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Lufthansa flight delay and cancellation compensation

Up to €600 compensation per passenger. Was your Lufthansa flight delayed or cancelled, or were you denied boarding? Lufthansa is licensed in the EU, so EU Regulation 261/2004 applies to all its flights. Here is what to expect and what to do.

By the EU261 Flight Delay editorial team Last reviewed: Reading time: 8 min How we write our guides

Check compensation or start a claim with AirHelp straight away

In short: On Lufthansa flights on every route you are entitled to €250–600 compensation for an arrival delay of more than 3 hours, a cancellation notified less than 14 days before departure, or involuntary denied boarding – unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances. You can usually claim for flights up to 3 years back.

IATA code
LH
Headquarters
Cologne / Frankfurt
Hub
Frankfurt (FRA), Munich (MUC)
Type
Full-service
EU261 scope
all flights

Lufthansa flight delay: when is compensation due?

If your Lufthansa flight reached its final destination at least 3 hours late (counting from when the doors opened), and the cause was within the airline's control – a technical fault, staff shortage, a delay on the previous flight, a strike by its own staff – you are entitled to compensation. It is not due if the airline proves extraordinary circumstances (weather, an air traffic control strike, an airport closure). Read the full conditions here.

Typical Lufthansa routes: Frankfurt–New York JFK, Munich–Tokyo Haneda, Frankfurt–Bangkok, Frankfurt–London Heathrow, Munich–Budapest.

Lufthansa flight cancellation: what are you entitled to?

If your flight is cancelled, Lufthansa must offer you a refund of the ticket price (within 7 days) or re-routing on the earliest available flight – including another airline's, if that is quicker. If you were told about the cancellation less than 14 days before departure and the re-routing offered differed significantly from the original flight, you are also entitled to compensation. More on the 14-day rule.

How much compensation for a Lufthansa flight?

Flight distanceDelay on arrivalCompensation per passenger
Up to 1,500 km
e.g. London–Paris, Berlin–Rome, Dublin–Amsterdamover 3 hours€250UK261: £220
1,500–3,500 km, and every flight within the EU over 1,500 km
e.g. London–Athens, Frankfurt–Tenerife, Rome–Tel Avivover 3 hours€400UK261: £350
Over 3,500 km, to or from outside the EU
e.g. London–New York, Frankfurt–Dubai, Paris–Bangkokbetween 3 and 4 hours€300UK261: £260 (reduced by 50%)
Over 3,500 km, to or from outside the EUover 4 hours€600UK261: £520

Check your Lufthansa flight

Two minutes, free, no sign-up.

What happened?Step 1 of 4

What happened to your flight?
Where did you fly from and to?

With a connection, enter your first departure and your final destination – compensation is based on the total distance.

How late did you arrive at your final destination?

What counts is when the aircraft doors opened at your destination – not the departure delay.

When were you told about the cancellation?
When did you arrive on the replacement flight?
Which airline operated the flight?
When was the flight?

How many passengers were on the booking?

1 passenger

Every passenger gets their own compensation, children too. Infants under 2 without their own seat do not count.

  • Free, no sign-up
  • Fee only if successful (35%)
  • AirHelp: Trustpilot 4.5/5

Rather skip the questions? Start a claim with AirHelp straight away

How punctual was Lufthansa in the UK in 2025?

Lufthansa operated 26,933 flights at UK airports in 2025. 0.12% were 3 hours or more late and 1.45% were cancelled – see how that compares with the UK average below and in our UK delay statistics.

