Time limit (Germany): 3-year limitation period (§195 BGB), expiring on 31 December of the third year after the flight (§199 BGB). Example: flight on 1 May 2023 → deadline 31 December 2026.

Lufthansa Flight Delayed or Cancelled? Claim up to €600 EU261 Compensation

Q: Lufthansa rejected my EU261 claim — what should I do?

Lufthansa frequently rejects claims at first instance. If they refuse or do not respond within 4 weeks, you can file a free complaint with the LBA (Luftfahrt-Bundesamt) at lba.de, contact the SRV (Schlichtungsstelle Reise und Verkehr) for mediation, or file a claim at the local Amtsgericht as a last resort.

Q: My Lufthansa flight had a technical fault — am I still entitled to compensation?

Yes, in most cases. European case law establishes that a technical fault is part of an airline's normal operational risk and does not constitute an extraordinary circumstance. Lufthansa must pay unless the fault resulted from a manufacturing defect entirely outside the airline's control.

Q: Lufthansa offered me a voucher — do I have to accept it?

No. EU261 Article 7 gives you the right to a cash payment. A voucher or travel credit cannot replace your legal entitlement unless you explicitly accept it in writing. Decline and insist on a bank transfer.

Q: How long do I have to claim against Lufthansa?

In Germany, the limitation period is 3 years under §195 BGB. The deadline runs until 31 December of the third year after the flight (§199 BGB). A flight on 1 May 2023 therefore expires on 31 December 2026 — not on 1 May 2026. Act promptly while your documents are available.

Q: What happens if Lufthansa does not respond within 4 weeks?

Silence is not acceptance. If Lufthansa fails to respond after 4 weeks, file a free complaint with the LBA at lba.de or contact the SRV for out-of-court mediation. As a final step, you can file a claim at the competent Amtsgericht — in Frankfurt am Main if the flight departed from FRA.

Lufthansa (IATA: LH) is Germany's largest airline with main hubs at Frankfurt (FRA) and Munich (MUC). If your Lufthansa flight was delayed by 3 hours or more, or cancelled less than 14 days before departure, EU Regulation 261/2004 entitles you to compensation of up to €600. Here is everything you need to claim successfully.

Situations covered by EU261 with Lufthansa

✓
Delay of 3 hours or more at arrival — the actual arrival time (doors open) counts, not the departure delay.
✓
Cancellation notified less than 14 days before departure — without an adequate alternative offered by Lufthansa.
✓
Flight brought forward by more than 1 hour — if you could not board at the originally scheduled time.
✓
Involuntary denied boarding — overbooking or a document issue attributable to the airline.

Lufthansa hubs in Germany: Frankfurt am Main (FRA) — main hub · Munich Franz Josef Strauß (MUC) — second hub. Lufthansa also operates from Hamburg (HAM), Berlin (BER), Düsseldorf (DUS) and other German cities.

How to claim against Lufthansa

1
Generate your formal demand letter with Claimy — in 30 seconds, with the correct legal references and exact compensation amount.
2
Send it by registered post with acknowledgement of receipt to Lufthansa's official postal address:
Lufthansa Customer Relations, 60546 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
3
You can also submit a claim online via the contact form at lufthansa.com/de/de/kontakt-und-hilfe. Registered post is strongly recommended to maintain legally sound proof of the delivery date.
4
Wait for Lufthansa's response — typically 4 weeks. Lufthansa frequently refuses claims at first instance.

If Lufthansa refuses or does not reply

Lufthansa is known for systematically rejecting claims at first instance. If refused or after 4 weeks of silence, you have the following escalation options:

LBA — Luftfahrt-Bundesamt

→ National enforcement authority for EU261 in Germany
→ Free complaint online at lba.de
→ Can formally instruct Lufthansa to pay

SRV — Schlichtungsstelle Reise und Verkehr

→ Recognised out-of-court mediation body — free for consumers
→ schlichtungsstelle-reise.de — recommended before going to court

Amtsgericht (Local Civil Court)

→ Last resort: competent court at the departure airport location
→ For disputes up to €5,000 — no lawyer required

Tip: always keep your booking confirmation, boarding pass and all correspondence with Lufthansa. These documents are essential for any escalation to an authority or court.

EU261 compensation amounts — Lufthansa examples

Flight distance	Compensation	Lufthansa example
≤ 1,500 km	€250	FRA → Berlin (BER) ~460 km, MUC → Vienna (VIE) ~350 km
1,500–3,500 km or intra-EU	€400	FRA → Athens (ATH) ~1,900 km, MUC → Lisbon (LIS) ~2,200 km
> 3,500 km outside EU	€600	FRA → New York (JFK) ~6,200 km, MUC → Tokyo (NRT) ~9,300 km

Lufthansa may reduce compensation by 50% if it offered you a rerouting with a limited arrival delay.

Why use Claimy instead of a claims agency?

Services like AirHelp or Flightright charge 25 to 35% commission on your compensation. On €250, you only receive ~€175.

	Claims agency	Claimy
On €250	You receive ~€175	You receive €240.10
On €400	You receive ~€280	You receive €385.10
On €600	You receive ~€420	You receive €575.10

Claimy generates your formal demand letter in 30 seconds for a fixed fee from €9.90. You send it yourself and keep 100% of your compensation.

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Frequently asked questions — Lufthansa

Lufthansa rejected my EU261 claim — what should I do?

Lufthansa frequently rejects claims at first instance. If refused or after 4 weeks without a reply, file a free complaint with the LBA at lba.de or contact the SRV for mediation. As a last resort, bring the matter to the competent Amtsgericht. Keep all your documents.

My Lufthansa flight had a technical fault — am I still entitled to compensation?

Yes. European case law establishes that a technical fault is part of normal airline operations. Lufthansa must pay unless the fault was caused by an unforeseeable manufacturing defect entirely outside its control.

Lufthansa offered me a voucher — do I have to accept it?

No. EU261 gives you the right to a cash payment. A voucher can only replace your entitlement if you explicitly accept it in writing. Decline and insist on a bank transfer.

How long do I have to claim against Lufthansa?

In Germany, the 3-year limitation period (§195 BGB) expires on 31 December of the third year after the flight (§199 BGB). A flight on 1 May 2023 expires on 31 December 2026 — not 1 May 2026. Act promptly while your documents are available.

What happens if Lufthansa does not respond within 4 weeks?

Silence is not acceptance. After 4 weeks without a reply, file a free complaint with the LBA or contact the SRV for mediation. As a last resort, file a claim at the competent Amtsgericht — in Frankfurt am Main if the flight departed from FRA.

More information

What if the airline refuses?

Since 2026, Germany's new civil online procedure (OVErpG) lets passengers file EU261 claims online at a participating German court — no lawyer required. Your Claimy letter is the perfect foundation for this digital court filing.

service.justiz.de/fluggastrechte →

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