Airline compensation

Lufthansa Flight Delay and Cancellation Compensation

How EU261 applies to Lufthansa flights, the amounts, when compensation isn't owed, how to claim, and Germany's conciliation route if Lufthansa doesn't pay.

Last verified 21 October 2026

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Lufthansa flights departing from an EU airport, and Lufthansa flights arriving in the EU, are generally covered by EU Regulation 261/2004. Fixed compensation can apply when you arrive three hours or more late or a flight is cancelled at short notice, but not when extraordinary circumstances caused the disruption.

Short answer

Not every Lufthansa delay qualifies. Compensation generally needs an arrival 3+ hours late, or a cancellation on under 14 days' notice, with a cause that was within Lufthansa's control: €250, €400 or €600 depending on distance. Weather, third-party strikes and similar causes are usually treated as extraordinary circumstances.

Which rules apply to a Lufthansa flight?

Regime	What it may give you	Official source
EU Regulation 261/2004Departures from an EU airport on any airline; arrivals in the EU on EU airlines	Fixed compensation of €250 (up to 1,500 km), €400 (1,500–3,500 km, or intra-EU over 1,500 km) or €600 (longer) for a cancellation on short notice or arrival 3+ hours late, unless the airline shows extraordinary circumstances. Care (meals, hotel if needed) after 2–4 hours depending on distance; refund option at 5+ hours.	Your Europe: air passenger rights
UK261UK-law equivalent of EU261, in pounds	£220 (under 1,500 km), £350 (1,500–3,500 km) or £520 (over 3,500 km; £260 if 3–4 hours late) for arrival 3+ hours late or a short-notice cancellation, unless the cause is outside the airline's responsibility. Claim from the airline first; the CAA lists which flights are covered.	UK CAA: delays · cancellations
United States (US DOT)Flights to, from or within the US	Cancelled flights and flights changed or delayed 3+ hours (domestic) or 6+ hours (international) must be refunded automatically if you don't take the alternative: within 7 business days for cards, 20 calendar days for other payment methods. Involuntary denied boarding: 200% of the one-way fare up to $1,075, or 400% up to $2,150. US law does not require cash compensation for ordinary delays or cancellations.	DOT refund rule · Denied boarding · Fly Rights

Lufthansa delay and cancellation scenarios

Scenario	What Lufthansa's own pages say	What the law adds
Delay or cancellation: care	Meal vouchers on delays of 2+ hours, cancellations or denied boarding (linked to your boarding-pass QR). A hotel is arranged if departure moves to the next day; self-booked costs can be reimbursed with receipts through the feedback form.	EU261 care rights apply regardless of the cause.
Arrival 3+ hours late or cancelled	Lufthansa's compensation form checks entitlement under Article 7 of Regulation 261/2004 for flights arriving 3+ hours late, cancelled or missed connections (also denied boarding and downgrades). Amounts: €250 up to 1,500 km; €400 for 1,500–3,500 km or intra-EU over 1,500 km; €600 beyond that; halved if rerouted within 2/3/4 hours of your original arrival.	EU261 (departures from the EU on any airline; arrivals in the EU on EU carriers).
Cancellation notice	No compensation if you were notified 14+ days ahead or offered a qualifying replacement flight.	Notice and replacement-flight rules in EU261.
Extraordinary circumstances	Lufthansa lists bad weather, political instability, third-party strikes, security risks and unexpected safety shortcomings as examples.	The airline carries the burden of showing extraordinary circumstances that couldn't have been avoided; case law interprets this narrowly.
Refund	Cancelled-flight refunds via the Chat Assistant or the manual refund form (full ticket including taxes), to the original payment method. Lufthansa's US-oriented refund page also defines a significant change as 3+ hours (domestic) or 6+ hours (international); EU261 gives a refund option at 5+ hours.	Don't mix the US definitions with the EU261 rule.
Downgrade	Refund of 30% / 50% / 75% of the ticket price depending on distance.	Part of EU261.

Does your Lufthansa flight qualify?

