IT problems at Lufthansa have caused chaos, especially around the Frankfurt hub.
Delays and flight cancellations were the result.
What rights do affected travelers have?
According to a travel lawyer, passengers whose flight was canceled or severely delayed as a result of the IT breakdown at Lufthansa could be entitled to compensation.
"If a Lufthansa system fails, it's a home-grown problem.
As a result, passengers are entitled to compensation payments," says Paul Degott, a lawyer from Hanover who specializes in travel law.
The background: The EU Air Passenger Rights Regulation provides for compensation payments of 250 to 600 euros per passenger for delays of three hours or more and short-term flight cancellations under certain conditions - the length of the flight route is decisive for the amount.
In practice, whether passengers are entitled to this often depends on whether the airline is responsible for the problems or whether they can invoke extraordinary circumstances - for example extreme weather.
Travel lawyer Degott does not see this as the case in the case of the Lufthansa IT failure, which was triggered by fiber optic lines severed during construction work on a railway line.
This is also the assessment of the air passenger rights portal Airhelp: "Since the technical error is the responsibility of the airline, passengers are entitled to compensation payments."
Claims for alternative transport and meals
Irrespective of the possible right to compensation, passengers with flight delays of three hours or more and flight cancellations can insist on alternative transport - for flights within Germany, the airlines often offer train tickets here.
Lufthansa had asked affected passengers on flights within Germany to book a train ticket and then apply for reimbursement via the airline's website (lh.com).
In general, the following also applies: After a certain waiting time, the airline must provide the passengers with food and drink at the airport and, if necessary, accommodate them in a hotel.
Good to know: If the delay is more than five hours, you also have the option of requesting the money for the ticket back.
But then you have to take care of yourself how to get there.
dpa