Mar 28, 2014, 7:06 am
Last edit by: warakorn
VC has announced a stike phase from 0am on 02APR14 till 11.59pm on 04APR14:
Expect massive advance cancellations. VC pilots only operate LH Mainline A32S, B737 and longhaul widebodies, so expect cancellations on such flights.
The current list of cancellations can be found here:
http://www.lufthansa.com/online/portal/lh/de/flight_services/cancelled_flights?nodeid=118127922&l=de&cid=18002
Or just open your booking and take a look.
Once the cancellation is announced LH allows rebooking online or via the phone. The exact procedure is described here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/lufthansa-austrian-swiss-brussels-lot-other-partners-miles-more/1541419-flyertalk-vielfliegertreff-lufthansa-irreg-interview.html
According to EU passenger rights regulation EC261/2004 article 8, the operating carrier (Lufthansa) is responsible to reroute passengers under comparable transport conditions, to their final destination at the earliest opportunity.
Article 8 also applies in situations like strikes.
Tickets issued for 2-4APR just received a waiver to rebook for free:
Die VC wird ihre Mitglieder vom 02. April 00.00 Uhr bis 04. April 23.59 Uhr zum bundesweiten Arbeitskampf zur Durchsetzung eines neuen Tarifvertrages Übergangsversorgung aufrufen.
The current list of cancellations can be found here:
http://www.lufthansa.com/online/portal/lh/de/flight_services/cancelled_flights?nodeid=118127922&l=de&cid=18002
Or just open your booking and take a look.
Once the cancellation is announced LH allows rebooking online or via the phone. The exact procedure is described here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/lufthansa-austrian-swiss-brussels-lot-other-partners-miles-more/1541419-flyertalk-vielfliegertreff-lufthansa-irreg-interview.html
According to EU passenger rights regulation EC261/2004 article 8, the operating carrier (Lufthansa) is responsible to reroute passengers under comparable transport conditions, to their final destination at the earliest opportunity.
Article 8 also applies in situations like strikes.
Tickets issued for 2-4APR just received a waiver to rebook for free:
Announced strike of the pilots union from April, 2nd – 4th, 2014
The pilots union “Vereinigung Cockpit” (VC) has called upon its members at Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo and Germanwings to cease work for three days from Wednesday, April 2nd 2014, 00:00, to Friday, 4th April 2014, at 23:59 at all German airports.
In order to keep impact of the strike as low as possible, Lufthansa will inform its customers about details of flight cancellations and alternative travel options via www.LH.com as soon as possible. Customers, who advised their contact information, will be informed by e-mail and SMS notifications about changes of their flights.
Lufthansa will publish a list with cancelled flights as well as information for passenger services on Monday afternoon, 31st March 2014.
Passengers holding a Lufthansa/SWISS/Austrian Airlines or Brussels ticket for flights on April 2nd – April 4th, 2014 from/to/via Germany, are permitted to rebook their flight once free of charge online via My Bookings with immediate effect, provided that:
- the ticket was issued on/before March 28th, 2014
- the new travel date is on/before September 30th, 2014
- the original ticket class remains
- all other fare conditions are adhered to
Passengers may also contact our service center on +49(0)69-86-799-799* or via one of our local phone numbers.
* Calls from German landlines at local rates, call charges from German mobile networks may vary dependent upon the provider
The pilots union “Vereinigung Cockpit” (VC) has called upon its members at Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo and Germanwings to cease work for three days from Wednesday, April 2nd 2014, 00:00, to Friday, 4th April 2014, at 23:59 at all German airports.
In order to keep impact of the strike as low as possible, Lufthansa will inform its customers about details of flight cancellations and alternative travel options via www.LH.com as soon as possible. Customers, who advised their contact information, will be informed by e-mail and SMS notifications about changes of their flights.
Lufthansa will publish a list with cancelled flights as well as information for passenger services on Monday afternoon, 31st March 2014.
