Lufthansa strike on Friday April 10th

Passengers travelling with Lufthansa on Friday April 10th should be prepared for disruption. The cabin crew union UFO has announced strike action involving staff at both Lufthansa and Lufthansa CityLine.

Travellers flying via Frankfurt and Munich are likely to be affected in particular. In this article, we explain who is striking, which airports are expected to face disruption, and what rights passengers may have.

Frankfurt and Munich

The strike has been called by the independent cabin crew union UFO. At Lufthansa, all departing flights from Frankfurt and Munich are expected to be affected between 00:01 am and 10:00 pm on Friday April 10th.

Cabin crew at Lufthansa CityLine will also walk out on the same day at nine German airports, meaning delays and cancellations may also occur elsewhere in Germany.

Compensation of up to €600

If your flight is cancelled because of the strike, or if you arrive at your final destination more than three hours late, you may in principle be entitled to compensation.

The amount depends on the length of your journey: €250 for flights of up to 1,500 kilometers, €400 for flights within the EU over 1,500 kilometers and for other flights between 1,500 and 3,500 kilometers, and €600 for longer journeys.

As well as possible compensation, passengers are also entitled to care. This means the airline must provide food and drink during long delays and, where necessary, arrange hotel accommodation and transport to and from the hotel.

If you have to pay these costs yourself because the airline does not provide assistance, or does not do so in time, make sure you keep all receipts. These will be important if you later want to reclaim your expenses from the airline.

Why is Lufthansa facing strike action?

The strike follows a breakdown in negotiations between Lufthansa and UFO over a new collective labour agreement. According to the union, Lufthansa has for months failed to respond adequately to demands for more predictable rostering and longer notice periods.

At Lufthansa CityLine, there is also a dispute over a social plan for around 800 employees, as the subsidiary is being wound down. Reuters reported that 94% of the union members involved voted in favour of industrial action.

Lufthansa has described the strike as disproportionate and says lasting solutions can only be achieved through dialogue.