The trouble between the UFO Union and Lufthansa deepens with an estimated 1200 flights now up for the chop in the current wave of industrial action.
With 80% of cabin crew now striking, this is putting Lufthansa in a position where it has to rely on codeshares, regional partners and its sister airlines to support it (Austrian, Swiss and to a point – Brussels Airlines).
The current strike is for 24 hours and kicked off at 00:00 CET (07/09/2012), with a cancellation list as long as your arm – see http://www.lufthansa.com/online/portal/lh/de/info_and_services/irregularities/canceled_flights?nodeid=3494927&l=en&cid=18002
The cancellations run into the entirety of Friday, with a knock-on into Saturday already listed
As usual, rebooking has already opened as well as refunds or a switch to DB if you’re travelling domesticly in Germany – see http://www.lufthansa.com/de/en/Travel-information
It goes without saying – if you’re booked on a Lufthansa operated flight, check before you travel.
As to a sign of this ending…. Don’t hold you breath. UFO wanted to send a message to Lufthansa management, whilst management thinks the action is disproportionate whilst the airline not anticipated a movement of this scale.
Hopefully this will be enough to bash both heads together… but I have my doubts.
I have a return connecting flight through FRA in a couple of weeks from now. Have been holding on rebooking in the hope they will have it sorted by then. Perhaps better not to take the risk and just rebook my flight now on another carrier.
Hopefully that will be enough time for both LH and the union to bang their heads together to sort this. LH has ran 4 out of 7 days (with disruptions on all of them) – and appear to be getting people to places.
Personally, I’d be checking my travel insurance and seeing what space is available where rather than rocking up on the day and “hoping” the flight will be operating. On short haul legs, I’d be looking at rebooking. Longer Haul… hopefully the partners should look after you.
Although knowing what we know is the airline industry…
Although I’m affected as well, I have sympathy for the union’s actions. At some point, enough is enough regarding cost cutting measures by a management that is both demotivating, and not listening to, its employees.
When I see how the big wigs treat their best customers (e.g. incessantly devaluing the milesandmore programme), I don’t even want to imagine how they treat their core asset i.e. their employees.