Verified: 20 March 2026 09:40 am CET
Industry: Air Transportation
Jurisdiction: Germany
Primary Regulator: Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA)
Important Safety Warning: Beware of fake airline customer service numbers on search engines. Only use official channels. Scammers frequently buy ads to promote fraudulent phone numbers. Lufthansa staff will never ask for your account password, Miles & More PIN, or demand payment via WhatsApp or prepaid gift cards to “process a rebooking” or “release compensation.”
Level 1: Customer Support (Kundenservice)
- How to complain: To claim compensation for a delayed/cancelled flight or denied boarding (under EU261), you must submit your claim in writing via the official Lufthansa “Feedback and Contact” web portal. For immediate rebooking assistance, call their central service center at +49 69 86 799 799. (Note: For lost or delayed baggage, use the specific delayed baggage reporting tool within 21 days).
- Source Verification: Help & Contact - Lufthansa
- Availability: The central customer service hotline operates 24/7.
- Source Verification: Help & Contact - Lufthansa
- Timeline: Under European law, airlines are expected to process compensation claims within a reasonable timeframe. While an automated acknowledgement is immediate, a substantive review of a complex EU261 claim can take several weeks.
Level 2: Formal Written Complaint & Mahnung
- Who to contact: Formally escalate your financial dispute (e.g., unpaid EU261 compensation, ignored refund requests, or damaged baggage claims) by sending a registered letter with return receipt (Einschreiben mit Rückschein) to their legally registered headquarters. Address it to the Management Board, Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Venloer Straße 151-153, 50672 Köln, Germany. Clearly state your claim, flight number, booking code (PNR), and set a legally binding 14-day deadline (Mahnung) for payout.
- Source Verification: Impressum - Lufthansa
- Timeline: The legally binding deadline of 14 days (set via your Mahnung) provides the airline a strict timeframe to resolve the issue before they legally default (in Verzug geraten).
Level 3: Regulatory Authority / ADR
- Authority: The LBA is a regulatory watchdog and cannot award individual compensation. To get your money out-of-court, you must submit your case for free to the Schlichtungsstelle Reise & Verkehr e.V. in Berlin. This is the officially recognized conciliation body for passenger transport in Germany, and Lufthansa is a participating member.
- Source Verification: Schlichtungsstelle Reise & Verkehr e.V.
- Timeline: You can file a complaint with the Schlichtungsstelle immediately if Lufthansa officially rejects your claim, or if they fail to provide a substantive response within 2 months of your initial complaint.
Level 4: Legal Action
- Pre-Litigation: Before initiating formal court proceedings, you can seek case-specific legal assistance from your local Consumer Advice Centre (Verbraucherzentrale) or a specialized aviation lawyer (Fluggastrechtler). (Pro-Tip: Commercial “flight right” claim portals heavily advertise online, but they take a 20% to 30% cut of your payout. The Schlichtungsstelle in Level 3 does the same thing for 100% free).
- Source Verification: Verbraucherzentrale - Fluggastrechte
- Court/Arbitration: If the Schlichtungsstelle cannot resolve the issue, you can initiate the judicial dunning process (gerichtliches Mahnverfahren) online to obtain an enforceable payment title against Lufthansa, or file a civil lawsuit. For flight disputes, you can typically sue at the local district court (Amtsgericht) having jurisdiction over your departure or arrival airport in Germany.
- Source Verification: Gemeinsames Mahnportal der Länder
Community Action: Is Lufthansa still refusing to pay your €600 compensation for a cancelled flight, or ignoring a complaint about a lost suitcase? Reply below (do not share your passwords, full booking codes/PNRs, or PINs), and our community will point you to the right legal templates!