Overview
- Germany’s federal court of justice held that passengers who change plans due to circumstances arising after booking cannot be charged extra for not flying all segments.
- The court distinguished post‑booking changes from preplanned skiplagging, affirming that penalties may target only intentional circumvention known at the time of purchase.
- Lufthansa withdrew its objection four days before a scheduled November 24 hearing, yet the court still issued a decision clarifying the legal position.
- Following the ruling, Lufthansa revised Section 3.3.4 of its contract of carriage for residents of Germany and Austria to exempt fare recalculation for changes caused by illness, force majeure, or other reasons beyond the passenger’s control.
- The case stemmed from a HON Circle member who skipped a final leg after a family illness; a flight attendant reported the change, and Lufthansa’s revenue integrity unit later demanded €414.