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Travel · Germany
Updated September 2026

✈️ My flight was delayed or cancelled — who enforces my compensation?

Direct answer

Under EU 261 you are owed €250–€600 for a delay of 3+ hours at arrival, a cancellation with less than 14 days' notice, or denied boarding — unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances. Claim from the airline first, in writing. If it refuses or ignores you for 6–8 weeks, Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA) — Fluggastrechte (lba.de) is the national enforcement body in Germany; a complaint there is free. söp — Schlichtungsstelle Personenverkehr offers binding dispute resolution. Check your amount first with our flight tool.

Call firstLuftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA) — Fluggastrechte
Report tosöp — Schlichtungsstelle Personenverkehr
If that failsAmtsgericht

🗣️ What to say

"Flight [number] on [date] from [A] to [B] arrived … hours late / was cancelled on [date]. Under Regulation (EC) 261/2004 Art. 7 I claim €… compensation, to [IBAN], within 14 days. Booking reference […]."

🪜 Step by step

  1. Check the amountDistance and delay decide: €250 up to 1,500 km, €400 up to 3,500 km, €600 beyond. Our flight-compensation tool does it in 30 seconds.
  2. Claim from the airlineTheir online form or e-mail. Keep the boarding pass, booking, and any message about the delay.
  3. Give them 6–8 weeksThen escalate. "Extraordinary circumstances" must be proven by the airline — technical faults are not.
  4. Complain to Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA) — FluggastrechteThe enforcement body for flights departing Germany or arriving on an EU airline. Free; it can fine the airline.
  5. Binding decision: söp — Schlichtungsstelle PersonenverkehrThe dispute board issues a decision the airline has to follow; otherwise, small-claims court.

📇 All contacts

Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA) — FluggastrechteNational enforcement body, complaint formWhen the airline refuses or is silent for 6–8 weeks🔗 www.lba.de/DE/Passagiere/Fluggastrechte/Fluggastrechte_node.html
söp — Schlichtungsstelle PersonenverkehrFree dispute resolution, the airline must take partAfter the airline's no, up to 12 months after the flight📞 030 6449933-0🔗 soep-online.de
AmtsgerichtCourt claim, usually without a lawyer, where the flight departed or arrivedWhen the airline ignores the dispute body🔗 www.justiz.de

❓ Frequently asked

Which country's body?

The one where the disrupted flight departed. For a flight into the EU on an EU airline, the arrival country.

The airline offered a voucher

You can refuse it. Compensation is money; the refund of the ticket is separate and also money unless you agree otherwise.

Does the flight tool cost anything?

No. It checks eligibility and drafts the claim; you send it yourself.

📎 Sources

Last checked: 2026-09-26

🔎 Common searches

Recognise your own search? The answer above covers all of these.

  • “flight compensation who to complain Germany”
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  • “cancelled flight rights”

🧭 Is this still correct?

We check this information carefully, but phone numbers, websites and rules change — and sometimes we get something wrong. Spotted a mistake or a change? Let us know below.

🔗 Related questions

📦Faulty goods, no refund→🧳Lost luggage→🚆Train delay refund→🏖️Package holiday→

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