Nothing works at BER Airport on Wednesday – all passenger flights are said to be canceled due to a warning strike. What does this mean for those affected?
Because of a warning strike at BER, no passenger planes will take off from the capital's airport on Wednesday (January 25). According to Berlin Brandenburg Airport, around 300 take-offs and landings are canceled – almost 35,000 passengers are affected.
What rights do you have in such a case? Travel lawyer Paul Degott explains:
... how you can still reach your goal
The airport company is asking affected passengers to contact their airline for information on rebooking and alternative travel options. Paul Degott also recommends this. "It's cheaper if you let the airline take care of a timely replacement transport," he says.
With the help of the airline, it might be possible to take the train to another airport and fly from there. For flights within Germany, the airlines often offer their customers train tickets to get to their destination.
Alternatively, travelers also have the right to have the money refunded in the event of a flight cancellation. But then they have to take care of themselves how to reach their goal. In the end, you often end up paying more and you also have the organizational effort.
... whether you are entitled to compensation
"The decisive factor is who is on strike," says Degott. According to the Verdi union, ground handling services, the airport company and aviation security are called on to go on warning strikes. The question, says Degott, is whether the services can be attributed to the airline's flight operations. "If that were the case, compensation claims would be considered."
The determines how high possible compensation is in the event of short-term cancellations. They are between 250 and 600 euros - depending on the distance to the destination and the time when the passengers were informed about the flight cancellation.
And what about in this case? With the ground staff, who are responsible for checking in passengers, among other things, claims can definitely be derived, says Degott.
"The airlines will stonewall and say that they have nothing to do with them - but that's not true, because they need them for handling." Even if the ground staff come from another service provider, they are acting on behalf of the airline and can certainly be considered airline staff, is his assessment.
Warning strikes by security staff and the airport company, who are also supposed to stop working at BER, are not likely to be attributed to the airline's area of risk.
Conclusion: There may be claims for compensation payments, but the case here is not absolutely clear.
... what if the package holiday starts late
"In the case of a package tour, the organizer is responsible," says Degott. For example, anyone who flies on vacation one day later due to the warning strike can reduce the travel price proportionately. That means you pay less for one day.
Helpful links for flight problems
