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Flight tickets were booked and then the strike happened. It’s unpleasant because it’s often not clear whether you should wait or rebook. Thousands of airline passengers are in this situation these days. Little is happening in German aviation skies on Thursday. Approximately 1,100 flights have been canceled or delayed due to the warning strike by aviation security forces. Around 200,000 passengers were affected, according to German airport association ADV. In Switzerland alone, 2,900 passengers were affected.
And the Verdi union is already threatening more strikes. Cabin union UFO also broke off negotiations with Lufthansa and threatened a strike.
“Just don’t book yourself again”
Blick reached the president of the Swiss Travel Association (SRV), Martin Wittwer (63), by phone at Zurich Airport. He was also impressed: he was originally supposed to travel to Vancouver (Canada) via Frankfurt (D) with Lufthansa on Thursday, but he was able to change the booking in time and now flies to his destination Vancouver via Switzerland and Montreal. “I was lucky to realize the situation early and not book another hotel room at Zurich Airport,” he says.
He gives the following tips for air passengers in a similar situation: “If you have booked the flight yourself, you should definitely not rebook it yourself, as this often incurs costs.” As late as Wednesday afternoon, Lufthansa was charging a hefty rebooking fee for voluntary rebookings. “Always wait for notification from the airline first, then rebooking or cancellation can now be done free of charge,” advises Wittwer.
Since this usually happens so soon before the strike begins, many people cannot wait; for example, if another service has been booked at the destination, such as a cruise or heli-skiing. “In this case, it may be worth looking for an alternative yourself, then contacting the airline and asking if it is possible to rebook to the suggested alternative free of charge if the booked flight cannot be operated,” says Wittwer. The sooner the better: Airlines call centers are known to become overloaded as strike day approaches.
Advantageous travel agency reservation
According to Wittwer, anyone who books their flight or entire trip through a travel agent has an advantage here: “If necessary, you can call the reservations office through an emergency number and request a free rebooking,” says Wittwer. As a rule, travel agencies know the necessary tricks.
That’s what happened to him. His travel agent warned him of the impending strike and quickly rebooked him for free. If the flight is part of a package holiday, all services are covered. This means that if the flight is canceled and a service cannot be provided later, there will be no cost.
Otherwise, you run the risk of facing high costs. The airline is only required to provide alternatives or compensation for transportation, but not for subsequent services.
Source :Blick
I’m Tim David and I work as an author for 24 Instant News, covering the Market section. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, my mission is to provide accurate, timely and insightful news coverage that helps our readers stay informed about the latest trends in the market. My writing style is focused on making complex economic topics easy to understand for everyone.
