Lufthansa pilots are once again in a dispute with the company over pay and benefits and will be on strike tomorrow, September 2nd which is once again going to cause chaos for travelers.
Just weeks after the labor union ver.di paralysed Frankfurt and Munich Airport with a strike of their own problems are mounting for Lufthansa and their passengers with this new strike action.
Lufthansa Passengers can try to rebook their affected flights through the website or mobile app ChatBot or attempt to get a hold of someone on the phone but I’d expect phone lines to be overwhelmed once again.
This was just reported by German news (Tagesschau):
The next strike is imminent at Lufthansa: After the ground staff, the pilots want to go on strike this Friday. All Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cargo departures from Germany are said to be affected. Lufthansa pilots have decided to go on a day-long strike this Friday. All departures from Germany of the core company Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cargo are to be struck, as the union Cockpit (VC) announced.
The board of directors decided after intensive negotiations with the company and at the request of the collective bargaining committee, said a spokesman. Lufthansa is expected to draw up an emergency flight plan. In the morning, however, the company was not yet able to provide any information on the effects of the announced pilot strike on passengers.
The company said it would do everything possible to keep it as low as possible. Passengers are asked to keep themselves informed at www.lufthansa.com.
The pilots’ union has also prepared to strike at the largest Lufthansa subsidiary, Eurowings, with its around 100 aircraft. According to the ballot counted on Wednesday, 97.9 percent voted in favor of a possible labor dispute. However, there is still a negotiation date in the coming week, so that no specific strike date was initially given for Eurowings.
It seems that travelers in Germany can’t catch a breath. Someone is always on strike at Lufthansa or the airport personnel.
I can understand that pilots don’t like the whole bunch of different contracts in the group that are classifying themselves and their colleagues into different classes while at the end of the day, they have the same responsibilities and words for the same head company.
The branding theater at Lufthansa has become a joke. Is there any part of the operation left that hasn’t received its own company registration to squeeze another buck out of the employees and the taxman?
The strike will “massively” affect Lufthansa’s flights at its hubs of Frankfurt and Munich and most other German airports, including Düsseldorf, Cologne, Hamburg, and Berlin. As a result, expect the majority of flights to be canceled.
Lufthansa intends to publish an updated schedule later today (Thursday) and plans to offer to rebook affected passengers, but to what services? Most flights are going full, and there are few available seats on other airlines.
Remember that Lufthansa is required by law, EC 261/2004, to rebook affected passengers to their final destination at the earliest opportunity or offer refunds to those who wish not to travel. Also, they must provide care, i.e., accommodation, meals, and phone cards for those with long delays.
In the event of a cancellation of a domestic Lufthansa flight, you can convert your ticket into a Deutsche Bahn ticket free of charge. It is highly recommended to reserve a seat during the peak travel times if you are using an ICE or IC train for your journey. If you have a connecting flight from Frankfurt or Munich that is canceled, definitely refrain from traveling there by Deutsche Bahn railway.
Conclusion
Lufthansa pilots have voted for strike action again and this will get underway tomorrow on Friday September 2nd. It’s really sad what happened to this once very good airline that was known for efficiency and quality. Management and employees with their unions alike managed to completely destroy the brand in the last 10-12 years.
It’s a rough sell that someone with a 200,000 Euro + salary goes on strike. The ground staff earns a tenth of that, fine I can see their point. Pilot strikes haven’t gotten much support and sympathy in the past as customers see them living in an Ivory Tower and being out of touch.
