LOT refund, voucher and rerouting rights
LOT Refund Claim
If LOT Polish Airlines cancelled your flight, offered only a voucher or delayed your trip so badly that you no longer wanted to travel, you may have refund and rerouting rights. A cash refund is separate from EU 261 compensation.
A practical guide for passengers who need money back from LOT after cancellation, major disruption, voucher pressure or unclear rerouting.
Start a claim
Check your flight without leaving the article
If this guide matches your situation, you can start with the form here. We collect the route, date, disruption type and documents needed for an initial claim review.
- Initial EU 261 or UK 261 eligibility review
- No upfront fee for accepted cases
- You can return to the guide after adding your details
What happened to your flight?
Claim up to €600 for a delayed or cancelled flight.
Choose the situation that applies to your flight:
Quick answer: refund, rerouting and compensation are separate
A LOT refund claim usually asks for the ticket money back. EU 261 compensation is different: it is the fixed EUR 250, EUR 400 or EUR 600 amount for an eligible delay, cancellation, denied boarding or missed connection. You can sometimes have both, but you should keep the legal basis and evidence separate.
If LOT cancelled the flight, passengers can normally choose reimbursement, earliest rerouting or rerouting at a later convenient date under comparable transport conditions. If LOT offers only a voucher, do not assume that cash has disappeared. A voucher should be voluntary.
| Situation | Likely right | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| LOT cancelled the flight | Refund or rerouting choice | You can usually choose cash refund, earliest rerouting or later rerouting, plus check fixed compensation separately. |
| LOT offered a voucher only | Cash refund may still be available | A voucher should not replace a cash refund unless you agree to it. |
| Long delay before departure | Refund can become relevant | For long waiting time, EU 261 can give a right to reimbursement if you decide not to travel. |
| Missed connection on one LOT booking | Rerouting and possible compensation | Ask for transport to the final destination and check final-arrival delay. |
| Passenger voluntarily cancels | Fare rules usually matter | If LOT did not cancel or seriously disrupt the flight, the ticket conditions may control the refund. |
| Refund accepted, compensation still disputed | Separate issues | Refund of the ticket and EUR 250-600 compensation are different legal questions. |
Refund does not close every compensation case
Cash refund, voucher or rerouting?
After a cancellation, the core choice is practical. If the trip is no longer useful, a cash refund may be best. If you still need to travel, rerouting can be more valuable than money. If LOT offers credit or a voucher, decide only after checking whether it limits your cash-refund rights, expiry date or future route choices.
Keep written proof of your decision. If you ask for cash, write that you request reimbursement to the original payment method and do not consent to a voucher. If you choose rerouting, save the options LOT offered and the final arrival time, because this can affect a separate compensation claim.
| Option | What it means | When it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Cash refund | Return of the unused ticket price | Useful when you no longer want to travel after cancellation or qualifying delay. |
| Earliest rerouting | Alternative transport as soon as possible | Useful when the trip still matters and you need the final destination quickly. |
| Later rerouting | Alternative transport at a later convenient date | Subject to seat availability and the regulation conditions. |
| Voucher or credit | Only if you accept it | Keep proof if you did not agree to a voucher instead of money. |
| Care while waiting | Meals, hotel and transport where required | Care rights can apply even while refund or rerouting is being arranged. |
| Fixed compensation | EUR 250, EUR 400 or EUR 600 if eligible | This is separate from refund and depends on route, timing and cause. |
When LOT cancels the flight
Cancellation is the clearest refund scenario. If LOT cancels your flight, you should usually be offered a choice between refund and rerouting. The refund should cover the unused ticket price, and in some circumstances parts of the journey already made if the trip no longer serves its purpose.
Do not merge the refund request with the compensation argument. First state the refund or rerouting choice. Then, if the cancellation was announced less than 14 days before departure, check whether EU 261 compensation is also available. The LOT cancelled flight compensation guide explains the timing tests and replacement-flight windows.
LOT cancelled your flight?
Check both tracks: cash refund or rerouting first, then possible EUR 250-600 compensation if the cancellation qualifies.
When a long delay can lead to refund rights
A long departure delay can make refund rights relevant even if the flight is not formally cancelled. EU 261 gives reimbursement rights in specific long-delay situations if the passenger decides not to continue with the journey. This is different from delay compensation, which focuses on arrival at the final destination.
