Late this week is going to be rough for aviation in Germany, as Lufthansa’s ground staff are going on strike for the third time in recent weeks.
In this post:
Lufthansa ground staff are going on strike
Verdi is the trade union representing Lufthansa ground staff across Germany, including at Lufthansa, Lufthansa Technik, and Lufthansa Cargo. The union is calling on a strike this week, which is so far confirmed to last for 51 hours. It will go from 4AM on Thursday, March 7, 2024, until 7:10AM on Saturday, March 9, 2024.
This will be the union’s third strike in a matter of weeks, as the same workers previously went on strike for 27 hours around Wednesday, February 8, 2024, and for 35 hours around Tuesday, February 20, 2024. As you can tell, the strikes keep getting longer, and there’s no sign of them ending.
This strike comes as 25,000 Lufthansa ground staff are requesting higher pay, to keep up with inflation and the cost of living. It’s also being argued that due to perpetual staff shortages, workers have more work than ever before, and should be compensated accordingly. The union is requesting wage increases of around 12.5% for all ground staff, in addition to a one-time payment of €3,000 to offset inflation.
Prior to the two strikes in February, the same staff previously went on strike in July 2022, during the last round of negotiations. That caused major travel disruptions, though that was also during a peak summer travel period when airlines had even more staffing issues across the board.
Expect Lufthansa to cancel 80-90% of its flights
During the last two strikes, Lufthansa only operated 10-20% of its entire schedule over those periods. You can expect that the situation will be the same this time around, so see Lufthansa’s travel disruptions page for all of the latest flight schedule changes.
Passengers impacted by flight cancelations will be informed by email or via the Lufthansa app. Lufthansa is telling passengers to only come to the airport if their flight hasn’t been canceled. Given the purpose of the strike, the rebooking counters at the airport won’t be staffed.
So the only options for rebooking flights are either through the Lufthansa website or app, or via the call center, though I imagine the call center will have very long hold times. If you have a domestic German ticket, you can also convert your ticket into a rail voucher on lufthansa.com.
Bottom line
Lufthansa’s ground staff are going on a 51-hour strike starting Thursday morning until Saturday morning, which will cause a lot of flight cancelations. Lufthansa will cancel 80-90% of its flights during this period, and you can expect the impacts of this will extend beyond the strike period. If you’re expected to fly Lufthansa later this week, get ready to make other plans…
Are any OMAAT readers impacted by this Lufthansa strike in Germany?
I know my comment is a few days after this post, and not one might see it. But I would like some advice. I have a flight from Atlanta to Frankfurt on March 19th. On March 20 I have a separate flight from Frankfurt to Skopje. I am concerned that Lufthansa will call a strike on March 20 and all of my tight arrangements will cause big problems for me. What are my options? I...
I know my comment is a few days after this post, and not one might see it. But I would like some advice. I have a flight from Atlanta to Frankfurt on March 19th. On March 20 I have a separate flight from Frankfurt to Skopje. I am concerned that Lufthansa will call a strike on March 20 and all of my tight arrangements will cause big problems for me. What are my options? I REALLY need to get to Skopje on March 20 to start a complicated trip. Should I cancel my flight and arrange something else? I am using an AF award ticket to FRA, but flying Lufthansa to SKP. Thank you!
On the plus side, LH is very willing to put folks onto other carriers, even competitors. Just find a route that works and give them a call and get moved over. Over these three strikes I've rebooked dozens of reservations for clients.
That’s good to know (I’m assuming no problem even if 3 business class tickets)! Do you know when the next strike is scheduled (flying them Mar 28)?
if no resolution, what are the dates of the next strike?
This cannot be! SkyTrax assured me they are a genuine certified FIVE STAR airline!
It seems as if every time Lufthansa is in the news, it's either because of a strike or yet another Allegris delay. And I've been hearing about both a lot in the past year.
people should know their rights here. I believe they are entitled for EC261 compensation because it is a strike caused by LH union, not air traffic control. Plus LH must provide hotel and food if the new schedule required an overnight stay. LH also must put passengers on other airlines such as BA and KLM/AF if their flights are available on the scheduled day (plus compensation if the alternative flight arrives late in accordance with...
people should know their rights here. I believe they are entitled for EC261 compensation because it is a strike caused by LH union, not air traffic control. Plus LH must provide hotel and food if the new schedule required an overnight stay. LH also must put passengers on other airlines such as BA and KLM/AF if their flights are available on the scheduled day (plus compensation if the alternative flight arrives late in accordance with EC261). I wish Lucky covered this part in the post as well.
Based on the past two strikes: I received compensation within days.
LH was very reluctant to book me on LOT. That did take quite some negotiations. They tried to book me on a next day flight. (Not sure why: paying some money to LOT must still be cheaper than hotel and expenses).
Anyway: what I do not understand is why it takes LH more than half a day to block all award tickets and...
Based on the past two strikes: I received compensation within days.
LH was very reluctant to book me on LOT. That did take quite some negotiations. They tried to book me on a next day flight. (Not sure why: paying some money to LOT must still be cheaper than hotel and expenses).
Anyway: what I do not understand is why it takes LH more than half a day to block all award tickets and flexible tickets. I am sure there are plenty of people specifically booking flights now just for the compensation. It’s just an obvious loophole.
LH has been very reluctant to rebook on other airlines in the past for me too. Previously when this happened to be the only options LH has given me is to change for the exact same routing on a different day or cancel, and I have to call in to get someone to rebook me on a different airline with me spoonfeeding them the route they want. IME they haven't even offered UA metal on...
LH has been very reluctant to rebook on other airlines in the past for me too. Previously when this happened to be the only options LH has given me is to change for the exact same routing on a different day or cancel, and I have to call in to get someone to rebook me on a different airline with me spoonfeeding them the route they want. IME they haven't even offered UA metal on the same route when it was available without me asking.
Also, Deutsche Bahn is going on strike on Thu and Fri so trains might not be an option.
Ah, Europe, quo vadis...
no wonder Air France/KLM had so much improvement in their most recent financial results. Booking LH is simply too risky for anyone that wants any certainty in their travel plans
What a mess. Reminds me of BA in the 70s when it stood for "Bloody Awful."
Between its own employees and airport employees, how many strikes have affected LH over the past year or so?
And to make things worse, the locomotive drivers for the German Railways (Deutsche Bahn) will be striking as well on Thursday and Friday.
Starts to feel like France here.
And here comes my question: is it morally okay to book a United award from Munich to Frankfurt on Thursday morning and a return in the evening on a separate ticket?
Chances of a cancellation are 99% and you’re eligible for the compensation. Lufthansa is paying quite quickly nowadays.
Risks: moneywise, there is no cancellation fee. As long as you do not exaggerate it I doubt that you’re mileageplus account will be closed.
@Klaus_S no, I would say it isn't, but I am sure people will try to justify it any way they can.
LOL, no - you are not eligible for compensation.
Did you finish high school yet !
Actually one is entitled for compensation. Since the strike is caused by LH employees, compensation plus Hotel will be paid.
I still see many open flights that could be booked and are wondering why LH is not closing this loop hole.
Actually one is entitled for compensation. Since the strike is caused by LH employees, compensation plus Hotel will be paid.
I still see many open flights that could be booked and are wondering why LH is not closing this loop hole.
and additionally train conductors are also going on strike on Thursday... so the rail voucher is not an alternative on Thursday.