Lufthansa Airlines cancellation

[teoair]

Jurisdiction

Connecticut

On 11/11/2021, I bought three flight tickets from Lufthansa airlines. On 12/16/2021, Lufthansa changed the flight times by 10/20 minutes and sent me an email asking to confirm one of these three options: 1-I accept the revised booking 2-I will use my ticket later 3-I want to refund my ticket No details of the refund conditions were provided in this email. After I clicked on the "I want to refund my ticket", a PARTIAL refund of around 20% was issued. I was NOT informed anywhere in the email about the exact conditions of the ticket cancellation. After raising a dispute with my credit card company, Lufthansa refused to provide me with a full refund stating that the original tickets' conditions were 'not refundable'. My concern is about the misleading email I received from Lufthansa where I was shown the option to 'Refund my tickets' even if these tickets were not refundable without providing me with any additional information about the amount that they were going to actually refund, so I could make an informed decision. I tried to contact Lufthansa customer service over the phone with no success. I contacted Lufthansa customer service via email and they only stated that the original fare conditions still apply to the cancellation because the changes were less than 2 hours. I asked my credit card provider to dispute these transactions but a refund was denied by Lufthansa. I contacted the BBB and DOT and the cases are still open. The total amount is around $1,000. What other options do I have? See screenshot for details about the misleading email received from the Airline company.

Thank you!

 

[army judge]

What other options do I have?

You have no one to blame but yourself.

Either you failed to understand your choices or read more into the email than was written by the airline.

It might have been beneficial to call the airline or visit one of their ticketing locations so you could make an informed choice.

You can research the matter further on the following websites:

https://www.lufthansa.com/us/en/conditions-of-carriage


Airlines don't guarantee their schedules, and you should realize this when planning your trip. There are many things that can-and often do-make it impossible for flights to arrive on time. Some of these problems, like bad weather, air traffic delays, and mechanical issues, are hard to predict and often beyond the airlines' control.

If your flight is delayed, try to find out how late it will be. But keep in mind that it is sometimes difficult for airlines to estimate the total duration of a delay during its early stages. In so- called "creeping delays," developments occur which were not anticipated when the carrier made its initial estimate of the length of the delay. Weather that had been forecast to improve can instead deteriorate, or a mechanical problem can turn out to be more complex than initially evaluated. If the problem is with local weather or air traffic control, all flights will probably be late and there's not much you or the airline can do to speed up your departure. If your flight is experiencing a lengthy delay, you might be better off trying to arrange another flight, as long as you don't have to pay a cancellation penalty or higher fare for changing your reservations. (It is sometimes easier to make such arrangements by phone than at a ticket counter.) If you find a flight on another airline, ask the first airline if it will endorse your ticket to the new carrier; this could save you a fare collection. Remember, however, that there is no rule requiring them to do this.

If your flight is canceled, most airlines will rebook you on their first flight to your destination on which space is available, at no additional charge. If this involves a significant delay, find out if another carrier has space and ask the first airline if they will endorse your ticket to the other carrier. Finding extra seats may be difficult, however, especially over holidays and other peak travel times.

Each airline has its own policies about what it will do for delayed passengers waiting at the airport; there are no federal requirements. If you are delayed, ask the airline staff if it will pay for meals or a phone call. Some airlines, often those charging very low fares, do not provide any amenities to stranded passengers. Others may not offer amenities if the delay is caused by bad weather or something else beyond the airline's control. Contrary to popular belief, for domestic itineraries airlines are not required to compensate passengers whose flights are delayed or canceled. As discussed in the chapter on overbooking, compensation is required by law on domestic trips only when you are "bumped" from a flight that is oversold. On international itineraries, passengers may be able to recover reimbursement under Article 19 of the Montreal Convention for expenses resulting from a delayed or canceled flight by filing a claim with the airline. If the claim is denied, you may pursue the matter in court if you believe that the carrier did not take all measures that could reasonably be required to avoid the damages caused by the delay.

If the purpose of your trip is to close a potentially lucrative business deal, give a speech or lecture, attend a family function, or connect to a cruise, you might want to allow a little extra leeway and take an earlier flight. In other words, airline delays aren't unusual, and defensive planning is a good idea when time is your most important consideration.

