Lufthansa – forced ticket refunds “endanger” travel industry

EU Regulation 261/2004 may require airlines to refunds cancelled tickets within seven days by bank transfer, but Lufthansa chief executive Carsten Spohr said that forcing carriers to hand back cash rather than accept vouchers would be perilous for the sector. Spohr was speaking at the first virtual Annual General Meeting of Lufthansa where he asked that customers for their understanding over refunds given the extent of the current downturn on the airline’s balance sheet. “We are also asking a lot of our customers, above all, patience. Most European countries are supporting the temporary voucher solution for cancelled tickets. The EU has however