Flights operated
26,933

2025, at UK airports

On time (≤ 15 min late)
74.0%

close to the UK average (72.7%)

3 hours or more late
0.12%

1 in 833 flights · better than the UK average

Cancelled
1.45%

396 flights · worse than the UK average

Average delay
11.8 min

UK average 15.1 min

Source: UK Civil Aviation Authority punctuality statistics 2025 – departures and arrivals combined, measured against the schedule at the UK airport. How we use this data

UK airportFlightsOn time3 h+ lateCancelled
London Heathrow14,48577.3%0.07%1.57%
Manchester4,71568.5%0.25%1.46%
Birmingham3,53173.5%0.14%1.26%
Edinburgh2,37466.6%0.13%1.12%
Glasgow1,18676.9%0.17%1.25%
Newcastle59364.7%0.17%1.33%

What to know when claiming from Lufthansa

  • Lufthansa went through several waves of strikes in 2022–2024 (pilots, ground staff): under the C-28/20 judgment a strike by the airline's own staff does not exempt it from paying compensation.
  • With a missed connection, the EU261 distance is that of the whole journey (origin to final destination), not of the missed leg (C-11/11 Folkerts).
  • Lufthansa's online application covers compensation and expenses in one go. If Lufthansa has not replied within two months, UK and other passengers on private trips can turn to the German conciliation body Schlichtung Reise & Verkehr, which the CAA lists for Lufthansa.

About Lufthansa

Lufthansa is Germany's flag carrier and the flagship of the Lufthansa Group (Austrian, SWISS, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, ITA Airways, Discover Airlines). Its Frankfurt and Munich hubs are fed by flights from across Europe, so many passengers meet Lufthansa on connecting long-haul trips.

Many Lufthansa cases are about missed connections: a 30–60 minute delay on a feeder flight into Frankfurt or Munich can mean a missed intercontinental flight and up to €600 in compensation, if both flights were on one booking and you reached your final destination 3 or more hours late.

As a German-registered EU airline, all its flights are covered by EU261 – including flights into Europe from outside the EU, such as New York–Frankfurt.

How to claim directly from Lufthansa

  • Official online form: lufthansa.com
  • One application covers compensation and reimbursement of expenses; you start with your booking details, no login needed. Lufthansa’s passenger-rights page also offers ‘Lufthansa Feedback’ or post. ADR: the CAA lists Lufthansa under Schlichtung Reise & Verkehr (Germany), not a UK scheme – usable if Lufthansa has not replied within two months.
  • Our complaint letter generator writes the letter for you – filled in, as a printable PDF.

We checked these claim channels on the airline's own website (10 November 2026).

Frequently asked questions

Am I entitled to compensation if my Lufthansa flight was at least 3 hours late?

Yes, if the flight departed from anywhere (it is an EU airline) and the delay was not caused by extraordinary circumstances. The amount depends on the distance: €250, €400 or €600.

How do I submit a claim to Lufthansa?

Directly through the airline's customer service form (https://www.lufthansa.com/gb/en/support/fast-compensation), or through our partner AirHelp, which checks the flight data and, if the airline rejects the claim, takes the case to the enforcement body or to court – for a fee of 35% only if it succeeds.

How long do I have to claim for a Lufthansa flight?

Limitation periods vary by country and are set by national law – for example 6 years in England & Wales, 5 years in Scotland and Hungary, and 3 years in Germany (from the end of the year). In Germany it is 3 years (from the end of the year of the flight). AirHelp typically accepts claims for flights up to 3 years old.

Lufthansa offered me a voucher instead of compensation. Do I have to accept it?

No. Under the Regulation, compensation is paid in money; the airline may only give you a voucher with your written agreement. If you want money, do not accept it.

Flew with another airline?

The Lufthansa name and trademark belong to their owner; EU261 Flight Delay is an independent information site with no connection to the airline. The content is for information only and is not legal advice. We receive a commission when a claim submitted through our partner links succeeds.

Sources

  1. Lufthansa – official claim / complaints page – Lufthansa
  2. UK flight punctuality statistics 2025 – UK Civil Aviation Authority
  3. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – EUR-Lex
  4. Delays and cancellations – your rights – UK Civil Aviation Authority

We check every rule against the sources above. Spotted an error? Tell us – see our editorial policy.