Lufthansa strike

[Thyme2cruise]

Just got our documents for our Dec. 4 Vantage Christmas Markets on the Danube featuring Prague. Can't believe its less than 4 weeks away. Now I see on my home page Lufthansa flight attendants are on strike. Has anyone dealt with airline strikes so close to their cruises? Does Vantage take care of rescheudling or changing airlines? (We booked our travel through Vantage.) Am I panicking too soon? I've been reading all the CC comments about water levels and ship swaps and bus rides, and I'm ok with all that and am ready to roll with the punches but now I'm thinking I may not even get there.....:confused:

[Host Jazzbeau]

News reports had said this was going to be a 7-day strike, so hopefully they will come back to work before your cruise. Even without a contract -- they don't want to drive the airline into bankruptcy.

[Jane361]

Don't worry. I think their strikes only last a few days. They had one when I was in n Italy last year and I was to fly home using them. I had used my United FF miles to book my flights so I contacted United while in Italy and immediately was assigned flights on just United--even better connections than on Lufthansa.

[Aquaphile]

I just read an article in Forbes that says the strike is scheduled for a week, at various airports, unless they reach a settlement before then. This would be until November 13.

 

We fly to Frankfort on United on the 14th, and from there to Nuremberg on Lufthansa on the 15th. The return home is all Lufthansa. So I'll be watching this closely, along with the water levels. I'm so glad I found this forum, so I can be mentally prepared for all this. Whatever happens, we'll be in Germany eventually, which I've wanted to visit since high school, so I'm still very excited! Only one week to go!

[JVilleGal]

Don't panic! Just pack :)

[steamboats]

I just read the latest announcements by LH and they state that as for today almost all flights will operate as scheduled. Only a few have to be cancelled due to "the plane is not where it should be" reasons. Not sure what the flight attendants are planning for the rest of the week... Unfortunately they do announce their actions on a more last minute basis.

 

steamboats

[Piccolopower]

We are aboard a Viking ship now on the Rhine (The Netherlands). The CD has already addressed the issue and indicated that the flights that were arranged by Viking will go as scheduled. We're on Delta but we have new friends who are biting their nails. The front desk told me that Lufthansa goes on strike 5-7 times per year, and that they are used to it. Hmmmm.

[Thyme2cruise]

Thank you everyone! I will stay positive. I will keep my fingers & toes crossed. I will pray for a swift settlement for the strike. AND I will do a rain dance to raise river levels!!!

[Hydrokitty]

Thank you everyone! I will stay positive. I will keep my fingers & toes crossed. I will pray for a swift settlement for the strike. AND I will do a rain dance to raise river levels!!!

 

I usually always fly LH and this is what I've learned:

1. These strikes have been going on for several years now;

2. They're not really strikes as much as job actions;

3. They don't affect all flights or all airports but stagger airports; (today Frankfort....tomorrow Munich...next day Berlin)

4. They don't usually impact overseas travel....of course if you're flying from one European airport to another before you fly to US you could very well be affected.

 

Here's what happened when we were coming home from Russia....3 years ago, same "strike".. Our flight from St. Petersburg to Frankfort was delayed 4 hours, causing us to miss our NYC connection. As we approached Frankfort the cabin attendants announced that several US flights had also been delayed 4-6 hours and people scheduled for them would be going out that same day. Those of us who missed our US flight were already booked on the next day's flight; had hotel reservations and meal vouchers for dinner and b-fast already prepared and awaiting pick-up at a special customer service desk set up just for us. (there were a lot of us) and LH agents met the plane, walked us through passport control, escorted us to customer service and arranged for either a telephone call or internet service to notify people meeting the plane.

 

So, as J'ville Gal put it...."don't panic, just pack".....you might be delayed but it's not like when US airlines strike and nobody goes anywhere. Hang in there and try not to let the stress get to you....I know, that's easier said than done.

Edited November 10, 2015 by Hydrokitty

[janetcbl]

According to Lufthansa, "all flights from Germany would be affected from 0300 GMT Wednesday until Midnight Friday". I have not seen a further statement of that comment from any oth r news release.

[Hydrokitty]

According to Lufthansa, "all flights from Germany would be affected from 0300 GMT Wednesday until Midnight Friday". I have not seen a further statement of that comment from any oth r news release.

 

I just checked flight status at JFK and some are cancelled while others are not. I don't understand their system of "strike" it's certainly not the same as ours. OTOH,the cabin attendants seem to be trying to make a point without bankrupting the airline. This has been going on since 2013 and still hasn't been resolved.

[Kenster]

We are aboard a Viking ship now on the Rhine (The Netherlands). The CD has already addressed the issue and indicated that the flights that were arranged by Viking will go as scheduled. .

 

That's a silly thing to promise. If the airline is shut down due to strike, being booked on the flight by Viking isn't going to amount to a hill of beans. Too much like the way Viking keeps promising that all their cruises are running as scheduled and omitting the facts that people are having to swap ships, sometimes TWICE.

[janetcbl]

I just checked flight status at JFK and some are cancelled while others are not. I don't understand their system of "strike" it's certainly not the same as ours. OTOH,the cabin attendants seem to be trying to make a point without bankrupting the airline. This has been going on since 2013 and still hasn't been resolved.

 

Really different system with some of the European airlines....this time Lufthansa will try to strike when it won't interfere with tourist plans...who knows. SAS use to strike for period of time, one union at a time.....when the pilots struck they didn't fly, but when the baker's who made the hot rolls struck, SAS flew....and kept apologizing for the lack of warm rolls during the entire trip....different times, different systems...just have to roll with it😏

[Hydrokitty]

Really different system with some of the European airlines....this time Lufthansa will try to strike when it won't interfere with tourist plans...who knows. SAS use to strike for period of time, one union at a time.....when the pilots struck they didn't fly, but when the baker's who made the hot rolls struck, SAS flew....and kept apologizing for the lack of warm rolls during the entire trip....different times, different systems...just have to roll with it😏

 

Love the pun!!! you have the right attitude for travel, Janet....you control the things you can and the rest is out of your hands anyway.

[Thyme2cruise]

Thank you Hydrokitty! At this point I'm not stressed just excited. My stepmom & I were to cruise last year on the Rhine but had to reschedule because my stepmom's retina detached & she couldn't fly. So I've been anticipating this trip for a. Long.time.

[Hydrokitty]

Thank you Hydrokitty! At this point I'm not stressed just excited. My stepmom & I were to cruise last year on the Rhine but had to reschedule because my stepmom's retina detached & she couldn't fly. So I've been anticipating this trip for a. Long.time.

 

I can relate to that....DH had detached retinas in both eyes.....40 years ago...before laser surgery...and he's fine now. Glad your stepmom's well enough to still travel!!