Some flights are delayed on the airport "tarmac" before taking off or after landing. DOT rules prohibit most U.S. airlines from allowing a domestic flight to remain on the tarmac for more than three hours unless:

the pilot determines that there is a safety or security reason why the aircraft cannot taxi to the gate and deplane its passengers, or
Air traffic control advises the pilot that taxiing to the gate (or to another location where passengers can be deplaned) would significantly disrupt airport operations.
U.S. airlines operating international flights to or from most U.S.airports must each establish and comply with their own limit on the length of tarmac delays on those flights. On both domestic and international flights, U.S. airlines must provide passengers with food and water no later than two hours after the tarmac delay begins. While the aircraft remains on the tarmac lavatories must remain operable and medical attention must be available if needed.

When booking your flight remember that a departure early in the day is less likely to be delayed than a later flight, due to "ripple" effects of delays throughout the day. Also, if an early flight does get delayed or canceled, you have more rerouting options. If you book the last flight of the day and it is canceled, you could get stuck overnight. You may select a connection (change of planes) over a nonstop or direct flight because of the convenient departure time or lower fare. However, a change of planes always involves the possibility of a misconnection. If you have a choice of connections and the fares and service are equivalent, choose the one with the least-congested connecting airport, so it will be easier to get to your second flight. You may wish to take into consideration the potential for adverse weather if you have a choice of connecting cities. When making your reservation for a connection, always check the amount of time between flights. Ask yourself what will happen if the first flight is delayed; if you don't like the answer, pick another flight or "construct" a connection that allows more time.

Contract Terms
Throughout this booklet, we have tried to provide you general information about airline travel. It is important to realize, however, that each airline has specific rules that make up your contract of carriage. These rules may differ among carriers. They include provisions such as check-in deadlines, refund procedures, responsibility for delayed flights, and many other things.

Domestic Travel

For domestic travel, an airline may provide all of its contract terms on or with your ticket at the time you buy it. Some small "commuter" carriers use this system. Other airlines may elect to "incorporate terms by reference." This means that you are not given all the airline's rules with your ticket - most of them are contained in a separate document which you can inspect on request or on the airline's web site. If an airline elects to "incorporate by reference" it must provide conspicuous written notice with each ticket that: 1) it incorporates terms by reference, and 2) these terms may include liability limitations, claim-filing deadlines, check-in deadlines, and certain other key terms. The airline must also:

Ensure that passengers can receive an explanation of key terms identified on the ticket from any location where the carrier's tickets are sold, including travel agencies;
Make available for inspection the full text of its contract of carriage at each of its own airport and city ticket offices;
Mail a free copy of the full text of its contract of carriage upon request.
DOT also requires most U.S.airlines to post their contracts of carriage on their web site, if they have one.

There are additional notice requirements for contract terms that affect your air fare. Airlines must provide a conspicuous written notice on or with the ticket concerning any "incorporated" contract terms that restrict refunds, impose monetary penalties, or permit the airline to raise the price after you've bought the ticket.

If an airline incorporates contract terms by reference and fails to provide you the required notice about a particular rule, you will not be bound by that rule. In addition, a DOT rule prohibits airlines from changing a term in your contract after you buy your ticket if the change will have a significant negative effect on you.

International Travel

Not all of the detailed requirements for disclosing domestic contract terms apply to international travel. Where they do not, the airline must keep a copy of its "tariff" rules at its airport and city ticket offices. On flights to or from the U.S., you have a right to examine these rules.

The most important point to remember, whether your travel is domestic or international, is that you should not be afraid to ask questions about a carrier's rules. You have a right to know the terms of your contract of carriage. It is in your best interest, as well as that of the airline, for you to ask in advance about any matters of uncertainty.


Fly Rights | US Department of Transportation
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Contacting the Department of Transportation (DOT)
Complaints about airline service may be registered with DOT's Office of Aviation Consumer Protection. You can call, write or use our web-based complaint form.

You may contact DOT by phone at 202-366-2220 for information related to a consumer related problem. Please know that in order for a case to be processed as a complaint, it must be submitted in writing. You may send DOT correspondence by mail at the address below:

Office of Aviation Consumer Protection
U.S. Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20590

When mailing a letter, please include your full address and phone number as well as complete and accurate information about your trip and the problem you had or are having.

