QUALIFY IT
Involuntary or voluntary?
If your client was asked to give up the seat and accepted a deal, they take the agreed benefits instead of Article 7 compensation. If they were simply refused boarding on a confirmed booking with timely check-in, the money is owed.
Establish which happened, in writing, the same day.
THE MONEY
What is it worth?
€250
Under 1,500 km
€400
1,500–3,500 km
€600
Over 3,500 km
Per passenger — payable immediately under Article 4(3).
Full band with no delay-based reduction: €250 under 1,500 km, €400 to 3,500 km, €600 beyond.
THE PUSHBACK
What Lufthansa will say
Expect the language of "rebooking" rather than denied boarding. The label the airline uses does not decide the legal question; the refusal of a confirmed seat does.
Weather, ATC, and staffing arguments are irrelevant here. Article 4 has no such defence.
THE EDGE
What’s specific to Lufthansa
Lufthansa oversells the Frankfurt long-haul banks hardest — the €600 band is where its denied-boarding claims live.
söp conciliation is free after a refusal, and denied-boarding cases are among the simplest to win there because the defence list is empty.
Germany’s three-year year-end limitation applies here too — sooner than the UK regime agents may be used to.
THE PLAY
How do you file it?
Record involuntary versus voluntary the same day, in writing.
Claim Article 4(3) compensation, Article 8 refund or re-routing, and Article 9 care together.
Escalate to söp if refused.
Or forward the booking confirmation to MyAirAdvocate and this claim is prepared for you — flights watched, the denied boarding detected, evidence assembled, deadlines tracked.
See how it works →AGENTS ASK
Questions agents ask
Does an oversold flight count as extraordinary circumstances?
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No. Overselling is a commercial decision and Article 4 has no extraordinary-circumstances defence anyway.
They accepted a voucher at the gate — is the claim gone?
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If they volunteered for an agreed package, they take that instead. If they were told to stand down, the compensation is owed.
Is the money payable immediately?
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Yes — Article 4(3) makes compensation payable at the point of denied boarding.
Do they also get a hotel?
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Article 9 care applies while they wait for the re-route, including meals and accommodation where needed.
How long do we have to claim?
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Three years from the end of the year of the flight in Germany.
General information for travel professionals, not legal advice. Compensation depends on the facts of each disruption and the airline’s evidence. MyAirAdvocate prepares claims; it does not represent passengers and takes no percentage of any compensation.