Hanover.
IT problems wreaked havoc at Lufthansa last week. What rights do affected travelers have in terms of cancellations and postponements?
According to the assessment of a travel lawyer, passengers whose flight was canceled or severely delayed as a result of disrupted IT systems at Lufthansa could be entitled to compensation. “If a Lufthansa system fails, it’s a home-grown problem. As a result, passengers are entitled to compensation payments,” says Paul Degott, a lawyer from Hanover who specializes in travel law.
The background: The EU Air Passenger Rights Regulation provides for compensation payments of 250 to 600 euros per passenger for delays of three hours or more and short-term flight cancellations under certain conditions – the length of the flight route is decisive for the amount.
Different views on possible compensation
In practice, whether passengers are entitled to this often depends on whether the airline is responsible for the problems or whether they can invoke extraordinary circumstances – for example extreme weather. Travel lawyer Degott does not see this as the case in the case of Lufthansa IT problems, which were triggered by fiber optic lines severed during construction work on a railway line. But there are other views.
The assessment of the air passenger rights portal Airhelp was initially that passengers could insist on compensation payments – a few hours later, however, an updated statement wavered: Since it was a technical error outside Lufthansa’s responsibility, none apply in this case Passenger claims for compensation, it said.
The competitor Flightright, on the other hand, sees more chances for compensation: “In our opinion, there are more reasons why passengers are entitled to a claim. However, since there is no directly applicable case law, the courts will certainly have to deal with this matter, ”said the head of Flightright’s legal department, Oskar de Felice, in a statement from the passenger rights portal.
Claims for alternative transport and meals
Irrespective of the possible right to compensation, passengers with flight delays of three hours or more and flight cancellations can insist on alternative transport – for flights within Germany, the airlines often offer train tickets here.
Lufthansa had affected passengers on flights within Germany askedto book a train ticket and then request a refund through the airline’s website (lh.com).
In general, the following also applies: After a certain waiting time, the airline must provide the passengers with food and drink at the airport and, if necessary, accommodate them in a hotel.
Good to know: If the delay is more than five hours, you also have the option of requesting the money for the ticket back. But then you have to take care of yourself how to get there. (dpa)
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