- Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cargo departures at German airports are affected
- 800 flights will be canceled tomorrow, Friday 2 September
- Massive impact on flight operations in the middle of return season at the end of summer holidays in Germany and other European countries
- Eurowings and Eurowings Discover flights are not affected
The strike announced by the pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) for Friday 2 September in the period from 00:01 to 23:59 hrs. (Central European Time) will have a massive impact on flight operations – in the middle of the main return travel period at the end of the school holidays in Germany and other European countries. Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cargo departures at German airports are affected.
Lufthansa has to cancel 800 flights at its hubs in Frankfurt and Munich for Friday, with single flights also being canceled as early as today, Thursday 1 September. An estimated 130,000 passengers will be affected, in view of the upcoming weekend, the end of the holidays in some parts of Europe. Lufthansa is working with joint forces to return its flight operations to normal status as quickly as possible. Nevertheless, the effects of the strike may still lead to individual flight cancellations or delays this Saturday and Sunday.
Eurowings and Eurowings Discover are not affected by the strike call and are scheduled to operate as planned. Passengers affected by cancellations will be informed immediately today and rebooked on alternative flights if possible.
Lufthansa Offer to Pilot
“We cannot understand VC’s call for a strike. The management has made a very good and socially balanced offer – despite the continuing burdens of the Covid crisis and uncertain prospects for the global economy. This escalation comes at the expense of many thousands of customers.”
Michael Niggemann, Chief Human Resources Officer and Labor Director of Deutsche Lufthansa AG
Lufthansa Group has presented an offer with an 18-month term, in which pilots at Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cargo will receive a total of 900 euros more in basic pay per month in two stages. An entry-level co-pilot will receive more than 18 percent additional basic pay over the duration of the agreement, while a captain in the final stage will receive five percent.
Know Your Rights
In case you have travel insurance yourself or through a credit card this might be the time to consult the fine print and see how it would cover you in case of trip interruption or cancellation. Be aware that many insurance providers might consider a strike as force majeure.
The European Regulation EC261 rule is a legislation that requires airlines such as Lufthansa to compensate passengers in the event of:
- Denied boarding
- Flight cancellation
- Long delay of flights (three or more hours)
Under EC261 you may be eligible for compensation up to EUR 600 if your flight is delayed by more than 3 hours or gets canceled. AirHelp helps air passengers around the world secure compensation for delayed, canceled, or overbooked flights.
How to File a Claim?
AirHelp can help you if you have a flight disruption within the EU (on any airline), leaving the EU (on any airline) or arriving into EU (on a EU airline).
AirHelp can help you to determine whether you’re eligible for compensation and claims through the easy 1-2-3 steps on their website.
My husband and I were scheduled to fly from Cincinnati/Northern KY Airport to Barcelona on September 1 -2, 2022. When we got to the airport we were informed that due to the anticipated Lufthansa pilot strike on Sept 2, all of our flights (3) had either been cancelled or deleted. The flights were part if a cruise package. After hours at the airport and on the phone, we finally purchased new tickets through Delta, which cost more than $3700, and left the following day. I am trying to complete a claim form for our travel insurance to be compensated for this additional expense. However, they are asking for documentation from the airline regarding the cancellation of our flights. I contacted Lufthansa’s customer service department and they told me to send an e-mail. I sent an e-mail and a few days later, was directed to a website to complete a form. I completed the form and and received an e-mail saying it could take 8 weeks to get a response. That would put me past the timely filing limit for the travel insurance. How can I get the information I need to be reimbursed for the new tickets. I would appreciate any tips, as I do not feel like I am getting anywhere.