If a flight fails in short term, an airline can offer a replacement flight. If this flight is significantly delayed, airline must, according to a judgement of Federal Court of Justice (BGH), pay compensation even if replacement flight was organised by anor airline (AZ. x ZR 73/16).

In fact, airlines must basically compensate ir customers if y cancel short-term flights. With offer of a timely replacement flight, however, you can handle this. The decisive factor is wher passenger has actually reached his destination "at end of two hours after scheduled arrival time", according to BGH judgement. For an airline, refore, it is not enough to circumvent compensation payments, to select a flight that would have arrived on schedule in time – but this did not happen due to a considerable delay.

They had sued passengers who wanted to fly to Singapore with Singapore Airlines and furr to Sydney. The airline's first flight and instead offered a replacement flight from Lufthansa. This was delayed, however, so that plaintiffs reached Sydney with a delay of 23 hours.

The Singapore Airlines lawyer had argued in court that his client could not do more than seek a suitable replacement flight. The extent to which y arrive on time is no longer in ir hands. Therefore, Lufthansa must compensate for delay.

The BGH admitted in his judgment that passengers had a claim for delay against Lufthansa. But regardless, y would have a claim against Singapore Airlines at same time. The airline cancelled original flight and refore remains responsible. The airline now has to pay plaintiffs 600 euros each.

Date Of Update: 11 October 2017, 12:06