Lufthansa Flight Cancellation: Refunds, Rebooking and What to Do Next

Several Lufthansa Group routes are canceled or suspended, from Middle East services to short-haul European flights.

If your Lufthansa flight is affected, here’s how to get a refund, rebook, or reroute — and what your passenger rights are.

Which Lufthansa routes are affected?

Middle East routes have been suspended across Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Edelweiss since 28 February 2026. Tel Aviv is the first route returning, in stages.

Brussels Airlines is resuming Tel Aviv later and stays suspended on the routes above through 24 October. The suspensions hold because EASA’s airspace advisory still covers the region and the ceasefire remains fragile — Iranian drones struck Kuwait’s airport on 3 June 2026. See our Kuwait travel advisory for the latest.

Cancellations are not limited to the Middle East. Lufthansa is also cutting around 20,000 short-haul European flights through October and has permanently closed its regional arm, Lufthansa CityLine (all CRJ jets grounded on 18 April), so some domestic and regional services have been canceled or rerouted too.

Your options: Refund, rebook, or reroute

When your Lufthansa flight is canceled, you have three main paths.

You may also have rights to meals, hotel accommodation, and transport while waiting, and in some cases statutory compensation under EC 261 or UK rules. If Lufthansa cannot arrange care, keep your receipts and claim later.

After a refund, you can book your flight separately on another airline. Gulf carriers have resumed key routes since the ceasefire and may offer alternatives sooner than Lufthansa’s restart dates.

How to get a refund from Lufthansa

Check whether your flight was canceled or significantly changed, then request a refund through My Bookings or the Lufthansa Chat Assistant. If self-service does not work, use the refund form.

Booked via Lufthansa

1. Log into your Lufthansa account and go to My Bookings.
2. Enter your booking reference (6-character code), passenger name, email, and original payment method.
3. Select your refund payment method:
   • Credit card — refunded to original card within 7 days
   • Bank transfer — provide IBAN; takes 7–20 days
   • Check (if originally paid by check) — sent by mail; takes 20 days
4. Submit and save your confirmation email. If you don’t hear back in 10 days, escalate to [email protected] with your confirmation number.
5. If self-service fails, fill in the Lufthansa refund form, or call +49-69-86-799-799.

If you paid in USD or AED but the refund is issued in EUR, check your bank’s exchange rate first. If you paid cash at a travel agent, ask for the refund to go back through that agent — it’s usually faster.

Booked with a travel platform or agency

Contact your agent for all refund queries. You keep the same passenger rights, but Lufthansa directs agency-booked passengers to their agent first.

How to rebook your Lufthansa flight

Lufthansa offers free rebooking on canceled routes. You can move to a later date on any Lufthansa Group flight (Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, or Air Dolomiti). Many passengers are rebooked automatically.

• Go to Lufthansa’s My Booking section after logging in.
• Use the Lufthansa Chat Assistant to manage your rebooking.
• If you booked through a travel agency, contact the agent directly.

If the new itinerary does not work for you, you can request a refund instead.

How to check if your Lufthansa flight is canceled

1. Visit Wego’s Lufthansa flight tracker for real-time updates.
2. Go to Lufthansa’s Manage Booking page and enter your confirmation code and last name.
3. Use the Lufthansa app — push notifications alert you to cancellations before emails arrive. It covers Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and SWISS.
4. Track your airport on Wego, such as Frankfurt (FRA) or Munich (MUC).
5. Follow @lufthansa on X for real-time announcements.

Lufthansa contact information

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a refund AND compensation?

Potentially, yes. Under EC 261 and UK rules, a cancellation can give you the right to rerouting or reimbursement, and in some cases a separate right to compensation. These are different rights, so a qualifying passenger can receive a refund and still pursue compensation.

What if I booked through a travel agent?

You still have the same passenger rights (refund, rebooking, compensation). However, Lufthansa directs agency-booked passengers to contact the agency first. Go directly to Lufthansa’s website for rebooking if your agent is unresponsive.

Will Lufthansa resume Middle East flights now that there’s a ceasefire?

Partially, and gradually. Austrian Airlines resumed Tel Aviv flights on 2 June 2026, with Lufthansa following from 1 July, Eurowings from mid-July, and SWISS from 1 August. Dubai is not expected back until 13 September, and Abu Dhabi, Amman, Beirut, Dammam, Riyadh, Erbil, Muscat, and Tehran remain suspended until 24 October 2026. The ceasefire stays fragile and EASA’s airspace advisory is still in force.

Can Lufthansa reroute me on Emirates or Etihad?

Yes, if you are departing from the EU, EEA, or UK. Under EC 261 and UK261 rules, Lufthansa is required to reroute you on another airline that operates your route, including carriers like Emirates, Etihad, Oman Air, and Royal Jordanian. Contact Lufthansa directly to request this.

My short-haul European flight was canceled. What do I do?

Check My Bookings to see if you’ve been automatically rebooked. If not, request a free rebooking to another date or route, or request a full refund. For German domestic routes, Lufthansa may offer a free conversion to a Deutsche Bahn rail ticket.

My Schengen visa expires while I’m stuck due to this cancellation. What do I do?

Ask Lufthansa for written proof of the cancellation or rebooking, and contact the relevant border authority or your embassy or consulate as soon as possible.

Sources

1. Lufthansa — Current Travel Information
2. Lufthansa Group eXperts — Middle East Flight Adjustments
3. SWISS Newsroom — Middle East Flight Operations Updates
4. EASA — CZIB for Middle East and Persian Gulf
5. Lufthansa — Refund Form
6. LoyaltyLobby — Lufthansa Dubai Delayed Until September 2026
7. Times of Israel — Lufthansa Group to Resume Tel Aviv Flights from June
8. Al Jazeera — Iranian Drone Hits Kuwait’s Main Airport (3 June 2026)

Disclaimer: Wego strives to ensure all information presented in this article is accurate and up to date at the time of publication. Travel policies, prices, visa requirements, and conditions can change rapidly. We strongly recommend verifying critical details with official sources before making travel decisions. Wego does not accept liability for any inaccuracies, oversights, or changes that may occur after publication.