if that is the best available option.
Be prepared that Lufthansa may not agree to this and may try to convince you to take their flight.
In the third scenario, you have the same rights as in the second. You can request a more suitable flight at a more convenient time. Additionally, you always have the option to purchase a new flight yourself if nothing else seems to work and then file a claim with the airline.
Try to Negotiate With Lufthansa
Indeed, in every scenario, it’s simpler to “just purchase a new flight”.
However – getting any refund from Lufthansa afterwards might be ten times more difficult than arranging a new flight at the moment of the issue.
Always, attempt to negotiate with the airline at the time of the issue. If your Lufthansa flight is cancelled, communicate with Lufthansa representatives at the airport or via phone, discuss options that are most convenient for you, and find the best alternative to your initial flight.
Do You Have a Travel Insurance?
If your flight is cancelled, and the airline is offering only flights that don’t work for you, it can be very useful to have travel insurance that covers flight cancellations.
Because then, you can “simply buy a new flight”, and get your money back from the travel insurance company. Plus, you can get a refund for flight cancellation from Lufthansa and sometimes also a flight cancellation compensation (if it’s the airline’s fault and it happened less than 2 weeks before departure).
Regardless of the reason behind the flight cancellation, with most Lufthansa flights you have a right to be given a choice between a new Lufthansa flight and a refund.
Read more: What to Do If Lufthansa Does Not Provide Alternative Travel Options?
Lufthansa Flight Cancellation Compensation
If your flight is cancelled less than 14 days before the scheduled departure, and it’s due to the airline’s responsibility, very often you are entitled to flight cancellation compensation.
You may choose to get both – a flight compensation or a full refund.
- For European airlines, these rights apply to all their flights.
- For non-European airlines, these rights apply to flights departing from Europe.
Lufthansa Flight Cancellation Refund
Firstly, a refund is not the same as compensation.
A refund means getting back the money you spent on the plane ticket.
If, for example, Lufthansa cancels a flight, you often have the right to choose between a full refund and a new flight. You can opt for a full refund to your bank account and not take the alternative flight offered by Lufthansa.
As already explained, you might choose to take a full refund if the new flight doesn’t suit you, you don’t want to try and negotiate another option, or you’re planning to “just buy a different flight.” Or, perhaps you’ve decided not to travel at all.
You don’t have to accept vouchers in this situation.
Have questions about your rights regarding Lufthansa flight cancellation compensation or alternative travel options (in case of flight cancellation)? Don’t hesitate to ask in the comments.