Travel Troubleshooter: After canceling their flight, Lufthansa refunds his ticket but not hers

Q: Lufthansa canceled a flight for my wife and me from Orlando to Budapest, Hungary, via Frankfurt, Germany, last year. The airline promised a full refund.

Four months later, I received a refund for one of the tickets. I've been trying to get a refund for the second ticket. I have made numerous phone calls and sent e-mails. I've tried to talk to a superior and keep getting cut off.

Lufthansa owes me $1,583. A representative told me the case had been "archived," and I've heard nothing further. Can you help?

A: I'm sorry Lufthansa canceled your flight. Under Department of Transportation rules, you should have received a refund to the original form of payment within a week — not four months later.

I should note the timeline on this case. Lufthansa canceled your flight in April 2021, and you received your first refund in August. So, this isn't one of those early-pandemic cases where the entire world was turned upside down.

By the way, "archiving" a complaint is just a polite way of saying they're done with you, and no one will respond to your questions.

But your case is a little more complicated. It looks like you booked these flights through Orbitz. Lufthansa didn't cancel your original flights; it made a schedule change. Under EU consumer protection rules, you could have received a refund or a credit. You chose a credit.

Lufthansa then canceled your next flight. That means Lufthansa needed to refund your ticket credit rather than issue a full refund. Instead, it appears Lufthansa refunded one of your tickets, but not the other. As I said, it's a little confusing.

A case like yours is an important reminder to always read the applicable rules and consumer protections — and also, to stay off the phone. Based on your records, Lufthansa just kept hanging up on you or putting you on a long hold. Instead, keep your communication to e-mail so that there's a paper trail.

Remember, I list the relevant executive contacts for companies like Lufthansa on my consumer advocacy site at elliott.org/company-contacts/lufthansa-airlines. A brief, polite e-mail to one of them might have helped, although, as I noted earlier this month, Lufthansa has been rather unresponsive lately.

But not this time. I reviewed the paperwork on your case and reached out to the airline. A representative contacted you and offered to refund your second ticket, which you accepted.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit consumer organization. Contact him at elliott.org/help or chris@elliott.org.