Lufthansa strike: Passengers are entitled to these rights

In addition to the train drivers, airline staff are now also on strike: Lufthansa's ground staff are stopping their work from Thursday to Saturday morning following a call from the Verdi union. Passengers must prepare for cancellations and delays. The strike is part of a long-simmering labor dispute at Lufthansa.

In order to avoid uncertainty among travelers, passenger rights expert Nina Staub from AirHelp explains to passengers about their rights: “Many travelers from Germany will not be able to take their booked flights as planned from tomorrow. However, in the event of delays of more than three hours or cancellations, you are entitled to compensation of up to 600 euros. We at AirHelp made sure of this three years ago. In a legal dispute, we were able to convince the judges of the European Court of Justice that airlines are liable for announced and unannounced strikes by their staff and must compensate their customers accordingly in the event of problems. Since in this case the ground staff themselves are on strike, the strike is the responsibility of the airline. Accordingly, affected passengers are entitled to compensation.”

Staub adds: “Passengers affected by flight cancellations are entitled to alternative transport or a full refund of the flight price. As a rule, airlines offer rebooking to an alternative flight. Domestic flights can optionally be rebooked for a train ticket. If the airline does not act on its own initiative or is unable to offer suitable alternative transport, the affected passengers can find an alternative themselves and charge the airline the costs. In order to ensure reimbursement of their costs, affected passengers should under no circumstances change their bookings to buses, trains or other flights without consulting the airline.

If there is a delay of more than five hours or if the flight is transported at a later date, the airline is also obliged to refund the full ticket price. In the event of delays of more than two hours, the operating airline must provide meals and drinks to passengers at the airport. In addition, it must be possible to make two telephone calls or send two emails. If necessary, the airlines must also provide accommodation and enable transport there. In any case, it is advisable to request this benefit from the airline. We advise all passengers to retain each receipt in order to obtain reimbursement from airlines for the cost of food, refreshments, substitute travel and accommodation.”

Passengers have these rights according to EC 261

Flight cancellations and delays can entitle you to compensation payments of up to 600 euros per passenger. The amount of the compensation payment is calculated based on the length of the flight route. The legal right to compensation depends on the actual length of delay at the destination and the reason for the canceled or delayed flight. Affected passengers can enforce their claim for compensation retroactively, up to three years after their flight date.

Extraordinary circumstances such as storms or medical emergencies can result in the operating airline being released from the obligation to compensate. Both announced and unannounced strikes are not included.