Lufthansa India Customer Care: A Complete, Practical Guide

How to reach Lufthansa customer care from India

If you are in India, the fastest way to reach Lufthansa is by phone. The global 24/7 hotline is +49 69 86 799 799 (English and German), which routes to the Lufthansa Service Center. For India-based callers, Lufthansa also maintains a toll-free line that is commonly listed as 1800 102 5838; availability and opening hours can vary by day and public holiday, so if the line is busy, use the global number or the web contact form. Keep your six-character booking reference (PNR) and your 13-digit ticket number ready (Lufthansa ticket numbers start with 220-xxxxxxxxxx).

For written support, use the official Help & Contact portal: https://www.lufthansa.com/in/en/help-and-contact. From there, you can chat with the virtual assistant, find topic-specific forms, or request a callback (where offered). For post-travel feedback, delays, or EU261 compensation requests, the direct feedback channel is https://www.lufthansa.com/in/en/feedback. Social support is also available via X (Twitter) at https://twitter.com/lufthansa, but do not share payment details over social media.

Airport and on-the-day support in India

Lufthansa operates passenger services in India primarily via Delhi (DEL), Mumbai (BOM), and Bengaluru (BLR). For day-of-travel help—missed connections, same-day rebooking, or baggage issues—go to the Lufthansa check-in counters or transfer desks at your departure airport. Counters typically open 3–4 hours before long-haul departures; arrive early for peak evening bank departures. Airport addresses you may need for ride-hailing and official paperwork: Indira Gandhi International Airport, Terminal 3, New Delhi 110037; Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Terminal 2, Mumbai 400099; Kempegowda International Airport, Terminal 2, Bengaluru 560300.

After baggage irregularities (delayed or damaged baggage), file a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) at the arrival airport before leaving the customs area. You will receive a PIR reference (e.g., DELLH12345). Keep boarding passes, bag tags, and photos of damage. If you already left the airport, report online via Lufthansa’s baggage portal linked from Help & Contact, but filing at the airport typically accelerates tracing.

What Lufthansa customer care can resolve (and typical timelines)

Customer care can assist with ticket reissues, involuntary changes, refunds, special service requests (meals, wheelchairs, medical clearance), seating, sports equipment, and post-travel claims. For voluntary changes, any fare difference applies; change penalties depend on your fare rules. For involuntary changes (schedule change or cancellation), rebooking is generally free within Lufthansa Group policy. Refunds to cards usually appear within 7–14 business days after approval, depending on your bank’s processing time.

For EU261 claims (Lufthansa is an EU carrier), flights from India to Europe delayed 3+ hours on arrival or canceled without adequate notice may qualify for compensation of €600 per passenger on long-haul sectors (>3,500 km), in addition to duty-of-care (meals, hotel, ground transport) where applicable. Submit through the Feedback form; typical resolution is 2–6 weeks. For baggage claims under the Montreal Convention, liability is capped at 1,288 SDR per passenger (Special Drawing Rights; approximately INR 1.3–1.5 lakh, exchange-rate dependent). File written claims within 7 days for damage and 21 days for delay after baggage delivery.

Booking, check-in, and identification details to have ready

When contacting support, have these identifiers at hand: your PNR (6 letters/numbers), e-ticket number (220-xxxxxxxxxx), full name as on passport, date of travel, and flight numbers (e.g., LH 761 Delhi–Frankfurt). For payment queries, keep the last four digits of the card used and the bank authorization reference from your statement; for UPI/NetBanking, share the transaction reference ID.

Lufthansa’s online and mobile check-in generally opens 30 hours before departure. If you are unable to check in online (document checks for certain visas or system flags), the airport counter will complete document verification. For minors, special assistance, or medical cases requiring MEDIF, contact customer care at least 48–72 hours before departure so ground staff receive your request in time.

