European passenger rights. Reimbursement in case of time change by airline
I have a Lufthansa flight with a connection in Frankfurt. I bought the ticket several months ago and connection time then was 50 minutes.
I checked my ticket several days ago and I see that the connection time is now 45 minutes. So, either my first flight arrives 5 minutes later or the second one departs 5 minutes earlier. There wasn't any notification about this.
I case I don't want to fly because of the shorter connection time, can I get 100% reimbursement of my non-reimbursable ticket? Do I have a right to request that, or can I ask to modify the dates for free?
Flight will be in one month.
5 minutes is not a lot but I'm scared to miss the next flight because I'll need to pass security check and passport control. I was thinking a lot before buying this ticket and after they even make the connection shorter...
Best Answer
What you are experiencing is very, very common. Airlines adjust schedules all the time so there is nothing special about this.
You can contact Lufthansa but I 100% guarantee the answer will be no refund. A 5 minute schedule change is no where near enough to qualify for cancellation. 4 hours is where this becomes an option depending on the airline.
Also, I would not expect a 5 minute change to qualify for any no-fee modification since 45 minutes is still within their, Lufthansa's, minimum connection time rule for that airport.
If both flights are booked with Lufthansa, then they will for sure protect you if you miss the outbound due to a late arrival. Meaning they will accommodate you no charge.
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Can I get a refund if the airline changed my flight?
Schedule Change/Significant Delay - A consumer is entitled to a refund if the airline made a significant schedule change and/or significantly delays a flight and the consumer chooses not to travel.How do I file a EU 261 claim?
To file a EU261 claim, you must have a valid ticket and booking confirmation. Although revenue and award tickets qualify for compensation, free or reduced fares that are not available to the public are excluded from compensation.Do airlines have to compensate you for delays?
In the United States, airlines are not required to compensate passengers when flights are delayed or cancelled. Compensation is required by U.S. law only when certain passengers are \u201cbumped\u201d from a flight that is oversold.What happens if flight gets rescheduled?
In case your domestic flight is delayed over 6 hours, the rescheduled time will be informed to you before your original scheduled departure time. Also, the airline is entitled to offer you an alternative flight within that time or a full refund of your ticket.EU Air Passenger Rights
More answers regarding european passenger rights. Reimbursement in case of time change by airline
Answer 2
The other answers detailed what the airlines' terms and conditions allow and provided some useful explanation about connections in general but did not really cover EU Air Passenger rights. Under EU rules (regulation 261/2004), you are entitled to choose to forego your trip and get a refund if a flight is cancelled, you are denied boarding or when the airlines expect a delay over five hours. Furthermore, case law established that a delay longer than three hours should be treated as a cancellation as well. None of these conditions apply here so you do not have any special rights to cancel your ticket.
The airline is still responsible for the whole journey as described on your ticket and if you end up missing the connection because of a delay on the first flight or it becomes clear that you won't make it, EU passenger rights might kick in.
Answer 3
You could inform the cabin-crew on the first flight that "you have a 45-minute connection, are concerned that you might not make the second flight", and ask them if you can be first to leave the plane.
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