Due to a warning strike by security personnel, Capital Airport BER around 200 departures canceled on Monday. About 27,000 passengers were affected, said an airport spokesman on Saturday. According to the spokesman, the extent to which incoming flights are also affected depends on the airlines. Passengers are asked to check flight status with their airline.
Verdi calls for a warning strike again
The Verdi union has called for a warning strike. Also at the airports Hamburg, Hanover and Bremen should the security personnel take part in the labor dispute. Verdi announced on Saturday that longer waiting times and even flight cancellations are to be expected.
According to the airport association ADV, a total of 351 departures are currently being cancelled. 45,000 passengers are directly affected. A total of almost 100,000 affected passengers can be expected, as flights from other airports will also be cancelled. The association criticized that travelers would once again become a pawn in the labor dispute and complained that the announcement had come at short notice. The passengers would hardly have a chance to look for alternatives.
You have these rights as a passenger
If you are affected by cancellations, you can assert EU passenger rights. According to the portal “Flight right“ you can claim the following against the airline:
- Supply at the airport: If you have to wait a long time at the airport, you are entitled to care in the form of drinks, meals, telephone calls and even hotel accommodation. The airline is also obliged to assist you at the airport and to pay for accommodation and transport if necessary.
- Damage payment: If airline staff go on strike, travelers can be entitled to 250 to 600 euros in compensation under the EU Air Passenger Rights Regulation.
- Delay or cancellation: In the event of a flight cancellation due to a strike or a delay of more than three hours, the airline must offer travelers alternative transport to their destination, for example by rebooking them on another flight. Within Germany there is also the option for a train ticket.
- Refund: If a flight is delayed more than five hours, travelers can return the ticket and ask for their money back. Handling fees may not be withheld by the airline either. If the ground staff of an airline go on strike, as in this case, travelers also have the right to compensation payments under the EU Air Passenger Rights Regulation.
The fact that airlines also have to pay compensation in the event of strikes was not taken for granted for a long time: Until an ECJ ruling in 2018, strikes could be classified as “extraordinary circumstances”. This means that the rules for reimbursement and compensation under EU passenger rights no longer apply. But since the ruling of the European Court of Justice, airlines have been obliged to pay financial compensation even in the event of strikes that they have provoked, for example, through a rigid austerity policy.
If your flight has been delayed or cancelled, you can request your rights from the airline. Most airlines have contact points at the airports. You can also cancel most lines via your personal customer portal, possibly with a refund. Compensations are usually processed via a separate area. The best way to do this is to search online for your airline name and “refund”.
What do I do if I have booked a package tour?
Package travelers must note the following: Here the tour operator is the contact person and has the obligation to take care of an alternative transport. Travelers can reduce the travel price if the delay is more than five hours. You should report the delay to the tour operator immediately.