The Verdi services union has called on Lufthansa ground staff to go on warning strike. Delays, flight cancellations and chaos at German airports are threatening from early Wednesday morning. If you want to fly on vacation in the coming days, you should bring strong nerves - and know your own rights. An overview:
When is there compensation?
Whether or not there is compensation in the event of a strike depends on who exactly took the industrial action. Because: If the employees of a service provider at the airport do not strike, but instead, for example, the employees of a service provider, the airline can invoke "extraordinary circumstances" and refuse compensation under the European Air Passenger Rights Regulation. On the other hand, if your own employees go on strike because they want to get a higher salary or better working hours, for example, this is not an "extraordinary circumstance" - the right to compensation remains.
If the delay is more than three hours, travelers can claim compensation of up to 600 euros. According to the managing director of the arbitration board for public transport (SÖP), Sabine Cofalla, it is unclear whether there will be any compensation in the current strike. The decisive factor is whether or not the responsible ground staff is employed by Lufthansa itself. "We would have to examine each individual case as to exactly what kind of staff was deployed," says Cofalla. She advises travelers to document all details on the day of travel - for example, saving communication with the airline and photographing display boards at the airport.
What alternatives are there?
If the delay is more than three hours, travelers are entitled to alternative transport to their destination. For example, the airlines have to rebook holidaymakers on another flight. For flights within Germany, a delayed or canceled flight can also be replaced with a train ticket. If the flight is delayed more than five hours due to the strike, the full ticket price will be refunded. If travelers also have to wait a long time for an alternative travel option, the airlines must also provide accommodation and the corresponding transport.
If the delay is two hours or more and the travel distance is at least 1500 kilometers, food and drink must also be made available to passengers at the airport. The airlines must also give travelers the opportunity to contact family, colleagues or acquaintances: holidaymakers must be given the opportunity to make at least two phone calls or alternatively send two e-mails.
What to do in case of a strike?
Anyone who is affected by the consequences of the strike next Wednesday or on one of the following days should have the delay and the reason for the delay confirmed in writing by the airline. If the airline does not act on its own initiative, travelers should insist on the replacement services and keep the receipts if costs are incurred. Travelers should also actively inquire with the airline about possible replacement transportation. For this, passengers should give the airline a period of three hours after the originally planned departure time.
In the case of canceled domestic flights, it can be worth switching to the train for the journey. Travelers can also book their train ticket themselves, but should make sure that the train ticket price is not higher than the original price of the flight - otherwise they may be left with the difference. In any case, the same applies here: Receipts should be kept and presented to the airline for reimbursement as soon as possible.
