Lufthansa refunded one ticket but not the other. What happened?

When Lufthansa cancels Raymond Menna’s flight, it takes four months for a refund. But his wife’s refund is still missing. How can he get his money back?

  • By Wire Service
  • Sunday, April 17, 2022 1:30am
  • Life

Q: Lufthansa canceled a flight for my wife and me from Orlando, Florida, to Budapest, Hungary, via Frankfurt, Germany, last year. The airline promised a full refund. Four months later, I received a refund for one of the tickets.

I’ve been trying to get a refund for the second ticket. I have made numerous phone calls and sent emails. I’ve tried to talk to a superior and keep getting cut off. Lufthansa owes me $1,583. A representative told me the case had been “archived,” and I’ve heard nothing further. Can you help?

— Raymond Menna, The Villages, Florida

A: I’m sorry Lufthansa canceled your flight. Under Department of Transportation rules, you should have received a refund to the original form of payment within a week — not four months later. I should note the timeline on this case. Lufthansa canceled your flight in April 2021, and you received your first refund in August. So, this isn’t one of those early pandemic cases where the entire world was turned upside down.

By the way, “archiving” a complaint is just a polite way of saying they’re done with you, and no one will respond to your questions.

But your case is a little more complicated. It looks like you booked these flights through Orbitz. Lufthansa didn’t cancel your original flights; it made a schedule change. Under EU consumer protection rules, you could have received a refund or a credit. You chose a credit. Lufthansa then canceled your next flight.

That means Lufthansa needed to refund your ticket credit rather than issue a full refund. Instead, it appears Lufthansa refunded one of your tickets, but not the other. As I said, it’s a little confusing.

A case like yours is an important reminder to always read the applicable rules and consumer protections — and also, to stay off the phone. Based on your records, Lufthansa just kept hanging up on you or putting you on a long hold. Instead, keep your communication to email so that there’s a paper trail.

Remember, I list the relevant executive contacts for companies like Lufthansa on my consumer advocacy site at www.elliott.org/company-contacts/lufthansa-airlines/. A brief, polite email to one of them might have helped, although, as I noted earlier this month, Lufthansa has been rather unresponsive lately.

But not this time. I reviewed the paperwork on your case and reached out to the airline. A representative contacted you and offered to refund your second ticket, which you accepted.

Christopher Elliott is the chief advocacy officer of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers resolve their problems. Elliott’s latest book is “How To Be The World’s Smartest Traveler” (National Geographic). Contact him at elliott.org/help or chris@elliott.org.

Talk to us

More in Life

Kotor's zigzagging town wall rewards climbers with a spectacular view. (Cameron Hewitt / Rick Steves' Europe)
Rick Steves: Just south of Dubrovnik lies unpolished Montenegro

One of Europe’s youngest nations offers dramatic scenery, locals eager to show off their unique land, and a refreshing rough-around-the-edges appeal.

Dark gray wheels and black exterior accents provide extra visual appeal for the 2024 Subaru Impreza’s RS trim. (Subaru)
2024 Subaru Impreza loses a little, gains a lot

The brand’s compact car is fully redesigned. A couple of things are gone, but many more have arrived.

TSR image for calendar
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

This weekend in Snohomish: The Snohomish Blues Invasion and the Snohomish Studio Tour 2023.

Made by Bruce Hutchison, the poster for “A Momentary Diversion on the Road to the Grave” is an homage to 1985 classic “The Goonies.” (Photo provided)
Indie film premiering on Whidbey Island

Filmed almost entirely on Whidbey Island, “A Momentary Diversion on the Road to the Grave” is set to premiere in Langley.

TSR image only
Does your elementary school child have ADHD?

It’s important to identify children with this condition so we can help them succeed in school.

This photo provided by OceanGate Expeditions shows a submersible vessel named Titan used to visit the wreckage site of the Titanic. In a race against the clock on the high seas, an expanding international armada of ships and airplanes searched Tuesday, June 20, 2023, for the submersible that vanished in the North Atlantic while taking five people down to the wreck of the Titanic. (OceanGate Expeditions via AP)
A new movie based on OceanGate’s Titan submersible tragedy is in the works: ‘Salvaged’

MindRiot announced the film, a fictional project titled “Salvaged,” on Friday.

A clump of flowering ornamental grass or pennisetum alopecuroides in an autumn garden.
My garden runneth over with fountain grasses, and for good reason

These late-blooming perennials come in many varieties. They work well as accents, groundcovers, edgings or in containers.

This Vacasa rental is disgusting. Can I get my money back?

The vacation rental Carol Wilson books for her group through Vacasa is infested with rats and insects. Vacasa offers to refund one night, but can they get all of their money back?

A woman diverts from her walk on Colby Avenue to take a closer look at a pickup truck that was partly crushed by a fallen tree during an overnight wind storm Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022, in north Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / Herald file)
Storm season is coming. Here’s how to prepare for power outages.

The most important action you can take is to make an emergency preparedness kit.

Most Read