Lufthansa compensation time limit: choose the forum before the deadline

Short answer: there is no single worldwide Lufthansa compensation deadline. A claim litigated in Germany is commonly subject to the regular three-year BGB limitation, generally running from the end of the year in which the claim arose. England and Wales commonly apply six years to this type of claim, while Scotland commonly uses five. Baggage has a separate two-year Montreal court limit. Jurisdiction, governing law and the remedy must be checked before relying on any number.

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The safest operational rule is simple: submit promptly and identify the court route early. Airline correspondence does not automatically stop time everywhere. An old claim should not be left in a customer-service queue while the relevant legal period expires.

Common starting points

Claim and likely forumCommon planning assumptionImportant qualification
EU261 claim in Germanythree yearsBGB start and suspension rules require analysis
UK261 claim in England or Walessix yearscause of action and jurisdiction must fit
UK261 claim in Scotlandfive yearsScottish prescription rules differ
Montreal baggage actiontwo yearstreaty extinguishment period is strict
Canadian APPR compensation requestone yearCanadian procedure, not future EU rule
Future revised EU request processnine monthsnot applicable on 10 August 2026

These figures are not a menu from which a claimant picks the longest. The available forum and applicable law arise from the route, operator, passenger residence, contractual place of performance and procedural rules.

Germany's regular three-year period

Section 195 BGB sets a regular three-year limitation. Under section 199, it generally begins at the end of the year in which the claim arose and the creditor knew, or without gross negligence should have known, the relevant facts and debtor.

A Lufthansa flight disrupted on 4 February 2026 may therefore commonly be planned against 31 December 2029 in a German action, not 4 February 2029. That is a general illustration, not a conclusion for every claim. Different classification, knowledge or procedural events can alter the analysis.

Negotiations may suspend limitation under section 203 BGB, and specified proceedings under section 204 can do so. A one-sided complaint that receives an automated acknowledgment is not safely assumed to be negotiation. Filing with the correct body or court matters. Obtain German advice before the final months rather than relying on an informal email chain.

England, Wales and Scotland

Claims brought in England and Wales are commonly treated as contractual statutory claims within the six-year period in the Limitation Act 1980. UK CAA material refers to six years for ADR incident eligibility. Scotland commonly uses a five-year prescriptive period, and its rules on start, interruption and acknowledgment are distinct.

A UK departure can support UK jurisdiction, but an itinerary's facts still matter. A passenger cannot extend a German-only claim merely by writing the demand in English or quoting GBP. Conversely, an eligible UK261 case should not be abandoned because Lufthansa's German correspondence mentions a shorter German period.

The Lufthansa UK261 versus EU261 guide helps identify the substantive regime; court limitation remains a separate procedural step.

ADR deadlines are additional

Lufthansa identifies Schlichtung Reise & Verkehr for eligible private-travel disputes. Its passenger-rights page permits an application after the passenger has contacted Lufthansa and is dissatisfied, or has had no response within two months, provided the matter is not already before a court or resolved.

The UK CAA lists Lufthansa under that German ADR body. Its general ADR page states that a complaint should be submitted within 12 months of the airline's final response, or within 12 months of the last written communication where no response arrived. Check the receiving body's current rules at the time of filing.

An ADR acceptance deadline and a court limitation period are different clocks. Missing one may close that channel without necessarily deciding the other. Starting ADR also should not be assumed to suspend court time unless the applicable law says it does.

Baggage is not an EU261 deadline

The Montreal Convention requires written complaint within seven days after receiving damaged checked baggage and within 21 days after delayed baggage is returned. Court action must be brought within two years from arrival, scheduled arrival or cessation of carriage.

A PIR at the airport starts tracing but may not itself contain a quantified written claim. Send the separate written demand within the correct period. The two-year treaty period is commonly treated as extinguishing the right, making late rescue especially difficult. See Lufthansa baggage deadlines.

Canadian and US procedures

Canadian APPR requires a passenger seeking delay or cancellation compensation to make the request within one year; the airline then has a prescribed response period. That one-year rule belongs to Canadian law. It is not evidence that an EU261 claim is limited to one year.

US DOT refund rights use federal refund triggers and prompt-payment rules rather than a European fixed-compensation limitation. A court action or contract claim may have separate state or federal timing. Keep the US refund request distinct from an EU261 EUR 600 demand on a Lufthansa-operated US-to-EU flight.

The adopted EU nine-month rule is still future

In July 2026, EU institutions adopted revised passenger-rights legislation. The future process gives passengers nine months to submit a compensation request and airlines 30 days to pay or give a reasoned refusal. The Council states that the revised rules enter into force 12 months and 20 days after publication in the Official Journal.

On 10 August 2026, those provisions are not applicable. Do not reject a current older claim merely because it was not sent within nine months. Equally, do not assume the future rule revives a claim already lost under current national limitation.

A deadline-safe workflow

  1. Record flight date, route, operator and remedy.
  2. Identify realistic courts before selecting a limitation period.
  3. Calculate the earliest plausible expiry conservatively.
  4. Submit Lufthansa Feedback with evidence and keep proof.
  5. Calendar the two-month ADR eligibility point where relevant.
  6. Review limitation before every escalation, not after refusal.
  7. Use formal proceedings in time if voluntary resolution fails.

For a claim near expiry, avoid waiting for documents the airline controls. File with what is available and seek disclosure through the appropriate process. The rejected Lufthansa claim guide shows how to narrow the disputed fact without losing months.

FAQ

Is the Lufthansa compensation deadline always three years?

No. Three years is a common German rule. UK and other forums use different periods, and baggage follows the Montreal Convention.

When does the German three-year period usually end?

It commonly runs from the end of the year in which the claim arose, making 31 December important. Apply BGB details to the individual case.

Does complaining to Lufthansa stop limitation?

Do not assume so. Genuine negotiations or formal proceedings may have effects under applicable law, but an unanswered form alone is unsafe.

Is there already a nine-month EU filing deadline?

No. It belongs to the 2026 reform and was not applicable on 10 August 2026.

How long do I have for a Lufthansa baggage court claim?

The Montreal Convention uses a two-year court period, alongside much shorter seven-day and 21-day written complaint periods.

Official sources