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Travelers at the airport in Frankfurt am Main: is the plane coming?
Photo: Michael Probst/AP
The Ver.di union has called on Lufthansa ground staff to go on a 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.
Do I get compensation?
In the event of a
flight cancellation due to a strike or a delay of more than three hours, the airline must
offer travelers alternative transport to their destination,
according to the consumer advice center
.
But whether or not there is compensation in the event of a strike also depends on who exactly took the industrial action.
Because: If the employees of a service provider at the airport do not go on strike, but rather the employees of a service provider, the airline can invoke “extraordinary circumstances” and refuse compensation under the European Air Passenger Rights Regulation.
If, on the other hand, your own employees go on strike because they want to get a higher salary or better working hours, 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 look at each individual case to see exactly what kind of personnel was used," says Cofalla.
She advises travelers to document all details on the day of travel - such as saving communication with the airline and photographing display boards at the airport.
What compensation do I get?
If the
delay is two hours or more and the travel distance is at least 1500 kilometers,
food and drink
must be made available to passengers at the airport
.
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.
The airlines must also give travelers the opportunity to contact family, colleagues or acquaintances: holidaymakers must be able to make at least two phone calls or alternatively send two e-mails.
What about package tours?
In the case of package tours, the
tour operator
is the contact person and
is obliged
to take care of
alternative transport
.
According to the consumer advice center, travelers can reduce the travel price if the delay is more than five hours.
You should report the delay to the tour operator immediately.
According to travel lawyer Paul Degott, under certain circumstances a cancellation of the trip is conceivable - for example, if a short vacation is significantly shortened by the strike.
If the ground staff of an airline go on strike, as in this case, travelers also have the right to compensation payments under the EU Air Passenger Rights Regulation.
What do I have to pay attention to on site?
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 alternative 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.
ptz/AFP/dpa