If you still travelled, measure final arrival and use the LOT flight delay compensation guide. If you gave up the journey because the delay destroyed the purpose of the trip, keep proof of the waiting time, LOT notices and your written decision to request reimbursement.
Voucher pressure: how to keep the cash-refund argument clean
Many disputes start because the passenger receives credit, travel funds or a voucher link instead of money. A voucher can be useful when you genuinely want to fly later, but it should not be treated as the only option after a covered cancellation.
If you want money, write clearly: you request reimbursement in cash or to the original payment method, you do not accept a voucher instead of reimbursement, and you reserve any separate EU 261 compensation rights. Save screenshots of the voucher wording and the date you rejected it.
Useful wording
Evidence to keep for a LOT refund claim
Refund cases are often won or lost on the timeline: who cancelled, when LOT informed you, what replacement options were offered and whether you accepted a voucher. Keep the paper trail tidy.
| Evidence | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Cancellation or schedule-change notice from LOT | Shows whether LOT caused the refund situation and when you were informed. |
| Booking confirmation and e-ticket | Shows fare, route, passenger names, ticket number and payment details. |
| Voucher offer or refund refusal | Proves whether LOT pushed credit instead of cash and what wording was used. |
| Replacement-flight options | Useful when rerouting was late, impractical or not offered clearly. |
| Payment proof | Helps show the amount paid and the original payment method. |
| Final arrival evidence | Needed if you also claim EU 261 compensation after rerouting. |
| Receipts for care expenses | Meals, hotel and transfers may be claimed separately when LOT did not provide care. |
- Save the cancellation notice. It shows the disruption came from LOT and starts the timing story.
- Keep the ticket number. Refund teams often need the e-ticket, PNR and payment proof.
- Make your choice in writing. Cash refund, earliest rerouting or later rerouting.
- Reject unwanted vouchers clearly. Silence or clicking a voucher link can make the dispute messier.
- Separate compensation evidence. Final arrival, replacement flight and cancellation timing matter for EUR 250-600.
How to write a LOT refund claim
A strong claim is short and exact. Identify the booking, state what LOT did, choose the remedy and attach documents. If you also want compensation, mention it as a separate claim rather than mixing the ticket price with the fixed EU 261 amount.
- Identify the passenger and ticket. Name, PNR, e-ticket number, flight number, date and route.
- State the disruption. Cancellation, long delay, missed connection or voucher-only response.
- Choose the remedy. Cash refund to the original payment method or rerouting.
- Reject unwanted credit. State that you do not accept voucher replacement if you want cash.
- Reserve compensation rights. Add a separate paragraph if EUR 250-600 may also be due.
If LOT rerouted you but you arrived 3 hours or more late at the final destination, check the LOT missed connection compensation guide and the main LOT compensation guide.
If LOT offers only a much later replacement, the LOT Star Alliance rerouting guide explains how to document a request for the earliest reasonable route before buying transport yourself.
FAQ: LOT refund claim
1. Can I get a cash refund if LOT cancelled my flight?
Usually yes. If LOT cancels a covered flight, passengers can normally choose reimbursement, earliest rerouting or rerouting at a later date under comparable transport conditions.
2. Do I have to accept a LOT voucher?
No. A voucher should be voluntary. If you want cash, keep proof that you requested reimbursement and did not agree to credit instead of money.
3. Is a LOT refund the same as EU 261 compensation?
No. A ticket refund returns the unused ticket price. EU 261 compensation is a separate fixed amount of EUR 250, EUR 400 or EUR 600 when the disruption qualifies and no valid defence applies.
4. Can I claim compensation after LOT refunds the ticket?
Possibly. Accepting a refund does not automatically remove a separate EU 261 compensation claim for an eligible short-notice cancellation or long final-arrival delay.
5. What if I cancelled the LOT ticket myself?
If the airline did not cancel or seriously disrupt the flight, the refund usually depends on the fare rules, taxes, fees and any optional refund conditions you bought.
6. How quickly should LOT refund the ticket?
EU 261 refers to reimbursement within seven days for covered Article 8 refund situations. In practice, keep the refund request date and follow up in writing if money is delayed.
7. What should I send with a LOT refund claim?
Attach the booking confirmation, ticket number, cancellation notice, refund request, voucher refusal if relevant, payment proof and any rerouting or final-arrival evidence.
Legal sources: LOT ticket refund, LOT passenger rights in case of flight irregularities, LOT claim form after departure, Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, and Your Europe air passenger rights.