[Anonymous]

[AMcWhirter]

News just announced that Lufthansa cabin staff are threatening to strike for one week starting on November 6.

The strike is over retirement and pension benefits.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/11/02/lufthansa-strike-cabin-idUKF9N12L00520151102

http://www.dw.com/en/strikes-imminent-as-lufthansa-ufo-talks-fail/a-18819472

Of course, the situation may be resolved beforehnd (reports talk of a meeting on Thursday) but I am providing these details in case you have any plans to travel to, from or through Germany during this time.

Reports are saying that Eurowings flights will not be affected.

Another more detailed report in German language.

http://www.aero.de/news-22774/Lufthansa-Flugbegleiter-streiken-von-Freitag-bis-Freitag.html

[AnthonyDunn]

Can anyone remind me just how many LH strike days there have now been and just how long this exercise in throwing toys out of the pram has been going on? I, for one, have now lost count.

Owing to the complete lack of reliability around a LH booking, they’ve slid off the list.

[seasonedtraveller]

Same with me – as a regular passenger/customer I’ve just about had enough of LH and SAS strikes this year all of which have cost me in one way or another….. I’m just trying to do my job – why don’t you all do yours?

[LuganoPirate]

Thanks for the heads up Alex. I’m glad I’m flying Swiss on the 5th! Next LH longhaul is end of month so fingers crossed as it’s on the 748 which I’ve never flown and really want to.

Tend to agree with you Anthony.

[AMcWhirter]

Anthony – In recent times I can’t think of a cabin crew strike at Lufthansa.

But it’s reported in TheLocal.de that Lufthansa pilots have gone on strike 13 times since April 2014.

http://www.thelocal.de/20151102/lufthansa-faces-new-strikes-starting-friday

Here’s the latest Reuters report on the propsed strike later this week:

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/11/02/uk-lufthansa-strike-cabin-idUKKCN0SR1F720151102

[Charles-P]

In general I’m a supporter of LH and I probably fly with them more than any other airline but I have been looking at alternatives of late precisely because of this long running strike issue.

Having looked into the reasons for the strike I must say the union has no support from me whatsoever, they are trying to protect a series of working practices and benefits that are not sustainable in the current airline world and they increasingly remind me of the last days of the Fleet Street print unions who were still trying to defend their outdated world while the newspapers were simply walking away from them. I remember union leader Brenda Dean telling the media her response to Murdoch refusing to employ her members was to call a strike !

[AllOverTheGaff]

Oh joy, I’m flying with them on Friday to GIG.

🙁
Rgds.
AOTG.

PS Thanks for the heads-up.

[LuganoPirate]

Can’t help but think of SABENA where the various crews kept going on strike a different times to cause maximum inconvenience to passengers.

Look what happened to them!

[Charles-P]

Here in Belgium the SABENA bankruptcy is still discussed in business schools as an example of how not to run an airline. Particular criticism is reserved for retired politician Rik Daems who famously commented to the press at the time,

“SABENA exists to provide jobs, profit is secondary to that”

[LuganoPirate]

I’m afraid Charles that that is the mindset of many of the european unions!

[AllOverTheGaff]

So, I’ve taken the initiative and called Lufthansa to try and bring my flight forward to tomorrow given I don’t want to find out at 17:00 on Thursday evening that I am not flying at 12:30 the following day.

I get through to booking agent who listens to me and all she can talk about is the fare difference, I try explaining to her that the one and only reason I am changing is because of this threatened strike action. Her advice is to wait until tomorrow when they can re-book me free-of-charge. I retort that in fact I’ll be flying with someone else and they’ll lose the 7000 Euro fare entirely. She’s only again interested in quoting me the rule book so I ask to speak to manager.

Manager comes on after a 10 minute wait and quotes me the same nonsensical fare regulations and asks for a further 3000 Euro or so, I explain that someone in their office should apply some common sense on the basis that this strike action is so close to my flight. I spend quite some time chatting to her about this.

She puts me on hold to go speak to someone and they decide to waive the fare difference but, in essence, hold me to ransom for a £410.00 rebooking fee. No matter how many times I explain to her that I am only changing this booking, she sticks to her guns.

So, I’ve paid the £410.00 after some real forceful complaining and when I get back from Brazil I will dispute the charge with my CC provider.

This will also be my very last experience with Lufthansa, irrespective of how good their planes and service is.

Rgds.
AOTG.

[AnthonyDunn]

@AllOverTheGaff – 04/11/2015 13:39 GMT

An impressive display of teutonic flexibility…. Not.

[seasonedtraveller]

@AllOverTheGaff – 04/11/2015 13:39 GMT

Rarely does common sense prevail in these situations – I had exactly the same issue with SAS when they were on strike.

[AllOverTheGaff]

And now with the re-booking complete, I can see that there is ONE occupied seat in 1st class tomorrow to Rio.

Robbing moronic douchebags.

[Author]

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