Lufthansa will not pay: Schlichtung, CAA and court options

Do not escalate every weak refusal to every body at once. Match the remedy, route and operator to the forum and preserve the deadline independently of complaint discussions.

Escalation map

A claims company or lawyer is another representation choice, not a separate legal remedy. Compare fees, assignment terms and litigation risk before signing.

Stage one: make Lufthansa decide the real claim

Use Lufthansa Feedback for a past flight and identify the operating carrier. Set out the booking, covered route, scheduled and actual final arrival, notice date, reason given, amount per passenger and expenses. Attach documents in a readable sequence.

Ask targeted questions when Lufthansa invokes extraordinary circumstances:

• what precise event occurred;
• how it affected this aircraft and flight;
• which minutes were attributable to it;
• what reasonable measures were attempted;
• why an earlier reroute was unavailable.

A vague submission often receives a template response. The rejected-claim guide shows how to isolate the disputed element before escalating.

Set a reasonable reply date and retain the automatic acknowledgement. Do not repeatedly open new cases for the same passengers unless Lufthansa instructs it; fragmented references make review harder.

Schlichtung Reise & Verkehr

Lufthansa's passenger-rights page states that passengers on private journeys can apply to Schlichtung Reise & Verkehr for disputes involving denied boarding, long delay, cancellation, baggage, reduced-mobility duties or carriage-contract issues.

The carrier lists these preconditions:

• the passenger already contacted Lufthansa;
• no reply arrived within two months, or the passenger is dissatisfied with handling;
• the matter is not pending before a court, previously litigated in the disqualifying sense or settled;
• travel was private rather than a business journey.

Use the conciliation body's current form and answer admissibility questions accurately. Attach Lufthansa's final response, claim, booking and evidence rather than asking the conciliator to reconstruct the file.

Conciliation is particularly useful where the amount does not justify immediate cross-border litigation. It does not excuse missing a court deadline. Track limitation separately and obtain legal advice if the period approaches.

UK route: ADR and CAA

For UK261 claims, check the UK Civil Aviation Authority's current ADR list. Lufthansa is listed with Schlichtung Reise & Verkehr rather than the two better-known UK aviation ADR schemes. Follow the carrier-specific listing and current acceptance conditions.

The CAA's Passenger Advice and Complaints Team or enforcement function can be relevant where no appropriate ADR path resolves a UK compliance issue. The CAA is not ordinarily a court deciding and enforcing an individual debt. A regulator's finding can support the case without replacing proceedings.

Do not assume that departing from London means a claim must be brought only in England. Jurisdiction depends on contractual performance, defendant domicile and applicable procedural rules. Likewise, an EU261 claim involving Germany is not necessarily confined to a German court.

German enforcement and individual payment

The Luftfahrt-Bundesamt is Germany's national enforcement body for Regulation 261. Its complaint process can address alleged carrier non-compliance and support public enforcement.

An enforcement complaint is not the same as a civil payment order. State whether the objective is regulatory investigation, conciliation or a binding personal award. Sending identical forms to several institutions can delay rather than strengthen the case.

For baggage, the Montreal Convention and Lufthansa's conciliation route apply different substantive rules. Use PIR, written-complaint and valuation evidence rather than the EUR 250–600 table.

Court and jurisdiction

A court can issue a binding judgment, but first establish:

1. the correct defendant operating airline;
2. a court with international and territorial jurisdiction;
3. the governing limitation period;
4. filing fees and recoverable costs;
5. language, service and evidence requirements.

EU case law permits Regulation 261 proceedings in places connected with departure or arrival for the relevant contract in many direct-flight cases, alongside general defendant-domicile rules. Connections and codeshares can complicate that analysis.

The European Small Claims Procedure can be available for qualifying cross-border EU civil claims up to EUR 5,000, excluding Denmark. It is not a post-Brexit UK procedure. National small-claims or payment-order routes may instead apply.

Do not file against “Lufthansa Group” as a marketing umbrella when a specific company operated the flight.

Limitation periods

Regulation 261 does not provide one universal limitation period; national law governs. German civil claims commonly use a three-year regular period beginning at the end of the year in which the claim arose and the creditor had the required knowledge, subject to detailed BGB rules.

England and Wales commonly apply six years to this type of claim, while Scotland commonly uses five years. Other countries differ. Jurisdiction and limitation must be analysed together rather than choosing the longest number from a comparison table.

The adopted EU reform's future nine-month claim-submission rule and 30-day airline response period are not applicable on 10 August 2026. They should not be used to shorten or extend today's claim.

An ordinary email exchange or ADR request should not be assumed to suspend limitation in every forum. Obtain specific advice before the deadline.

The Lufthansa time-limit guide compares the main forum-dependent periods and the future EU filing rule.

Evidence for escalation

Prepare one indexed file:

• e-ticket, booking and operating-carrier evidence;
• boarding documents and disruption notices;
• final-arrival proof and route calculation;
• Lufthansa claim and acknowledgement;
• complete refusal or response chain;
• event-specific rebuttal evidence;
• receipts and payment proof;
• authorisation for accompanying passengers where required.

Create a one-page chronology with dates. The reviewer should be able to see the legal issue without opening every attachment.

For families, state each passenger and amount. A parent may need authority or proof of representation for another adult; do not assume one booking code grants it.

Settlement and representation

Read settlement wording before accepting a voucher or reduced payment. Confirm which passengers, flight and heads of claim are released. A payment for care expenses should not silently settle fixed compensation unless the agreement clearly says so and consent is informed.

Claims companies can fund or manage escalation but charge a success fee and sometimes litigation surcharge. Determine whether the claim is assigned, whether cancellation is possible and who controls settlement. Direct conciliation may be available without that commercial deduction.

Legal advice becomes more valuable for large family claims, disputed jurisdiction, expiring limitation or evidence involving multiple operating carriers.

FAQ

When can I take a Lufthansa dispute to Schlichtung Reise & Verkehr?

For eligible private travel, after Lufthansa handles the claim unsatisfactorily or fails to reply within two months, subject to the body's other conditions.

Will the CAA order Lufthansa to pay my UK261 claim?

Not ordinarily as a civil court would; use Lufthansa's listed ADR route and preserve court options for an enforceable individual award.

Does an LBA complaint replace suing Lufthansa?

No. Regulatory enforcement and an individual civil payment claim serve different purposes.

How long do I have to sue Lufthansa?

The period depends on the competent forum; common examples are three years under German rules, six in England and Wales and five in Scotland.

Does ADR stop the limitation clock automatically?

Do not assume it does in every jurisdiction. Check the applicable national rule before relying on suspension.

Official sources

• Lufthansa passenger rights: Feedback and Schlichtung eligibility stated by the carrier.
• Schlichtung Reise & Verkehr request: current conciliation process.
• UK CAA alternative dispute resolution: airline-specific ADR listing and UK process.
• Luftfahrt-Bundesamt passenger-rights complaints: German national enforcement route.
• European e-Justice Small Claims Procedure: scope and EUR 5,000 ceiling.
• German Civil Code sections 195 and 199: regular limitation and commencement principles.
• Council final clearance for passenger-rights reform: future claim and response framework.