All is not well with Germanwings, with a strike in the offing from the Vereinigung Cockpit Union tomorrow.
Germanwings Airbus A319 taxing at Heathrow – Image GhettoIFE
The strike is over pilots who want the airline to maintain its current retirement benefits – where they can retire early at 55 and continue to receive some of their wages. Germanwings owners – Lufthansa – wish to withdraw this benefit. In addition, Lufthansa wishes to raise the retirement age from 59 to 65.
The strike will run from 6am to Midday (06:00 to 12:00 CET), for flights operated by Germanwings. Flights operated by Eurowings are unaffected.
The bad news is that the Germanwings flight schedule is in bits with both German domestic and international services affected.
Some flights have been rescheduled, with the new flights searchable at https://www.germanwings.com/skysales/FlightStatus.aspx?culture=en-GB. The strike will have a considerable impact on flight operations to and from Germany and on domestic German connections.
If you are hit by the strike, you can rebook or cancel your ticket. German domestic flyers can choose to take the train, but Germanwings will only refund you to the value of your ticket.
As always, check before you fly.
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