Lufthansa cuts 20,000 summer flights

michael1234

One question I have is are these new flights that haven't been scheduled yet or are these already bookable with passengers already on them? If the latter, then presumably passengers can get informed at any time their flight is now cancelled, they get refunded and there is nothing they can do about it ?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cre1r4n5j5wo

eskbanker

They can't just refund passengers without any further liability - under the EC 261 flight delay/cancellation regulations, they're obliged to offer passengers a choice between refund or rerouting on other flights.

Where cancellations are within 14 days of departure, the airline may also be liable to pay compensation - this isn't applicable where there are extraordinary circumstances beyond their control, but I suspect that it would be debatable if they tried that line, when they're obviously choosing to cancel certain flights, and their press release specifically mentions choosing to cancel unprofitable routes:

https://newsroom.lufthansagroup.com/en/lufthansa-group-optimises-flight-offering-in-summer-across-all-six-hubs/#

Grumpy_chap

It might be imagined that at least some of the flights that have been cut are undesirable (for the airline) routes and the current events allow the political cover to make the changes.

eskbanker

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81973445#Comment_81973445

There doesn't appear to be any subterfuge - they are fairly open about why they're doing this and don't seem to be trying to piggyback onto prospective fuel shortages, etc, even stating that "For the flights scheduled in the summer timetable, the Group expects a largely stable fuel supply".

michael1234

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81973383#Comment_81973383

So if they cancel someone's flights with more than 2 weeks notice the bit about re-routing onto other flights (presumably airlines) can't be enforced?

What I'm thinking about is the perhaps few million people that would have booked a holiday not part of a package. If their flight become forceably cancelled they may lose out on potentially expensive hotels/airbnbs etc. Its always a risk of course but I didn't realise just how much of a risk it is.

eskbanker

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81973527#Comment_81973527

No, cancellation with any amount of notice obliges them to offer rerouting or refund, but short notice cancellations also entail compensation over and above that.

In their press release, they stress that it's less than 1% of their traffic, as measured by available passenger kilometres, and it doesn't look like it affects the UK, not that this will be much consolation to continental Europeans...