Passengers holding a Lufthansa/SWISS/Austrian Airlines or Brussels ticket for flights on April 2nd – April 4th, 2014 from/to/via Germany, are permitted to rebook their flight once free of charge online via My Bookings with immediate effect, provided that:
- the ticket was issued on/before March 28th, 2014
- the new travel date is on/before September 30th, 2014
- the original ticket class remains
- all other fare conditions are adhered to
Passengers may also contact our service center on +49(0)69-86-799-799* or via one of our local phone numbers.
* Calls from German landlines at local rates, call charges from German mobile networks may vary dependent upon the provider
VC Pilots Strike 02-04 APR 2014 [discussion & info wiki]
Mar 31, 2014, 3:41 pm
#226
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: a proud member of FT since 05-05-1998
Programs: DL, AF and KL - UA - *G
Posts: 2,239
Try some other country's numbers - I think that would be the only way to maybe find a number that is not quite as busy.....else I would assume later today or at night it might ease a bit....
Mar 31, 2014, 3:43 pm
#227
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: GRR, USA
Posts: 3,298
Unfortunately no. 500k passengers and only a few hundred reps makes for a tough day for everyone. have you tried going online? You may already have rebooking options available.
Last edited by LufthansaFlyer; Mar 31, 2014 at 3:59 pm
Mar 31, 2014, 3:44 pm
#228
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: FRA
Programs: M&M, A3*G, Flying Blue, HHonors
Posts: 110
Try the German hotline +49 69 86 799 799 - they have English speaking agents (most of the automated menu on the phone is in German, but they will tell you in English to hold for an operator). The system might kick you out because so many people are trying to call now - then just call again, at one point you will get through. The agents are doing their best to help.
Mar 31, 2014, 3:49 pm
#229
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: homeless 2.0
Programs: A3 Gold, LH FTL
Posts: 1,065
Btw stepping over the insults and high emotions, could you clarify the pilots view? I just cant see why a 3day strike is good for anybody involved with LH.
Mar 31, 2014, 4:02 pm
#230
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: GRR, USA
Posts: 3,298
the biggest thing I think aside from the pay raises, they wanted assurances that they had the ability for early retirement as early as age 58. Their demands are not ridiculous, but the union is really taking advantage of their 15 minutes of fame at the moment and must be reveling in the fact that LH was dinged 2 times for strikes in as many weeks. I think (IMHO) that the union went a bit far with 3 days. 1 days strikes can be weathered by pax and airlines, but 3 days is taking advantage.
Mar 31, 2014, 4:04 pm
#231
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 363
VC Pilots Strike 02-04 APR 2014 [discussion & info wiki]
I would really appreciate it if people that have not the slightest idea about the background of the strike ( or the general concepts of strikes) would stop spamming this thread with their ........ rants about the strike!
If you are not a pilot or a member of the VC union you should post your opinion elsewhere.....
Nobody judges your job or income so how dare you judge others?
If you are not a pilot or a member of the VC union you should post your opinion elsewhere.....
Nobody judges your job or income so how dare you judge others?
Reading your other softer posts I have the feeling that your account is used by multiple individuals, anyway...
The background of the strike - any strike - has never changed. In the end its about money, early retirement and wanting more for equal or less work. Not posting the facts about the strike, but defending it shows a lot already - you are embarrassed about it as well.
If you want a proper paid job, assuming you have a proper qualification or a talent, than being a pilot would not be top of the list. Being a pilot is not that exceptional any more, sorry if you think otherwise. Many people have pilot licenses as a hobby, besides their full time job. Due to the fact the we still need pilots in the cockpit their actions unfortunately have a critical impact on any airline. Again it's used as a mean of pressure knowing well that pilots can't just be replaced on short notice.
I have more respect for the engineers keeping these aircraft flying, system engineers looking at the whole complexity of logistics and planning the flight. Just think about the consequences for LH. At the moment the airline industry is under specific high attention due to the happenings in Asia. So being in the lime light at the moment for any airline will have negative causes.
I am sorry for all passengers affected by this unnecessary act of strike. Once VC will have calmed down, I am sure the UFO will fly by low and once they have cooled down their coffee and juice, it will be tailored shortly after by Verdis 2nd sonata.
