Service Finder
Submit a complaint due to missing or insufficient information about the identity of the operating air carrier
Service Description
Your contractual partner for air travel - i.e. the airline or travel company - is obliged to inform you of the identity of the operating airline at the time of booking. If the operating airline changes, tour operators, travel agencies or air carriers must inform you immediately of the identity of the new air carrier. In any case, you must be informed of the identity of the operating air carrier at check-in or, if no check-in is required, when boarding. If you were not informed of the change of operating air carrier in good time during your flight, you can file a complaint.
Airlines classified as unsafe are not allowed to operate flights in the European Union (EU) or are subject to restrictions. The companies concerned can be found on the basis of the "blacklist".
If you discover that such a company is operating the flight, you do not have to take it. The contractual partner must offer you alternative transportation or reimbursement of the ticket costs if
- your flight has been canceled due to the inclusion of the operating airline on the "blacklist" or
- you have therefore decided not to take the flight.
If you suspect a violation of the above-mentioned regulations, you can file a complaint.
Enter all the necessary details in the complaint form.
Uploading additional documents is not mandatory. However, booking documents or correspondence with the airline or travel agency, for example, will make it easier to process your report and avoid additional inquiries. The Luftfahrt-Bundesamt will check the facts of the case and request information from you if necessary.
In the event of proven violations, the Federal Aviation Office can impose sanctions in the form of fines on the contractual partner. The fines are intended to prevent future infringements.
This does not affect any civil law claims you may have under the regulation for reimbursement of ticket costs.
The Luftfahrt-Bundesamt is neither authorized to support you in enforcing these claims against the contractual partner under the ordinance, nor to advise you in this regard. If necessary, you must claim individual entitlements from the contractual partner in court.
Process flow
If you wish to submit a complaint due to insufficient information on the identity of the operating air carrier, please proceed as follows:
- Go to the federal portal verwaltung.bund.de and complete the online form.
- You can upload your documents directly.
- Alternatively, you can send your notification and documents to the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA) by e-mail, fax or post.
- Once the notification has been received, the LBA will send you a confirmation of receipt with a reference number. The LBA will contact you if anything is unclear or if any information is missing.
- If the LBA establishes an infringement, it may conduct administrative offense proceedings against the company concerned.
- A fine may be imposed in the event of proven violations.
- You will be informed by the LBA when the proceedings have been completed.
Requirements
You can file a complaint if one of these cases has occurred:
- You were not informed of the identity of the operating air carrier when you booked your flight.
- If the operating air carrier was not yet known at the time of booking, you were not informed as soon as the information was available.
- You were not informed, or not informed in good time, of the change of operating air carrier subsequent to the booking.
- The air carrier operating the flight was classified as unsafe and the flight was therefore canceled or would have been canceled. In this context, you were not offered alternative transportation or reimbursement of the ticket costs by your contractual partner.
In addition, the following conditions must be met:
- The event, i.e. the flight booking or the change of air carrier, must not have occurred more than 2 years ago.
- You agree that your complaint may be used as a witness statement against the air carrier, tour operator or travel agent in the context of administrative offense proceedings.
The complaint can be made by any natural or legal person.
With authorization, the complaint can also be made by proxy.
Which documents are required?
The following documents are not mandatory. However, they will help to avoid questions and clarify the facts. Please therefore enclose these documents with your complaint:
- Booking or travel documents
- Correspondence with the airline
- Proof of costs incurred
if authorization is required:
- Power of representation
Please refer to the notification form to find out which documents may be required in your case.
What are the fees?
There are no costs.
What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?
Application Deadline: 2 YearsThe Luftfahrt-Bundesamt can only take action within two years of the date of the incident.
Processing duration
The processing time depends on the complexity of the notification and may vary from case to case.
Legal basis
Applications / forms
There is no legal remedy.
What else should I know?
There are no indications or special features.
Further Information
Author
Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA)
Forwarding service: deep link to the original portal
The text was automatically translated based on the German content.
Technically approved by
Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport Affairs (BMDV)
Professionally released on
26.08.2022
Source: Zuständigkeitsfinder Thüringen (Linie6PLus)
Start your request directly online:
Competent Authority
Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA)
Address
38108 Braunschweig
Further Authorities
Address
Remark: Keyword: Passenger rights