EU airline (EC 261/2004) · LH
Lufthansa refund & compensation policy
What Lufthansa owes you when it cancels, delays or overbooks your flight — and how to actually collect it.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 844 557-2216 — our agents can also rebook you.
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Lufthansa refund policy in plain English
Economy Light is non-refundable; Classic and Flex can be refunded with a fee or in full; Lufthansa cancels → full refund or rerouting under EU261.
Delays and cancellations
EU261 €250–€600 per passenger. Lufthansa pays uncontested claims within ~4 weeks; crew strikes are frequent and NOT extraordinary.
Your rights on Lufthansa (EU Regulation 261/2004)
- Compensation for arrival delays of 3+ hours, cancellations with under 14 days' notice, and denied boarding: €250 (≤1,500 km), €400 (1,500–3,500 km or intra-EU), €600 (3,500 km+) per passenger — unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances.
- Refund or rerouting on any cancellation, and on delays of 5+ hours if you choose not to fly.
- Care: meals and drinks from 2 hours' delay, hotel and transfers if overnight.
- Applies to all Lufthansa flights departing the EU, and to Lufthansa flights arriving in the EU from anywhere.
How to claim from Lufthansa
- Gather the booking reference, boarding passes and any messages from Lufthansa about the disruption.
- For a refund, use Lufthansa's own form: www.lufthansa.com/us/en/refund, or call +1 800 645-3880. Cite your right to a cash refund and decline vouchers.
- For compensation (EU/UK rules), either file with the airline and escalate to the regulator if refused, or hand it to a no-win-no-fee partner via the checker above — they pull the flight data, counter "extraordinary circumstances" claims, and sue when needed.
- If a refund you are owed hasn't arrived in 7 business days, a credit-card chargeback for "services not rendered" is a fast parallel route.
Policies summarised from Lufthansa's published conditions and applicable regulations; airlines change fare rules often — confirm on the link above before relying on a detail.
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Flight disrupted in the last 6 years?
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