Lufthansa to cancel almost all flights in Germany on Wednesday
Germany's flagship carrier Lufthansa is cutting almost its entire flight schedule in Frankfurt and Munich due to a mass walkout July 27.
The air giant has already axed 678 flights at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) and 345 flights at Munich Airport (MUC), according to Reuters, affecting 92,000 flyers and 42,000 flyers, respectively.
At the time of writing, FlightAware data shows 60% of Lufthansa's Wednesday flight schedule has been canceled. However, the exact figure could be much higher as the site currently lists only 520 cancellations, just more than half the number of cancellations currently reported.
If you think your vacation or work trip could be a victim, contact the airline and look at alternative plans while you can.
Lufthansa has said it will reach out to affected passengers to rebook them on alternative flights where possible, though the airline warned that "the capacities available for this are very limited."
The planned walkout involves employees in the logistical, technical and cargo subsidies of Lufthansa. Representatives for the Ver.di trade services union are looking for a 9.5% pay increase for members; they're currently in negotiations with Lufthansa, but they are still yet to strike a deal.
Related: British Airways workers call off Heathrow strike after accepting 8% pay increase
Michael Niggemann, Lufthansa's chief personnel officer, has questioned the timing of the action. "This so-called warning strike in the middle of the peak summer travel season is simply no longer proportionate," he stated.
The carrier has also told customers to expect extra holdups as these "warning strikes" are due to end in the early hours of Thursday morning; this means they could have a knock-on effect on operations — even extending into this weekend.
Even so, Lufthansa officials can't blame all delay and cancellation issues on unhappy workers joining the picket line for better pay. This month the carrier is cutting around 1,000 flights on Fridays and weekends to help ease the burden on its stretched cabin crew, ground team and airport staff.
The latest cuts will be particularly bad news for officials at FRA — Europe's sixth-busiest airport. The airport has seen plenty of delays and disruptions as passengers look to travel for the first restriction-free summer in over two years.
Strike action isn't limited to Lufthansa and is currently an industrywide problem. In recent months, unions have moved en masse to resolve issues with pay and work conditions, and airlines — for the most part — are listening.
Ryanair and easyJet cabin crews have both staged huge walkouts out across popular destinations such as Spain and Italy. Meanwhile, the SAS pilot strike continues to bring Scandinavian air traffic to its knees, and British Airways only avoided chaos at Heathrow Airport (LHR) this month by making a much-improved pay offer at the 11th hour — totaling a 13% increase for staff — and now faces the potential of a new pilot strike.
Bottom line
Even those without Lufthansa tickets should prepare for extra delays when traveling to or from Frankfurt or Munich in the coming days, as strike action could cause numerous knock-on effects for the airport.
This is because 100,000 air passengers whose flights were canceled must now scramble to rebook onto other services.
If you are one of the unlucky ones, Lufthansa staff members have a duty to rebook you on the next best available flight — even that of a rival operator if need be – so don't be quite so hasty taking that refund. Explore your options.
With rising strike action across Europe, click here to see how it affects your travel insurance.
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