To send us a complaint, comment or inquiry electronically, please use our web form Air Travel Complaint - Comment Form



Complaints from consumers help us spot problem areas and trends in the airline industry. We use our complaint files to document the need for changes in DOT's consumer protection regulations and, where warranted, as the basis for enforcement action (i.e., where a serious breach of the law has occurred). In addition, every month we publish a report with information about the number of complaints we receive about each airline and what problems people are having. You can find this Air Travel Consumer Report on our web site. That publication also has statistics that the airlines file with us on flight delays, oversales and mishandled baggage.

If your complaint is about something you feel is a safety hazard, write to the Federal Aviation Administration at:

Federal Aviation Administration
Aviation Safety Hotline, AAI-3
800 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20591
Or call 1-866-TELL-FAA (1-866-835-5322).


Your Last Resort
If nothing else works, small claims court might be the best way for you to help yourself. Many localities have these courts to settle disputes involving relatively small amounts of money and to reduce the red tape and expense that people generally fear when they sue someone. An airline can generally be sued in small claims court in any jurisdiction where it operates flights or does business. You can usually get the details of how to use the small claims court in your community by contacting your city or county office of consumer affairs, or the clerk of the court. As a rule, small claims court costs are low, you don't need a lawyer, and the procedures are much less formal and intimidating than they are in most other types of courts. See the DOT publication Tell It to the Judge.
(Link follows)


Air Travelers: Tell It to the Judge | US Department of Transportation
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Good luck...

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

On 11/11/2021, I bought three flight tickets from Lufthansa airlines. On 12/16/2021, Lufthansa changed the flight times by 10/20 minutes and sent me an email asking to confirm one of these three options: 1-I accept the revised booking 2-I will use my ticket later 3-I want to refund my ticket No details of the refund conditions were provided in this email. After I clicked on the "I want to refund my ticket", a PARTIAL refund of around 20% was issued. I was NOT informed anywhere in the email about the exact conditions of the ticket cancellation. After raising a dispute with my credit card company, Lufthansa refused to provide me with a full refund stating that the original tickets' conditions were 'not refundable'. My concern is about the misleading email I received from Lufthansa where I was shown the option to 'Refund my tickets' even if these tickets were not refundable without providing me with any additional information about the amount that they were going to actually refund, so I could make an informed decision. I tried to contact Lufthansa customer service over the phone with no success. I contacted Lufthansa customer service via email and they only stated that the original fare conditions still apply to the cancellation because the changes were less than 2 hours. I asked my credit card provider to dispute these transactions but a refund was denied by Lufthansa. I contacted the BBB and DOT and the cases are still open. The total amount is around $1,000. What other options do I have? See screenshot for details about the misleading email received from the Airline company.

Thank you!

The screenshot is very clear on cancelations. It says that full refunds are only issued if the flight is canceled or changed by more than two hours. Since this was an international flight a 10-12 minute change really shouldn't have been an issue in the first place.

 

[adjusterjack]

I contacted Lufthansa customer service via email and they only stated that the original fare conditions still apply to the cancellation because the changes were less than 2 hours.

Did you read the original fare conditions to confirm that?

Because, if it's true, and you didn't read them to determine the conditions of the refund, you probably have nowhere to go with this.

 

[zddoodah]

the original tickets' conditions were 'not refundable'.

That's pretty typical. Most consumers purchase non-refundable tickets because they're cheaper.

My concern is about the misleading email I received from Lufthansa where I was shown the option to 'Refund my tickets' even if these tickets were not refundable without providing me with any additional information about the amount that they were going to actually refund, so I could make an informed decision.

The email isn't even remotely misleading. It said, "You are entitled to a refund if your flight has been cancelled, or if the schedule change is more than two hours from your originally scheduled departure or arrival time." Neither of those things were true. Even if there were some ambiguity, you knew (or should have known) that you had non-refundable tickets. Therefore, you should have inquired about the apparent inconsistency before making an election.

I tried to contact Lufthansa customer service over the phone with no success.

When? Before or after you elected the "refund" option? What efforts did you make? How many phone calls? How long did you sit on hold?

I contacted Lufthansa customer service via email and they only stated that the original fare conditions still apply to the cancellation because the changes were less than 2 hours.

Makes sense. Frankly, I'm at a loss to understand why 10-20 minute changes would cause you to seek a refund.

 

[stealthy1]

Frankly, I'm at a loss to understand why 10-20 minute changes would cause you to seek a refund.

Same here. I'd consider that a relatively standard delay. Time for one more drink!