How to find out if my flight will be cancelled?
I had booked a Lufthansa flight (well before the current crisis, in December 2019) from Germany to the US, bound to leave on April 19. How and when will I be able to find out if the flight will be cancelled? I do not intend to travel as the workshop I was going to attend was cancelled, but if Lufthansa canceles the flight I assume that I would get back the money I paid (which I would prefer over the currently available vouchers or transferring the booking to a new date).
The flight is LH 418: FRA - IAD
Best Answer
How and when will I be able to find out if the flight will be cancelled?
Cancellation times vary a lot but 1-2 weeks before departure seems to be typical at the moment, so it's still too early. A good indicator is today's or yesterday's flight status of your itinerary. If the flights are cancelled or non existent, than chances are very high they will not be reinstated by April 19 and are likely to be cancelled in a couple of weeks.
Go to https://www.lufthansa.com/us/en/timetable-and-flight-status#/ and pop in your US first arrival (assuming it's operated by LH). If it shows "no flights" than chances are your reservation is going to be cancelled soon.
if Lufthansa cancels the flight I assume that I would get back the money I paid
Legally LH would be required to refund you the cash due to regulation EU 261. However, they are unlikely to do so and it will be very difficult to force them. Your best chance would be charge back through your credit card, so it's probably a good idea to contact your credit card provider and find out how this could work
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How long before a flight can it be Cancelled?
Cancelling a Ticket Reservation or Purchase within 24 hours of Booking. For airline tickets that are purchased at least seven days before a flight's scheduled departure date and time, airlines are required to either: allow consumers to cancel their reservation and receive a full refund without a penalty for 24 hours, ...How much notice do airlines have to give for Cancelled?
The airline is required to compensate you for a canceled flight if you were notified less than 14 days before your original scheduled departure date. However, compensation is not required if the airline proves that extraordinary circumstances (e.g., weather) caused the cancellation.Is any flight Cancelled today?
There is no flight cancellation for today.How do I check flight status?
How to check flight status?What to do if your flight is delayed or canceled
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Answer 2
Your flight being cancelled is neither necessary nor sufficient to get a full refund, which is what you really want. Some airlines are offering full refunds as part of their Covid-19 response. Air Canada is offering full credits, to be used within a year, or almost-full (way more than normal) refunds. (Eg 700 of a 900 fare, with seat selection fees and some tax/surcharge not refunded.) This while the flight is not cancelled. Yet some airlines are not even offering refunds if they cancel the flight, offering to put you on another flight instead or offering partial credit.
So, what you should do is contact Lufthansa and ask for a refund. Don't wait until even closer to the flight than you've waited already. You want some time for waiting to get hold of the right people, and for giving up for the day because being on hold is frustrating, and so on. Start now and ask for a refund until you get it.
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