Numbers, links, and offices you’ll actually use

• Lufthansa Service Center (24/7, international): +49 69 86 799 799
• Lufthansa India toll-free (commonly published): 1800 102 5838
• Help & Contact (topic-based support, chat, forms): https://www.lufthansa.com/in/en/help-and-contact
• Post-travel feedback and EU261/baggage claims: https://www.lufthansa.com/in/en/feedback
• Miles & More (program help, missing miles): https://www.miles-and-more.com/in/en/help-and-contact.html
• Social support (public): https://twitter.com/lufthansa
• Escalation via Government of India AirSewa (if unresolved): https://www.airsewa.gov.in
• Lufthansa HQ postal address (for formal notices): Lufthansa German Airlines, Airportring, 60546 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Costs, fees, and practical expectations when you call

Seat selection, extra baggage, and ticket changes are priced dynamically. As a rule of thumb: Economy Light fares usually exclude a checked bag and charge a fee to add one; Economy Classic/Comfort include at least one 23 kg bag. Standard seat selection on long-haul is often chargeable in lower fare families; extra-legroom seating is higher. The exact price is quoted in INR at checkout or by the agent before you consent—ask the agent to read back the fare rule code and the breakdown (base amount + taxes/fees) before paying.

If you purchase ancillary services by phone, Lufthansa can process international 3‑D Secure payments. Have your bank-ready device for OTP. For refunds of ancillary services (e.g., paid seats on a downgraded aircraft), customer care will typically trigger the refund automatically, but keep your receipts and request numbers in case you need to follow up after 7–10 business days.

Special assistance and medical/meal requests

Wheelchair assistance (WCHR/WCHS/WCHC), meet-and-assist for elderly travelers, or unaccompanied minor (UMNR) services must be added through customer care or your travel agent and confirmed in the booking. Provide the traveler’s mobility details and any equipment dimensions/weights. For medical clearance (MEDA/MEDA2) or oxygen requests, submit medical forms (MEDIF) at least 48 hours before departure; carriage of battery-powered mobility aids is subject to IATA dangerous goods rules—provide battery type and watt-hours.

Special meals (AVML, VJML, VLML, GFML, KSML, etc.) should be requested at least 24 hours before departure. If your request does not appear on the boarding pass at check-in, ask the counter agent to reconfirm with catering; last-minute provisioning is not guaranteed, particularly from non-hub stations.

Escalations and your rights (India and EU contexts)

If your issue remains unresolved after contacting Lufthansa, escalate in writing via the Feedback portal and keep your case reference. For flights from India operated by Lufthansa, you can additionally raise a grievance via the Government of India’s AirSewa portal (https://www.airsewa.gov.in). Upload your correspondence, PIR numbers (for baggage), receipts, and any screenshots to avoid back-and-forth.

Know the frameworks that apply: EU261 covers Lufthansa flights to/from the EU, including India–Germany sectors, for delays, cancellations, and denied boarding. The Montreal Convention governs baggage liability worldwide and defines documentation and time limits for claims. Quoting these frameworks in your written complaint often accelerates resolution; stay factual and include times, names, and numbers.

Pro tips to cut wait times and get faster resolutions

Call slightly off-peak relative to Europe (13:00–16:00 IST on weekdays often sees shorter queues). If your itinerary involves partner airlines (e.g., codeshares), contact the operating carrier for day-of-travel disruptions but keep Lufthansa in the loop for ticketing changes. For complex cases, ask the agent to add detailed OSI/SSR remarks so the next agent sees the history, and request the agent’s initials and a documented case ID before ending the call.

Keep digital copies of everything: e-tickets, boarding passes, baggage tags, hotel and meal receipts, and screenshots of delay notifications. A complete file often makes the difference between multiple follow-ups and a single successful submission.

Information to prepare before contacting customer care

• PNR and 220- ticket number; full names as on passports; dates and flight numbers.
• Passport and visa details (for document checks), and contact email/phone reachable during travel.
• For payments: last 4 digits of card, issuing bank, and any authorization/ARN reference from your statement.
• For baggage: PIR reference, photos of damage, receipts for interim essentials, and bag tag numbers.
• For EU261: exact delay at arrival (scheduled vs. actual), reason given by airline, and proof of duty-of-care expenses.