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Major airport strike in Germany: What travelers need to know now

The Verdi trade union has held several warning strikes at most of Germany's major airports in recent weeks. This had affected almost 300,000 passengers. The background to this was collective bargaining disputes.
But what rights are the affected passengers entitled to?

Passengers are not entitled to compensation, because this time it was not the airline staff who went on strike. However, the airlines are obliged to feed their passengers until they can take a replacement flight. However, should the airline staff go on strike in the future, those affected are entitled to 250-600 euros in compensation under the EU Passenger Rights Regulation.

What passengers are entitled to, however, is a replacement flight. According to expert Oskar de Felice, it is best to contact an airline so that it organizes a replacement flight. This replacement flight must be the earliest available flight, that it is with the same airline is not necessary. In principle, it is also possible to find a replacement flight, but then you have to recover the rebooking costs from the airlines, which could be difficult.

Those affected can also turn to companies and organizations that offer help via online portals and apps. On the app "Flugärger," for example, consumer centers offer information and support in exercising air passenger rights. In addition, they can also request their rights from their airline; many airlines have corresponding contact points at the airport for such situations.

For package travelers, the tour operator is the contact person. Therefore, they should contact him immediately in case of problems.