Winter is coming: Lufthansa latest airline to take an axe to seasonal schedule

You can bet there’s a lot of schadenfreude going around British Airways headquarters right now as Lufthansa is set to cancel a considerable chunk of its winter schedule.

Following BA’s decision to axe 10,000 flights this winter, Germany’s own flagship airline is now getting in on the act by planning to cut an as-yet-unspecified number of flights between October and March 2023.

Predominantly affecting passengers flying from its Frankfurt Airport (FRA) base, the airline said it's taking these steps to “offer passengers a reliable and predictable flight schedule.” The carrier said understaffing issues (both internally and at the airport) are the overriding reason for the cuts.

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Officials also warned of changes to timetables on remaining Lufthansa flights from October; this could be a way of ensuring that passengers from affected services will be shuffled onto alternative flights.

Much like BA, Lufthansa will primarily be swinging the axe on domestic and short-haul services. There is no word on the number of seats or existing passengers affected by the cuts, but they’re likely to represent a hefty part of Lufthansa’s operation between autumn and spring.

Related: Airport workers across Portugal could strike this month

Mass seasonal cancelations are certainly in vogue now — SAS Scandinavian Airlines announced it will axe up to 1,600 flights (4% of operations) from its fall schedule. It wouldn’t be a stretch of the imagination to see other major airlines joining the list as CEOs look to manage expectations during one of the most challenging periods for commercial aviation.

According to Travel Weekly, there has already been confusion among travel agents after Lufthansa customers received notice of flight cancelations despite the flights still showing as operational on agency booking systems.

To make matters worse, looming strike action continues to cloud the airline. Just this week, Lufthansa pilots rejected an improved wage offer and, as a result, they may stage a mass walkout in the coming weeks.

Related: Travel may be disrupted in Europe this summer on these dates, so plan accordingly

The pilots’ union VC claimed the most recent offer had shown progress but ultimately still fell short of demands. Demands include a 5.5% pay rise for this year and inflation compensation from next year.

If you find yourself hit by any form of cancelation in the near future — at Frankfurt, Heathrow or anywhere else, here are the strategies to ensure the hiccup doesn’t ruin your trip.