For many years, I have advocated for consumers who have a dispute with a German airline or whose travel with another airline falls under German jurisdiction to use the SÖP ombudsman office for case resolution.

Now, there has been a name change of this office, and some might argue a simplification for non-native German speakers, from "Schlichtungsstelle für öffentlichen Personenverkehr" to "Schlichtungsstelle Reise & Verkehr".

You can find the new website of the Schlichtungsstelle Reise & Verkehr here.

We get a lot of reader emails about issues with flights to/from/via Germany and this is a very efficient, FREE way to get a dispute resolved with legal input without having to hire your own attorney.

It's often recommended to use a mediation process instead of giving the case to an attorney or one of the claim services, since those take a cut of the compensation due, while mediation is free.

We have featured several successful cases over the years that the German Ombudsman SÖP mediated (access their website here) and have recommended the service to many of our readers when they ran into issues, especially with Germany-based Airlines Lufthansa & the now long defunct Air Berlin or cases where the claimant has a connection to Germany be it as a resident or if the flight ended/originated there.

As of last year, I have filed several cases myself, including against Lufthansa and also Air Canada, as I documented in a previous article:

Complaints that reached us include lots of declines and non-responsiveness related to issues filed with airlines that are clear-cut based on the Montreal Convention (baggage) and EC261/2004 regulations (Delays/Cancellations), and unfortunately, it appears that most airlines these days prefer to sit out legitimate passenger complaints rather than paying out.

The key for the SRV Ombudsman is that the airline in question has to participate in the mediation scheme, which is the case with Air Canada, Lufthansa, and a range of others. Participation in the program is voluntary, and if the airline hasn't signed up for it, then there is no other choice but to hire an attorney on your own.

Filing a case is relatively easy and usually takes me less than 15 minutes as I try to have all documents ready to upload. The case is then created, and an administrator will accept it within a week if everything is ok.

You can pick your topic and then file the case as appropriate:

The agency will then send the case off to the airline in question and see what they have to say. Oftentimes they answer promptly and accept the case as well as provide compensation (as in my previous case).

However, if the airline refuses, it will return to the agency, which must study the case based on the law. The process will go back and forth, just like when you consult an attorney. This would take considerable time, depending on the current backlog, but eventually, it will get done.

One thing to consider if you decide to give your case to the ombudsman or an attorney is that the SOP can't go to court for you, so if legal proceedings are required to resolve the case, you still have to get an attorney and file a lawsuit against the carrier.

Usually, this won't be necessary, though, as I mentioned, participation in the mediation scheme is voluntary, and the airlines signed up as they have an interest in avoiding disputes in court. As such, they typically accept the ombudsman's legal analysis and recommendation.

You need to have at least some reason to file this case with the SOP. If the flights didn't touch German soil like in my case, at least be German or live in Germany to provide some German address.

U.S. customers can also file a complaint with the Department of Transportation, but keep in mind that they aren't a mediation agency and have no enforcement power to resolve your complaint.

The benefits of mediation are clear: There is no financial risk and no cost for attorneys, etc. The downside is that it might take a lot of time depending on the case, the airline and the backlog of the agency.

Conclusion

I often decide to involve the SOP Ombudsman in Germany, an agency that mediates cases between consumers and airlines participating in the voluntary scheme. Now there has been a name change of this agency to SRV (Schlichtungsstelle Reise & Verkehr) and there is a new website as well.

During my last case, Air Canada's German office responded positively within just a few days, offering a $1000 voucher and 257 Euro cash reimbursement for expenses, which I accepted.

The essence of this story is not to let the airline get away with buffing you off. Find a mediation agency, ombudsman, or attorney to resolve the case. You could also proceed on your own in Small Claims Court.

German Travel Ombudsman Office SÖP Changes Name to "Schlichtungsstelle Reise & Verkehr" (SRV)