Find your flight details. Note the airline, flight number, date, booking reference, and your scheduled and actual arrival times (from your boarding pass, email confirmation or the airline app).
Measure the delay at arrival. EU261, UK261 and Canada's rules count the delay at your final destination, not departure. Under US DOT rules, a refund is triggered by a change or delay of 3+ hours (domestic) or 6+ hours (international).
Work out which rules cover the flight. Look at where it departed and landed and who operated it: a departure from an EU or UK airport brings EU261 or UK261, flights touching Canada fall under APPR, and flights to, from or within the US fall under the US DOT rules.
Find the cause. Compensation regimes generally exclude extraordinary circumstances such as severe weather, air traffic control restrictions or security risks. Ordinary technical faults are treated differently in different places, so ask the airline to state the cause in writing.
Check the notice you were given. For cancellations, the amount of notice (for example under 14 days) can decide whether compensation applies.

How to claim from Lufthansa

Use Lufthansa's compensation form: Lufthansa's compensation application page lets you check entitlement and submit a claim, with up to 6 flights and 5 additional passengers from one booking per request. Claims made for someone else need that customer's authorisation, and you can upload receipts for expenses. Country sites may carry the same form.
Or use the feedback form or post, as described on Lufthansa's passenger rights page, which states no claim deadline.
Disruption help: rebooking, refunds, meal vouchers and hotels are on the flight disruptions page; refunds also have a refund page.
Keep records: boarding passes, messages about the disruption and expense receipts.
Escalate: if Lufthansa rejects or ignores your claim, use the conciliation route above, or national courts; check the limitation period that applies in your country.

If Lufthansa doesn't pay: Germany's enforcement and conciliation route

The German Federal Aviation Office (LBA) is the national enforcement body for Regulation 261/2004, but it does not enforce individual compensation or refund claims, so passengers pursue those themselves, for example through conciliation or the courts. Free conciliation is available to private travellers: you must first complain to the airline, which has two months to respond; a conciliation proposal is due within 90 days and is non-binding unless both sides accept; it covers consumer claims up to €5,000 (minimum €10). See the LBA page and the conciliation body's procedure page.

EU261 reform: what has changed and what hasn't

Today's rules are still Regulation 261/2004

The EU adopted a regulation amending EU261 in 2026 (Regulation (EU) 2026/2202). According to the Council, it keeps the 3-hour threshold and broadly similar compensation amounts, adds a defined list of extraordinary circumstances and stricter duties on airlines. EUR-Lex shows it entering into force on 22 October 2026, but law-firm commentary says most provisions apply only from October 2027. Until the new rules apply, the current rules above are what govern a claim. The reform does not apply in the UK, where UK261 remains in force. Check the Council announcement and EUR-Lex for the current position.

Official resources

All pages were opened and checked on 21 October 2026. Where a page could not be read, we say so above.

Travelling? Keep your claim and booking details private

Claim forms and booking pages ask for names, booking references and contact details. Airport and hotel Wi-Fi are shared networks, so avoid filing claims or opening booking emails on them unprotected. A VPN encrypts your traffic between your device and the VPN server, which helps protect it on shared networks; it does not change what compensation you are owed. See how a VPN works.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Whether you are owed compensation depends on your flight, the cause of the disruption, the notice you were given and the rules that apply. Airlines and regulators update their rules; confirm the current terms on the official pages linked here. KeenVPN is not an airline, a claims company or a law firm and does not file claims on your behalf.

Frequently asked questions

How much compensation can I get from Lufthansa?

Where EU261 applies: €250 for flights up to 1,500 km, €400 for 1,500–3,500 km or intra-EU flights over 1,500 km, and €600 beyond that, for an arrival 3+ hours late or a cancellation on under 14 days' notice with a cause within Lufthansa's control. It can be halved if you are rerouted to arrive within a set time of your original arrival.

Does Lufthansa pay for hotels and meals?

Lufthansa gives meal vouchers on delays of 2+ hours, cancellations and denied boarding, arranges a hotel if departure moves to the next day, and reimburses self-booked costs with receipts through its feedback form.

How do I claim from Lufthansa?

Use Lufthansa's online compensation form, which checks entitlement under Article 7 of Regulation 261/2004, or its feedback form or post. Have your booking, flight details and any receipts ready.

Does the German LBA handle my compensation claim?

No. The LBA enforces the regulation nationally but does not enforce individual compensation or refund claims; passengers pursue those through conciliation or the courts.

Has the EU261 reform changed these rules yet?

An amending regulation was adopted in 2026, but the sources we checked say most provisions apply only from October 2027. Today's claims are decided under Regulation 261/2004.