Denial of boarding on a flight is a common occurrence nowadays, especially with the number of passengers traveling worldwide. In 2022, Lufthansa came up on people’s radar for denial of boarding to 128 passengers in its hometown of Frankfurt from New York, leading to the company being fined $4 million by the United States. Such instances have become more than few and far in between, ultimately leading to a frustrating experience among travelers.
If you have been at the tail end of a situation where you have been denied from boarding a Lufthansa flight, then understanding the policies surrounding the issue is crucial. The airline, like many others, sometimes sells more tickets than available seats on a flight. While this may seem counterintuitive, it is a practice aimed at maximizing capacity based on statistical predictions of no-shows or passenger absentees. On the other hand, from the customer’s perspective, such a move also leaves innocent passengers stranded and disheartened.
In times of uncertainty, it is vital to exercise your rights as a consumer, which is why we have created a thorough guide, through which you will be able to learn the eligibility norms and claim compensation for your denied boarding from Lufthansa.
Eligibility Criteria For Compensation
When it comes to passenger rights, Lufthansa states that if you have been denied boarding on a flight ‘involuntarily’ because of ‘overbooking’, then you have the right to obtain assistance from the company for your journey delay. It should be known that assistance will be offered in the form of rerouting to the final destination of your booked flight, which will take place at the earliest possible opportunity and also under comparable conditions.
Alternatively, Lufthansa also gives you the option to instead travel to your final destination at a later date of your choice. In such cases, the costs that will be incurred for your meals, refreshments, hotel stays, and transportation (between the hotel and the airport) should be borne by you only, as the airline operator will not be responsible for the same.
Know the Available Options
When your flight boarding is denied – voluntarily or involuntarily – you can either opt for an alternative flight or press for reimbursement and compensation. If you select the latter option, then the payment will be made via cheque, bank transfer, or a gift card, based on your preferences. Keep in mind that the compensation amount will depend on the distance of the planned route and the re-routing offered to you.
For up to 1,500 kilometers, the compensation will amount to $250, while between 1,500 and 3,500 kilometers, the compensation will amount to $400. Lastly, for distances greater than 3,500 kilometers, the compensation amount is $600. The distance will be calculated based on the last destination from where the passenger was denied boarding to the final destination where he or she was to arrive.
In addition to the aforementioned clauses, Lufthansa states that if you have been offered an alternative flight to your final destination and the arrival of such a flight is no later than 2 hours after the scheduled arrival time of your original flight, then you will only be entitled to 50 per cent of the compensation amounts mentioned beforehand.
Lastly, you will not be entitled to any compensation if your flight boarding was justifiably denied, such as in cases of your own fault, for health and/or safety reasons, or due to missing or insufficient travel documents.
How to Claim Compensation
If your current situation meets the eligibility criteria for claiming compensation for denial of boarding on your booked Lufthansa flight in the United States, then you can file for your reimbursement through the necessary steps explained below.
- Begin your journey by first visiting the official support page for Lufthansa USA.
- On the destination page, click on ‘Application for Compensation and Reimbursement of Expenses in the Event of Flight Disruption’.
- You will be redirected to a new web page, where you will be required to fill out a web form.
- Start by first selecting the reason for your disruption, which would be ‘Denied Boarding Due To Overbooking’, and then select the person’s behalf on which you are making the application.
- In the next step, enter details of your original flight, such as the ‘Booking Code’, ‘Airline Operator’, ‘Flight Number’, and ‘Flight Date’. You will also have the option to add up to three extra flights.
- Once done, select the method through which you reached your final destination and then your passenger details. These include your full name, ticket number, and contact details. Additionally, if you had more passengers accompanying you, then you could add their details as well.
- After that, you will be asked whether you want to upload any receipts, expenses, or authorizations with respect to filing your claim.
- Finally, confirm your choices and then click on ‘Submit’. Now all you have to do is wait for an official response from the airline operator in the upcoming days.
For any further assistance, you can reach out to the customer relations team in the US on +1 (516) 738-4422.
