Old Jul 29, 2020, 12:54 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: oliver2002
If any of your flights in the reservation are cancelled or changed significantly, you can change/refund the ticket as per the section 4.1.2 in this document: https://www.lufthansaexperts.com/shared/files/lufthansa/public/mcms/folder_102/folder_3625/file_143775.pdf
If you still want to fly as (re)booked after a schedule change, you need to reconfirm the reservation with a certain number of days as show here: https://www.lufthansaexperts.com/shared/files/lufthansa/public/mcms/folder_102/folder_3625/file_147814.pdf

If you want to change your ticket due to the uncertanty associated with the Covid 19 pandemic, two kinds of waivers are available which are explained here: https://www.lufthansaexperts.com/shared/files/lufthansa/public/mcms/folder_102/folder_3625/file_147655.pdf

Any changes are best done by the agency that booked your ticket. If you booked directly with LH they will handle the rebooking/reissue and/or refunds. This should be done by calling in. Online functionality of LH.com is rather poor.
Print Wikipost

Covid19: LH Group general waiver to rebook flights

Old Jun 10, 2020, 1:28 am
  #751  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denmark
Programs: TK Elite
Posts: 11,772
LH will treat any cancellation due to a schedule change of 1 hour as a voluntary change to be made according to the fare rules. If you wait until LH cancels your flight you should be able to get a full refund (with significant delay though). So wait it out - no need to do anything /accept the current schedule change.

Rather than cancelling you should consider to rebook to a date convenient to you - if you do it after a flight is cancelled you should be able to rebook for free/without payment of add. fare.
SK AAR is online now  
Old Jun 10, 2020, 3:59 am
  #752  
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 84
Thanks SK AAR for your input. I will wait it out.
I might be mistaken, but I don't think my "econ light" fare allows rebooking unless the flight gets cancelled by LH.
mamak04 is offline  
Old Jun 10, 2020, 4:51 am
  #753  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Mar 2020
Posts: 122
mamak04 You may cancel and receive a full refund. It's article 5 of the EC261/2004 in combination with article 8. IANAL.

Thus, I think the legal situation is clear. In practice, I doubt LH will refund you unless you take them to court. My recent experience is they've been very accomodating with regards to rebookings. If rebooking to a different date is an option for your family, that might be the way to go (less hassle).
Stuttgart21 is offline  
Old Jun 10, 2020, 5:32 am
  #754  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denmark
Programs: TK Elite
Posts: 11,772
Originally Posted by Stuttgart21
mamak04 You may cancel and receive a full refund. It's article 5 of the EC261/2004 in combination with article 8. IANAL.

Thus, I think the legal situation is clear. In practice, I doubt LH will refund you unless you take them to court. My recent experience is they've been very accomodating with regards to rebookings. If rebooking to a different date is an option for your family, that might be the way to go (less hassle).
There is no doubt LH will not allow a cancel/refund for schedule change of 1 hour. Yes, you may take LH to court to fight for a right to cancel/refund but most of us would never bother with that.
SK AAR is online now  
Old Jun 10, 2020, 5:33 am
  #755  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denmark
Programs: TK Elite
Posts: 11,772
Originally Posted by mamak04
Thanks SK AAR for your input. I will wait it out.
I might be mistaken, but I don't think my "econ light" fare allows rebooking unless the flight gets cancelled by LH.
Sorry, I should have been more clear. I was talking about asking for a (free) rebooking if your flight gets cancelled.
SK AAR is online now  
Old Jun 10, 2020, 6:58 am
  #756  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: PVG, FRA, SEA, HEL
Programs: UA Premier Gold
Posts: 4,783
Sorry, I should have been more clear. I was talking about asking for a (free) rebooking if your flight gets cancelled.
I think the issue here is -> LH cancels your flight, but rebooks you onto a flight 1 hour earlier or later. The question is whether LH agrees to issue a full cash refund (if requested) or rebooks the pax for free for an alternative day.
The law is clear (LH has to do that), the question is whether LH follows the law or not.
warakorn is offline  
Old Jun 10, 2020, 8:15 am
  #757  
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Programs: Oneworld Sapphire, SkyTeam Elite
Posts: 2
My data point: Booked LON - ZRH - BKK - SGN (operated by LX and the BKK-SGN route by Vietnam Airlines). Flight got cancelled and I requested a rebooking - the agent said unless it's the exact same flight numbers throughout (regardless of O&D) flights will be re-priced. They have a seasonal flight ZRH - SGN operated by Edelweiss which, even though it was the same booking class, I had to pay a difference. Quoted the document oliver2002 mentioned above with no success. Re-confirmed I want a refund in that case and that I'll be patiently awaiting within the legal timeframes.
sabbst is offline  
Old Jun 10, 2020, 9:59 am
  #758  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denmark
Programs: TK Elite
Posts: 11,772
Originally Posted by warakorn
I think the issue here is -> LH cancels your flight, but rebooks you onto a flight 1 hour earlier or later. The question is whether LH agrees to issue a full cash refund (if requested) or rebooks the pax for free for an alternative day.
The law is clear (LH has to do that), the question is whether LH follows the law or not.
No, that was not the issue. The OP has not been rebooked to another flight (different flight No) due flight cancellation. LH has changed the departure time by 1 hour (= minor schedule change) and the OP inquires if this is sufficient to request a cancellation/full refund.

