Lufthansa crew strike October 2019: Will I be affected and can I claim compensation?
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Germany’s biggest airline has recently been in dispute with members of their staff over pay rises. Lufthansa’s crew and staff have confirmed that strikes will take place on the 20th of October 2019. The German cabin crew union, UFO, has urged members to initiate a 5-hour industrial action during the hours of 4:00 am – 09:00 am (GMT).
Lufthansa has branded the planned strike illegal and claimed they have taken all measures possible to keep flight delays and cancellations to a minimum.
Lufthansa strike: What is the staff hoping to achieve
The airline recently was obliged to make budget cuts due to increasing competition and rising fuel prices. In light of this matter, other smaller airlines have already struggled and others have even gone into administration, Thomas Cook for example.
Flohr, a representative of the UFO, warned that other non-announced strikes, throughout the next few weeks, may take place. The union demands an increase of 1.8% in pay. Furthermore, other smaller airlines that belong to Lufthansa Group (Lufthansa Cityline, Sunexpress and Eurowings) are also in conflict with their respective workers over pay as well as part-time work and pension plans.
Is your flight affected by the Lufthansa strike? Follow our recommendations
- Hold on to all your important travel documents (booking confirmation, boarding pass etc.)
- Request an official delay or cancellation statement from the airline
- Keep all receipts for all your expenses that you have had in connection to your flight delay or cancellation.
- Keep the notification received from the airline regarding your flight disruption
- If you have booked your own replacement flight, make sure to keep the receipt of the new flight you have booked
What are my rights if my flight has been affected by a strike?
If your flight schedule has been disrupted due to a strike then you are protected under Regulation EC No 261/2004. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has stated previously that industrial actions are not to be considered an extraordinary circumstance in every case. This means that if your flight has been delayed or cancelled because of a crew strike you may be entitled to compensation.
Regardless of if your flight grants you the right to be compensated compensation, you are entitled to care from the airline. This should be offered to you in the form of:
- Meals and refreshments
- Means of communication (phone call, email etc.)
- Hotel accommodation in case of an overnight stay
- Refund for all expenses that have occurred due to the strike (keep all receipts)
Flight cancelled due to the strike
If your flight has been cancelled you are entitled to a full refund of the ticket if you’ve decided not to fly with the airline anymore or if they have not offered you a replacement flight. This would be additional to the compensation you may be entitled to.
If you have been notified of your flight’s disruption less than 14 days prior to the departure day, you may also be entitled to receive monetary compensation of up to €600 (around £530). Conditions apply so check your flight for free with our claim calculator to find out if you have the right to claim compensation.
Lufthansa flight delayed because of industrial action
You may be entitled to receive compensation if you have arrived at your final destination with a delay greater than 3 hours. Your rights are covered even if you’ve missed a connecting flight due to a shorter delay when departing from the EU. Make sure to learn if you can claim compensation for your delay.
After checking your flight, you can submit your claim under our no win, no fee basis and our team will quickly assess your case and inform you if we can proceed to claim your compensation. The best of all is that our 25% win fee covers all possible legal costs associated with claiming your compensation! Even if we have to go to court for it.
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