The warning strike by Lufthansa ground staff again led to numerous flight cancellations and delays at German airports on Tuesday. Operations are now running again, but there are still restrictions on air traffic. We tell you what rights passengers have in the event of delays and flight cancellations.
The airline usually informs passengers in good time if a flight is canceled. However, in the event of a strike, the flight may unexpectedly be canceled. That’s why it’s worth proactively approaching your airline and finding out more. The easiest way is to call the airline’s hotline, but sometimes the information is also available on the website. If you have booked a package holiday, it is best to contact your tour operator.
According to EU regulations, travelers are entitled to compensation if the flight is delayed by more than three hours. The amount depends on the length of the planned flight route and ranges between 250 euros for short-haul flights and 600 euros for long-haul flights. The claim must be made to the respective airline or tour operator. However, the regulation only applies if the airline’s employees themselves go on strike – and not the airport or security staff.
If the planned flight is completely canceled due to a strike or is delayed by more than five hours, passengers generally have two options. On the one hand, you can request a replacement flight from the airline. However, it is important to note that the new flight may not take off until after the strike. In addition, airlines can only offer this based on availability. This means: It could be difficult to get a timely replacement flight, especially in peak season.
If these are short-distance destinations, there is also the option of taking the train instead. However, passengers should not book a train on their own, but rather discuss this option with their airline. This is also possible at the airline ticket counter. Depending on how long the waiting time is before onward travel, passengers are also entitled to free drinks and meals and possibly hotel accommodation.
Alternatively, passengers can skip the flight completely. In this case, the airline must refund the flight price within seven days. By the way: A voucher as a refund is only valid if the passenger clearly agrees. In the case of a package tour, the tour operator is also the first point of contact in this case.
The EU Air Passenger Rights Regulation distinguishes between two causes for delays and flight cancellations. If the airline itself is involved, including a strike by ground staff or pilots, then it is also responsible for compensation. However, if she was unable to do anything about the cause, then it is called “extraordinary circumstances”. This also includes a strike by security staff at the airport. In this case, passengers still have the right to a replacement flight or to cancel the canceled flight free of charge – but not to a compensation payment.
If it is not the airline itself that goes on strike, but rather the airport security staff, the situation for passengers changes. It can then happen that passengers take too long to go through security checks due to the lack of staff at the airport and therefore miss their flight. In this case, according to the consumer advice center, you can only try to claim compensation from the state. Because the security personnel belong to the federal police and therefore to the state. If you have booked a package holiday, you can also have a replacement flight organized through your tour operator. In this case, the organizer is responsible for ensuring that the traveler arrives at his destination.
