Pilots and stewards of the German airline "Lufthansa" are on strike - this is causing serious delays and problems for travelers. Which flights are cancelled, why are the airline's employees on strike and what are the alternatives for those who need to travel?
Who is on strike, when and where
The "Lufthansa" pilots are on strike, as are the workers at "Lufthansa Cargo". The cabin crew union called for the strike - it affects both the parent company - "Lufthansa" and its subsidiary local airline CityLine. The airports in Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Bremen, Stuttgart, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Berlin and Hanover. The strike is expected to last until midnight today.
Which flights have been cancelled and what are the alternatives
"Lufthansa” did not specify the number of cancelled flights, but announced that they would be a large number. Affected passengers will receive a notification automatically. All of the airline's planes departing from Germany will be affected in some way. However, Eurowings and Discover will not strike.
The airline said that if a flight is cancelled, passengers can book a seat on another one that is not affected by the strike and will not be charged. Domestic flights in Germany will be replaced with train tickets.
What are the rights of passengers
If flights are cancelled or significantly delayed due to a strike, airlines must compensate their passengers. The amount of compensation can range from 250 to 600 euros. In addition, airlines must arrange alternative travel options as quickly as possible – via other airlines or connecting flights.
Passengers who decide not to fly with the alternative options can request a refund of the ticket price. At the airport, affected passengers are entitled to food, drinks and two free phone calls. In the event of a longer wait, the airline will also reimburse hotel costs.
Why is "Lufthansa” on strike?
The pilots are demanding higher pension contributions from their employer for approximately 4,800 employees. The cabin crew union is calling for negotiations on binding collective agreements, including a social plan, for employees of "Lufthansa” and its regional subsidiary Cityline, as around 800 jobs are at risk.
Under the slogans of "productivity" and "flexibility" "Lufthansa” is demanding a further deterioration of collective agreements, which would have a direct impact on workload and the already severely limited predictability of personal life, criticizes collective agreement expert from the cabin crew union Harry Jaeger.