mikkelhk

Would anyone happen to have a clue if the flight voucher program (for bookings made before May 15, 2020) is due to expire any time soon?
We (still) have a round trip BLL-FRA-MIA-FRA-BLL booked for 2021, outbound late April and inbound early May. We will not be going on this trip in 2021, but will hopefully be flying almost a year later, outbound late March 2022 and inbound early April 2022 (to and from a cruise, which has already been moved one year out). Since our 2021 flights are in the Summer program, and I expect flight travel to slowly ramp up over the next couple of months following the vaccines rolling out, I expect our actual booked flights to go (we could technically complete the exact legs during these months with the current flight availability/schedule, except right now during Christmas/New Year), so I probably wouldn't be able to cancel the flights free of charge (following a LH cancellation) or rebook them one year out (both ways are booked as Economy Basic, booking class L).
With the flight voucher, we would keep the ticket value to use until December 26, 2022 (as I read the terms, at least), but of course a cash refund would be highly preferred, leaving us with bigger freedom of choice for our 2022 trip.
Any tips on what to do - wait a bit longer before eventually requesting a flight voucher, if the May program is not reduced "enough" or our specific flights aren't cancelled, and alternatively request a cash refund if our flights are cancelled/moved more than X hours (what is LH's current definition of a major schedule change), or a third option?

Thanks in advance, and a hopefully happier and better New Year to everyone.

LoungeLizzard

No you don't. Link
+ Link to TWP2011 First page, invol rebooking
In case of cancelled flights you may choose if you want to rebook/reissue
 on involuntary basis (original O&D, no additional collection, no discount, no bonus) or,
 on the basis of a goodwill policy (repricing on any O&D)

LUGlodo

Hi All - posted this in another thread few days ago, but I think it was the wrong place. I am considering a good A fare on LX with a 3 months maximum stay. Due to the pandemic, it is possible that the date of the return flight may have to be changed (using the free rebooking as part of the current policy) to a date past the maximum stay. Provided that the same booking class is available in the new flight at a later date, would a fare difference be calculated according to the new length of the stay or not? The fare rules contain:
I am unsure if this is the relevant part in this case.

Thanks!

SK AAR

Purchased LH PE ticket to BOG in March 2020 (for travel in July 2020). Flights cancelled by LH (invol) and ticket put "on ice". Now considering to rebook for July 2021. Any issue to rebook for travel date beyond 1 year from original ticket issue?

oliver2002

No issue. They will book the new segments in July 2021 and then reissue the ticket in exchange for the old one. Note that you have no more changes after that unless LH cancels any of your segments.

IAN-UK

My experience is that while LH will reissue my EZE ticket for travel beyond its one year validity, they insist they need to do a reprice requiring several thousand extra euros

The original was bought JAN20 for travel AUG20, but cancelled by LH and put on ice. I want to rebook for AUG21, but meet with total resistance to doing it without up-pricing to the current fare.

Are there some magic words I need to use, or some department I need to call beyond the M&M Sen line ? (I'm guessing the Sen line just jumps the queue rather than connecting to a superman/woman reservation agent).

Dselvan

Can’t speak for which line to ring but in relation to the rebooking, if your flight was cancelled due to COVID, the rules clearly say on their website that you have a free change of date (ticketed by March 2021 I think) and travel to be completed by December 2021. If you are rebooking the same route and class of travel, no rebooking or change fee should be charged. If you change either, then repricing comes into play and you will have to pay the difference in price.
I did this for my booking but it was booked with Amex travel in the UK and I had to deal with them directly rather than LH. While they initially said that change in fare will have to be paid, I had to quote the various different rules and in the end, my cancelled flights from Nov 2020 have been moved to Nov 2021 but my original booking was done in January 2020 and all done with no extra cost to me.
Persevere and quote their own rules (Goodwill rule) since you definitely get one fee free move if they have cancelled your flight.

ISTFlyer

I have successfully reissued a LH ticket beyond its one-year validity and the LH hotline staff told me ( Turkish-speaking ) that a fare difference would not apply if I rebooked in the same fare bucket. I did indeed rebooked in the same fare bucket and I wasn't asked any money. However, they alerted me that if I asked to be rebooked at a higher fare bucket, the fare difference would be collected if my new travel dates are not within the -3/+14 day period from the original dates.

IAN-UK

Yeah, thanks- we shared comments on this before. Indeed, you inspired my latest try: but I was stonewalled repeatedly with the line that yes the change is free but the new fare has to be paid.

IAN-UK

Thanks IST, my fare buckets match !

Dselvan

Sorry to hear that they are still stonewalling you. But they are clearly wrong since the rules are relatively clear and people like myself have got them reticketed. Not sure what else to say.

chris63

Post #1049 try an agent that is empowered

IAN-UK

It's frustrating! I'm guessing that my on-screen reservation detail are by now loaded with unhelpful comments from my previous sessions. I tempted to give in, get my cash back an rebook with another carrier: but I'll first re-gird my loins and pursue the case with Chris63's suggestion of the F-line.

I've had tons of changes to make in the last 12 months, mostly with BA and Lufthansa, but also with Turkish. My observations are anecdotal, statistically irrelevant, but I'll offer them:


TK interactions can be testing with dodgy communication issues, but they proactively offered to switch a cancelled Egypt flight to anywhere in the middle-east for any date until December 2021: top marks.

Lufthansa improved significantly after my initial March cancellations took 4 months to yield refunds - one of them only under cash-back enforcement. The nonsense they kept trying about a £44 bonus if I accepted a voucher for a £1000++ ticket began to grate.

BA has, surprisingly, outperformed Lufthansa in the clarity, scope and implementation of its Covid response policy. I have been struck by how much more willing BA agents have been to help, dig deeper, make an effort, although I've had a couple experiences with BA's Indian and UK call centres where it was clear that agents had simply not got the message.

Thanks a lot Chris63: inexplicably I missed your earlier post

Dselvan

Hope you get it sorted. Very annoying and this is not just for LH. I had a massive issue with my BA cancellation in September 2020 and I wanted to move it to this year but it was beyond the 12 month ticket validity and so BA refused. So I took my refund and booked it with another airline. Their loss and being a BA Gold member meant nothing to them.
Even though it has been a pain in the back a little bit, the LH rebooking was easier for me (first time booking and flying on LH) than on BA. Just another anecdote

Nick Art

Good news: The Companion Fare restrictions apparently no longer apply (not 100% sure, but that's what I was just told by my TAs in the Swiss City ticket office for my companion F flights to NYC, it might just be the surpervisor giving me some goodwill extension though, but they didn't say if it was...) and all cancelled tickets can now be rebooked until 31 March for travel until 31 Jan 2022 (including companion specials). Ticket validity issues appear to be no more!

They did make quite a strong point regardng this being the last extension for these flights, but I bet we'll see about that... My bet would be that there is going to be at least another extension looking at Europs covid situation right now.