Lufthansa has cancelled more flights this summer than any other European carrier, grounding at least 20,000 departures, primarily through the shutdown of its regional subsidiary CityLine. Under EU air passengers' rights rules, customers are entitled to alternative flights, but one Scottish passenger has been refused a replacement, with the airline offering only a refund or postponement.
Rhona Taylor was booked on a Lufthansa flight from Glasgow to Frankfurt in June, a route trimmed due to high jet fuel prices. Her outbound flight was replaced by a departure from Edinburgh to Frankfurt, for which Lufthansa must cover additional transport costs. However, her return flight was simply cancelled, with only options to "request refund" or "use ticket later." The airline told her: "We have had to make some adjustments to our flight schedule. Unfortunately, an alternative is not available for all sections of your journey."
Under EU regulations, Lufthansa is required to provide an acceptable alternative, including paying for a ticket on a different airline. A UK Civil Aviation Authority spokesperson said: "Passengers are entitled to a choice between re-routing and a refund. Re-routing options can include nearby airports, indirect re-routing, or re-routing one day either side, including other airlines." In Ms Taylor's case, alternatives included KLM via Amsterdam and British Airways via London Heathrow.
Lufthansa declined to comment on Ms Taylor's case for data protection reasons. A spokesperson stated: "Passengers will be actively notified by email if their flight is affected. We generally offer an alternative flight operated by the Lufthansa Group. Legally we fully comply with all EU regulations." After The Independent intervened, Ms Taylor was offered a flight from Frankfurt to Edinburgh with Lufthansa, which she accepted.
Separately, British Airways told two passengers their Heathrow-Jeddah flight in October was cancelled and initially failed to offer a transfer to Saudia, which also flies the route. Richard Madge said: "I phoned BA twice. They said they have no availability and to keep checking. When I asked, they said there is nobody to escalate a complaint to." After The Independent intervened, BA offered transfers via Qatar Airways, which were accepted.
