Lufthansa Flight Fiasco: What Happens When Airlines Cancel Their Flights?

On September 2, news broke out that Germany's flag carrier Lufthansa airline has cancelled 800 flights globally due to a one-day strike by pilots, resulting in around 700 passengers being stranded at the T3 terminal at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. This was soon followed by strong protests by the stranded passengers and their relatives. 

If you are ever stuck in a similar situation, wherein your flight is either delayed or cancelled, here is a look at some passenger rights guidelines provided by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).  

What happens if your flight is delayed?

• If your flight has a block time of 2.5 hours and is delayed by over 2 hours, then you are entitled to a free meal during your waiting period. The same is applicable in the case of a block time of 2.5-5 hours and a delay of over 3 hours.
• When your domestic flight is delayed for over 6 hours, you will be updated about the rescheduled time before your original departure time. Furthermore, the airline is bound to offer you an alternative flight within that time or a 100 per cent refund.
• Interestingly, you also deserve a free hotel stay in two cases: if the flight delay is informed to you more than 24 hours before the original scheduled departure and if it is communicated to you more than 24 hours or more than 6 hours for flights scheduled to leave between 20:00 and 03:00 hours.

What happens if your flight is cancelled?

• Under ordinary circumstances, airlines are bound to inform you about the cancellation a minimum of 2 weeks before the scheduled departure time. In addition, they should arrange another flight for you or refund your ticket. 
• In a case where you are informed about the cancellation less than 2 weeks before but up to 24 hours before the scheduled departure time, the concerned airline should provide an alternate ticket or refund your money.
• Meanwhile, if you have not been informed as per the standard procedure, or have missed a connecting flight on the same ticket number, the airline should either provide another flight or give you compensation.

How much compensation can you claim?

If the airline doesn't inform you about the cancellation within a period of a minimum of two weeks in advance, it should compensate you. Below are the guidelines provided by the DGCA:

• INR 5,000 or a one-way booked basic fare plus fuel charge, whichever is lesser, if the flight has a block time of up to and including one hour.
• INR 7,500 or a one-way booked basic fare plus fuel charge, whichever is lesser, if the flight has a block time of more than one hour and up to and including two hours.
• INR 10,000 or a one-way booked basic fare plus fuel charge, whichever is lesser, if the flight has a block time of more than two hours.

Note:  Travellers should always check with their airline or travel agent for specific policies and timelines, as these can vary depending on the circumstances and depending on how you booked your travel.