Lufthansa Ticket Refund Timeline
Jul 16, 2020, 8:12 am
#226
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Eurozone
Programs: LH SEN, HH Gold
Posts: 3,002
Jul 17, 2020, 1:54 am
#227
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Berlin
Programs: BA Gold; Accor Plat; IHG Diamond-Amb; Meliá & HH & Marriott Gold
Posts: 5,450
14 May: LH cancelled flights I had booked for June.
14 May: phoned LH to request refund; received confirmation email.
2 July: received "are you aware of the flexible Lufthansa rebooking options?" email. Ignored.
17 July: received email confirmation that the refund has been processed.
14 May: phoned LH to request refund; received confirmation email.
2 July: received "are you aware of the flexible Lufthansa rebooking options?" email. Ignored.
17 July: received email confirmation that the refund has been processed.
Jul 17, 2020, 3:53 am
#228
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: GVA
Programs: A3 *G, LX *G, AF *S
Posts: 761
14 May: LH cancelled flights I had booked for June.
14 May: phoned LH to request refund; received confirmation email.
2 July: received "are you aware of the flexible Lufthansa rebooking options?" email. Ignored.
17 July: received email confirmation that the refund has been processed.
14 May: phoned LH to request refund; received confirmation email.
2 July: received "are you aware of the flexible Lufthansa rebooking options?" email. Ignored.
17 July: received email confirmation that the refund has been processed.
I got the message about the refund processing more than a week ago and still nothing on my account.
Jul 17, 2020, 7:04 am
#229
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: Canada
Posts: 10
01 Apr - I noticed when checking my itinerary that LH had cancelled my flights. I received no notification and I have no idea when they cancelled them.
02 Apr - Called, requested refund, was told I would receive it by 28 Apr, LH then deleted my itinerary from their online system
28 Apr - Called, told I would receive the refund by mid Jun
20 Jun - Called, told my refund would be expedited as I should have received it already and that I would receive email confirmation of processing by the end of Jul with refund to appear on my CC 3 business days after receiving the email confirmation
02 Jul - never received any email confirmation. Called and was told I would receive my refund by the end of Aug
To date I have received no confirmations of refund from LH.
It now takes hours to get through to them on the phone and several tries to get someone to answer my phone call without disconnecting me or instantly putting infinite hold.
02 Apr - Called, requested refund, was told I would receive it by 28 Apr, LH then deleted my itinerary from their online system
28 Apr - Called, told I would receive the refund by mid Jun
20 Jun - Called, told my refund would be expedited as I should have received it already and that I would receive email confirmation of processing by the end of Jul with refund to appear on my CC 3 business days after receiving the email confirmation
02 Jul - never received any email confirmation. Called and was told I would receive my refund by the end of Aug
To date I have received no confirmations of refund from LH.
It now takes hours to get through to them on the phone and several tries to get someone to answer my phone call without disconnecting me or instantly putting infinite hold.
Jul 17, 2020, 10:35 am
#230
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, TK Elite, HHonors Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 7,691
I received refunds for 2 tickets that I requested about 2 weeks ago. However, still nothing for 2 refunds that I requested in late March and early May, Kind of strange.
Jul 18, 2020, 1:08 am
#231
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: London
Programs: SK Gold, ITA Executive, Sixt Diamond, Hertz PC, Avis PC, IHG Platinum
Posts: 5,163
Jul 18, 2020, 2:09 am
#234
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Oxon, UK
Programs: Mucci des canapes, Skywards Gold, BAEC, IC Plat Amb, LH FTV
Posts: 1,952
So this gets more ridiculous and I'm still trying to work out if LH is just monumentally incompetent or behaving appallingly badly.
Having cancelled my return flight to GRU via FRA and ZRH (in F) as above, several days later they generated a separate ticket with the same PNR for a single between BHX and FRA in J with the same cost as the previous return trip. This was done without reference to me and the e-mail they sent invited me to accept or decline and receive a voucher. If I did nothing within 4 days the flight would be cancelled. As I had previously filled in the form to request full refund, and was unable to get through by phone I did nothing. Amex have dealt with my chargeback.
6 days later I was invited to complete online check in for BHX-FRA, I did nothing. Today I was told of a gate change 2 hours before departure and an hour before departure LH cancelled the flight. Once more they have rebooked me for a single journey BHX to FRA tomorrow, same cost as the previous South American trip. Once more my options according to the e-mail are to accept or to choose a voucher. As previously I will ignore this.
Either way LH are now a company I no longer trust to deliver a competent service or behave in a morally (and possibly legally) acceptable fashion.
