A couple lost $4,400 when their Lufthansa flight was canceled. The airline promised them a refund, but 5 months later, they still haven't received the money.

29.03.2024 - 22:31 / insider.com / Airlines

In October, Emma Giantisco and Dylan Marton breathed a sigh of relief.

It was more than two months after the couple had gotten home after a hectic few travel days. In August, they were flying home from Singapore on United Airlines when their Lufthansa Airlines connection between Germany and New Jersey was canceled, Giantisco told Business Insider.

When the couple attempted to rebook the canceled flight, technology errors repeatedly caused the pair's reservations to disappear from their accounts.

After spending three days stranded in Munich with no scheduled flight home, the couple gave up trying to rebook through the airlines for free and purchased their own tickets. They said they spent over $4,400 out of pocket to get home.

Since then, Giantisco and Marton have tried to get a refund. After submitting their request, United Airlines gave the couple $82 for clothes they purchased after their luggage was lost and told them that Lufthansa was responsible for the rest.

Finally, in October, they thought the whole ordeal might be over when they received an email from Lufthansa stating they would get a refund for their flight between Munich and New Jersey.

Five months have gone by, and the couple said they've yet to receive anything from Lufthansa, though Giantisco did receive 44,000 miles from United — valued at $528, according to Nerd Wallet — a week after BI reached out to the airline for comment on March 11. Marton hasn't received any miles or money.

Lufthansa did not respond to a request for comment.

"More than anything, we need the money we spent trying to get home at the last minute and being stuck in Munich," Giantisco said.

After traveling around Southeast Asia for two months last summer, the couple embarked on a trip back home to Lambertville, New Jersey.

They booked their return flight months in advance with United using miles. Their scheduled flight would take them on a United plane from Singapore to Munich. In Munich, they'd board United's partner airline, Lufthansa, for a flight home.

The couple made it to Germany and boarded their connecting flight. But bad weather delayed the departure. When the crew timed out, the flight was canceled.

At the time, Giantisco remembers thinking they'd easily be rebooked on the next flight to New Jersey.

They contacted Lufthansa's customer service department, where a representative told them the next available flight wasn't for two days. The couple agreed to the rebooking since that was the only option offered.

That's when trouble started. Later, when the couple opened their Lufthansa and United accounts, there weren't any upcoming reservations.

Giantisco called United, and a representative attempted to rebook them on two separate flights home — different from