Mar 31, 2014, 4:05 pm
#232
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: a proud member of FT since 05-05-1998
Programs: DL, AF and KL - UA - *G
Posts: 2,239
Everybody should have the right to strike for their work conditions and I highly respect that right!
There is no other way of getting something out of the corporations these days!
Just because it inconveniences me - I do not think it is just to call someone names or cry for the law to change....I find that behaviour selfish and unjust!
They have the right to strike - you have the right to fly another airline!
But stop crying and try to live with it....
Just for the information of those not familiar with German work laws - you do NOT have to be a union member to be able to join the strike! So in this case ANY LH pilot can join the strike - no need to be with VC!
And the EU has nothing to do with that...these laws were in place long time before there was the EU!
BTW this is my last post on the "is this strike OK" topic - I am all for the right to strike and I consider it part of the human rights that should be everywhere!
And 500K inconvenienced is nothing.....a few days ago the bus and metro systems were on strike simultaneously in several states and millions were inconvenienced......and it was not that easy to find other solutions either...but life goes on!^
Last edited by Germanfflyer; Mar 31, 2014 at 5:02 pm
Mar 31, 2014, 4:09 pm
#233
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: GRR, USA
Posts: 3,298
Its too bad that the EU is tacitly approving these unions to act essentially as taxing authorities to pull more money 'unwillingly' from businesses. Granted that most of the money will land in the hands of the earners, and reinvested in the local economies but as a result net additional taxes will be funneled to fund fun projects such as greece, portugal and italy. A reasonable government would not let 1 or 2 unions represent thousands of industries. A government hell bent on crippling businesses will sit idly by and not give a damn about those affected. The EU has the unions to raise 'taxes' on businesses, the inmates at the EU asylum, I mean HQ, in Brussels couldn't be happier. BTW, what ever happened to the Emissions scam, er tax? 
Mar 31, 2014, 4:36 pm
#235
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: a proud member of FT since 05-05-1998
Programs: DL, AF and KL - UA - *G
Posts: 2,239
Mar 31, 2014, 5:31 pm
#237
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: ZRH
Programs: LX HON Circle
Posts: 3,255
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (BlackBerry; U; BlackBerry 9900; de) AppleWebKit/534.11+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/7.1.0.1033 Mobile Safari/534.11+)
I have no sympathy with these (pilot) strikes. LH pilots earn between 6k and 20k EUR/month. And, after all, if they are unhappy with theyr working conditions/salary, for god's sake they should just quite theyr job and stop messing around the flights and life of those people who actualy spend money on LH flights and ensure that theyr salary can be paid.
I have no sympathy with these (pilot) strikes. LH pilots earn between 6k and 20k EUR/month. And, after all, if they are unhappy with theyr working conditions/salary, for god's sake they should just quite theyr job and stop messing around the flights and life of those people who actualy spend money on LH flights and ensure that theyr salary can be paid.
Last edited by f4freeJunior; Mar 31, 2014 at 5:32 pm
Mar 31, 2014, 5:35 pm
#238
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: CAE
Posts: 212
I would really appreciate it if people that have not the slightest idea about the background of the strike ( or the general concepts of strikes) would stop spamming this thread with their ........ rants about the strike!
If you are not a pilot or a member of the VC union you should post your opinion elsewhere.....
Nobody judges your job or income so how dare you judge others?
If you are not a pilot or a member of the VC union you should post your opinion elsewhere.....
Nobody judges your job or income so how dare you judge others?
Mar 31, 2014, 6:44 pm
#240
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 817
So most people have had their flight rebooked on UA metal for free?
I'm going to wait and hope the strike is over since my flight isn't until the first week of May... but I guess I'll have to switch it if it's still going
I was looking for ward to it too... was going to be my first business class flight, and heard Lufthansa was much nicer than UA.
I'm going to wait and hope the strike is over since my flight isn't until the first week of May... but I guess I'll have to switch it if it's still going
I was looking for ward to it too... was going to be my first business class flight, and heard Lufthansa was much nicer than UA.