Having cancelled my return flight to GRU via FRA and ZRH (in F) as above, several days later they generated a separate ticket with the same PNR for a single between BHX and FRA in J with the same cost as the previous return trip. This was done without reference to me and the e-mail they sent invited me to accept or decline and receive a voucher. If I did nothing within 4 days the flight would be cancelled. As I had previously filled in the form to request full refund, and was unable to get through by phone I did nothing. Amex have dealt with my chargeback.
6 days later I was invited to complete online check in for BHX-FRA, I did nothing. Today I was told of a gate change 2 hours before departure and an hour before departure LH cancelled the flight. Once more they have rebooked me for a single journey BHX to FRA tomorrow, same cost as the previous South American trip. Once more my options according to the e-mail are to accept or to choose a voucher. As previously I will ignore this.
Either way LH are now a company I no longer trust to deliver a competent service or behave in a morally (and possibly legally) acceptable fashion.
Final update. LH themselves have not acknowledged my refund request but today a credit arrived in my Amex account for the value of the flights direct from LH (which will be taken back by Amex appropriately as they have already refunded the charge). This is approximately 4 weeks between submitting the refund request to receiving the refund. A lot better than many other reports but fail to understand why they have failed to communicate and went through the pantomime of reissuing my ticket as a very expensive BHX-FRA one way (maybe the true refund timeline is 10 days once they realise you mean it
)
Jul 20, 2020, 12:15 am
#235
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 11,468
LH states that they need another 4 to 6 weeks to process all ticket refund requests.
https://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/se...f-1433e27e1ab3
(in German)
https://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/se...f-1433e27e1ab3
(in German)
Jul 20, 2020, 12:57 am
#236
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: BSL
Programs: AA (EXP); among others :)
Posts: 2,522
Interesting interview with H. Hohmeister, head of commercial passenger division: https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtscha...-16867663.html (German, paywall)
Good news for all passengers who booked via travel agents: LH reinstated the automated 'refund' option in its GDS (which was deactivated when covid hit) , so refunds should now be processed much quicker with no need to manually process them. In the above interview, he said that every refund request takes 10 to 15 minutes of manual processing time. A million of them and limited staff, well, one can see why this is taking so long...
Good news for all passengers who booked via travel agents: LH reinstated the automated 'refund' option in its GDS (which was deactivated when covid hit) , so refunds should now be processed much quicker with no need to manually process them. In the above interview, he said that every refund request takes 10 to 15 minutes of manual processing time. A million of them and limited staff, well, one can see why this is taking so long...
Jul 20, 2020, 1:16 am
#237
Join Date: Dec 2006
Programs: LH SEN, FB Plat., HH D.
Posts: 5,050
Interesting interview with H. Hohmeister, head of commercial passenger division: https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtscha...-16867663.html (German, paywall)
Good news for all passengers who booked via travel agents: LH reinstated the automated 'refund' option in its GDS (which was deactivated when covid hit) , so refunds should now be processed much quicker with no need to manually process them. In the above interview, he said that every refund request takes 10 to 15 minutes of manual processing time. A million of them and limited staff, well, one can see why this is taking so long...
Good news for all passengers who booked via travel agents: LH reinstated the automated 'refund' option in its GDS (which was deactivated when covid hit) , so refunds should now be processed much quicker with no need to manually process them. In the above interview, he said that every refund request takes 10 to 15 minutes of manual processing time. A million of them and limited staff, well, one can see why this is taking so long...
This is also valid for LX?
Jul 21, 2020, 3:23 am
#238
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
My MARCH refund just arrived, unannounced.
So just over four months, not the 10 days of our favourite Regulation, not even the "within 6 weeks" promised by the Senator line.
But still, there we are; and in a way, well-timed, as the credit was a surprise that paid off last month's card bill
So just over four months, not the 10 days of our favourite Regulation, not even the "within 6 weeks" promised by the Senator line.
But still, there we are; and in a way, well-timed, as the credit was a surprise that paid off last month's card bill
Jul 21, 2020, 3:32 am
#239
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,171
Same here.
Booked on Jan 18 for flight on April 3. First cancellation March 19, then rebooked March 25. Called in March 31 and the SEN desk cancelled everything and submitted it for refund. Refund email on July 17, something showed up on my CC account(s) today.
Booked on Jan 18 for flight on April 3. First cancellation March 19, then rebooked March 25. Called in March 31 and the SEN desk cancelled everything and submitted it for refund. Refund email on July 17, something showed up on my CC account(s) today.
Jul 21, 2020, 6:37 am
#240
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
17 July must have been a sad but busy day in Lufthansa Towers. No refund email for me, but I see the credit that showed up today is dated 17th. Carpaccio reports a refund on the same date