The cancellation part is being discussed in relation to the possible subsequent cancellation of the LH flight in July, upon which the OP will be entitled to request a full refund or to rebook free of charge.

But I agree with you that the question is whether LH will abide to the law in this situation (following a cancellation)
SK AAR is online now  
Old Jun 11, 2020, 2:19 am
  #759  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Mar 2020
Posts: 122
Originally Posted by SK AAR
There is no doubt LH will not allow a cancel/refund for schedule change of 1 hour. Yes, you may take LH to court to fight for a right to cancel/refund but most of us would never bother with that.
They do it in normal times without putting up a fight. They will not be easy if the schedule change is 15 minutes or less (perhaps unless you are HON), but they will not give you a hard time with an hour.

However, I did write in my previous that I consider it more likely LH will not budge easily given its current poor financial situation even though the change is 1h. It may still be worth trying.

And I already mentioned other ways to proceed. If initially unsuccessfull with your claim, you can take them to court (or let somebody such as flightright do it for you). Or you can ask for a schedule change. As I already wrote, in my experience, recently LH has been relatively lenient when it comes to those.

Be that as it may, your suggestion in #751 was somewhat unclear. The legal situation is that OP has the right to cancel for a full refund period.
Stuttgart21 is offline  
Old Jun 11, 2020, 4:15 am
  #760  
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 84
OP here. The flight number is the same. Just a change from 11:35am to 10:30am. So, I don't think I am allowed a rebooking due to the flight still available and due to my econ light fare.
mamak04 is offline  
Old Jun 11, 2020, 5:29 am
  #761  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: IE / PL
Programs: TK*G (E+)
Posts: 140
Covid-19 rebooking update:
June 19th flights cancelled (economy class S/T) rebooked today for July 09th (economy class W/V) with no problems & no fare difference.
dromack is offline  
Old Jun 11, 2020, 5:44 am
  #762  
Moderator: SAS
Hyatt Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: BLL & CPH & ZRH
Programs: LX, SK EBD (*G)
Posts: 3,144
Originally Posted by mamak04
OP here. The flight number is the same. Just a change from 11:35am to 10:30am. So, I don't think I am allowed a rebooking due to the flight still available and due to my econ light fare.
Call and ask nicely. Based on in invol shedule change much can be achieved (including a full refund if that's what you want).
IMH likes this.
Nick Art is offline  
Old Jun 11, 2020, 7:19 am
  #763  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denmark
Programs: TK Elite
Posts: 11,772
I believe it has been reported many times in forum that LH will not accept rebooking or cancellation/full refund for minor/immaterial schedule changes. It needs to be more than 1-2 hours and an earlier departure time (as opposed to a later arrival time) is even less likely to be sufficient for a cancellation and full refund.

It is not like with TK where you are able to cancel and get a full refund if the schedule change is > 15min.
SK AAR is online now  
Old Jun 11, 2020, 7:27 am
  #764  
Moderator: Aegean Miles+Bonus
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: AMS / ATH
Programs: AFKL Plat, A3 Gold
Posts: 7,333
Looking at the Guideline to Lufthansa Group's goodwill policies I was under the impression that rebooking (outside of the 3-day window) should be possible without fare difference. When I called them this morning to arrange such rebooking for a flight that was supposed to depart tomorrow (but has been canceled) they did not want to rebook without fare difference.

Is this policy still applicable? Is it a matter of HUCA?
Xandrios is offline  
Old Jun 11, 2020, 7:33 am
  #765  
IMH
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Berlin
Programs: BA Gold; Accor Plat; IHG Diamond-Amb; Meliá & HH & Marriott Gold
Posts: 5,447
Originally Posted by mamak04
The flight number is the same. Just a change from 11:35am to 10:30am.
Originally Posted by Nick Art
Call and ask nicely.
+1 Especially if you can truthfully say that the change affects you more significantly than might be obvious. For example, if you would catch a train two hours earlier than planned to make the new flight time, or would be forced to add an overnight stay at the airport.
IMH is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.