Lufthansa Strike Compensation Explained: Get Up to £520

If you’ve been affected by a Lufthansa strike, you’re in the right place. You may be entitled to up to £520 in compensation if you've experienced delays or cancellations due to the strike. We can assist you in making a claim under UK law – specifically, UK 261, which mirrors EU regulations.

Airline staff strikes involve the employees of the airline carrier, including pilots, cabin crew, airline engineers, and other employees working directly under the airline. If a Lufthansa strike disrupts your flight, you may be entitled to compensation for the inconvenience.

That’s because under EU law, known as EC 261 (adopted in the UK as UK 261), airlines are required to compensate passengers for flight disruptions that they are responsible for, including those caused by airline staff strikes. So if your flight was cancelled due to a Lufthansa strike, you may be eligible for compensation under the EC 261 regulations.

Recent Legal Ruling on Compensation for Airline Strikes

The law regarding this particular situation was clarified only recently. The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg ruled that disruption caused by airline employee strikes qualifies for compensation as the airline is considered responsible for the behaviour of its staff.

The decision backs up what we at AirHelp have been arguing for years: that disruption caused by the airline’s staff should be compensated, as the flight company must be held accountable for their employees’ actions.

We believe that air passenger rights should always come first; if an airline strike causes your flight to be delayed, cancelled, or even results in denied boarding, you can claim compensation.

• Lufthansa strike: when am I entitled to compensation?

• When am I NOT entitled to compensation?

• Check your eligibility with AirHelp

• What about past strikes?

When Am I Eligible for Lufthansa Strike Compensation?

You are eligible for strike compensation if:

• You had a flight disrupted by a Lufthansa staff strike.

• Your flight was either delayed by 3 hours or more or was cancelled less than 14 days before it was due to depart.

• You had a confirmed flight reservation.

• The disruption occurred within the last 6 years.

• If you took a replacement flight, your new arrival time was significantly different to your original flight.

When Am I NOT Eligible for Strike Compensation?

You are not eligible for strike compensation if the strike is one that Lufthansa has no control over. For example:

• Strikes by airport security staff

• Strikes by baggage handlers

• Strikes by air traffic management staff

• Strikes caused by political unrest

While Lufthansa staff strikes are within the control of Lufthansa, all other strikes are considered “extraordinary circumstances”. Extraordinary circumstances are any events or situations that are completely beyond the airline’s control and cannot be avoided, even if reasonable measures have been taken to protect against them. In such cases, the airline is not at fault.

Check Your Eligibility for Lufthansa Strike Compensation with AirHelp!

Does your flight qualify for flight strike compensation? There are a lot of laws and exclusions, so for a quick and easy answer, all you have to do is fill out our eligibility checker with your details. We’ll tell you if your flight qualifies and how much you're entitled to. You can also use us to handle the claim for you.

Moreover, our compensation calculator allows you to check the amount of compensation you may be entitled to in just a few seconds. Fast and efficient, it’s 100% free!

What About Past Strikes?

The ruling that airline strikes are not extraordinary circumstances is retrospective. This means that flights affected by past Lufthansa strikes, as far back as 6 years ago, now qualify for compensation.

Use our compensation check to see if you are eligible.

The amount of compensation you are entitled to depends on your individual circumstances, but you may be owed as much as £520 per person. Click on the type of disruption you experienced to find out more.

• Lufthansa Strike Flight Cancellation Compensation

• Delayed Flights Due to Lufthansa Strike: Eligible Compensation

• Denied Boarding Compensation

Lufthansa Strike Flight Cancellation Compensation

Sometimes, Lufthansa staff strikes can lead to the cancellation of your flight altogether. If you’ve had a flight cancelled due to a strike, you could be owed compensation! You qualify for compensation if the airline notified you less than 14 days before your flight was due to depart, and they weren’t able to offer you an alternative flight which arrived at a similar time.

You can learn more about flight cancellations and your rights here.

Lufthansa Strike Flight Delay Compensation

Lufthansa strikes can sometimes cause lengthy delays and affect your arrival at your final destination. You are eligible for compensation if your flight is delayed by 3 hours or more.

How much could you be owed when your flight with Lufthansa is delayed?

You can learn more about flight delay compensation here.

Denied Boarding Compensation

During an airline strike, there may be instances where you are denied boarding due to an aircraft being overbooked. If you are denied boarding against your will, you may be entitled to compensation. You can learn more about denied boarding compensation here.

• The Right to Care

• Rebooking and Refunds

You Have the Right to Care

When you experience flight disruption due to an airline strike, you have the ‘right to care‘. Depending on the length of the delay, Lufthansa must provide you with several essentials, including:

• Meals and refreshments.

• Access to communications, including two telephone calls, fax messages, or emails.

• Overnight accommodation, including transportation to and from the airport to your hotel, if necessary.

Rebooking and Refunds

If your flight has been cancelled or delayed for more than five hours, you have the right to withdraw from your flight and receive a complete refund.

If your flight was cancelled, you also have the option of taking an alternative flight, arranged by Lufthansa, to get you to your destination. You can learn more about rebooking and refunds here.

If a Lufthansa strike disrupts your flight, here are a few steps to follow to minimise inconvenience and maximise your chances of receiving compensation:

1. Contact the airline: Request to be rebooked on another flight; this is your right. If the airline’s proposed solutions don’t meet your needs, you can choose not to fly and request a refund for your ticket.

2. Keep your documents: Your boarding pass, communications from Lufthansa (emails, SMS, etc.), and other documents will be useful when making a compensation claim.

3. Check your eligibility: If the strike is caused by airline staff, you might be eligible for compensation. Use our tool to check if you’re entitled to up to £520 in compensation.

In cases where the strike involves airport staff or another party, however, it’s considered beyond the airline’s control and does not qualify for compensation.

AirHelp…

• Is the world’s largest flight compensation company.

• Works with lawyers in 35+ countries.

• Uses cutting-edge technology to pursue each claim.

• Takes the stress out of the claim process.

• Operates on a no win, no fee basis.

• Fights for passenger rights.

Flight disruption due to airline strikes does happen, and it is your right to receive compensation if you are affected. AirHelp makes the process of claiming easy and stress-free. We handle all the heavy lifting for you!

AirHelp is the largest flight compensation company worldwide, with a network of lawyers in over 35 countries, providing support to customers in 19 languages. We have innovative technology to assess and pursue each claim, which allows us to work on your claim quickly and efficiently.

Plus, we operate on a no-win, no-fee basis, eliminating any risk for you. So if you need help to get your flight compensation due to a Lufthansa strike, fill out our form today.

We’re always here to help.

Deutsche Lufthansa AG, more commonly known as Lufthansa, is Germany's largest airline and, when including its affiliated companies, the second largest in Europe by passenger numbers in 2023.

Lufthansa Headquarters

Address: Deutsche Lufthansa Aktiengesellschaft, Linnicher Straße 48, 50933 Cologne, Germany

Website: www.lufthansa.com

How Can I Check If My Lufthansa Flight Is Affected by a Strike?

• Check Your Emails: Lufthansa should send you emails and/or SMS notifications about the strike.

• Website: You can check the flight status and view any alerts on their website.

• Mobile App: You can check for notifications and the status of your flight via the app.

• Social Media Channels: Airlines often post strike-related alerts on their social media platforms.

• Customer Service and Airport: You can always contact the customer service call centre or check strike notices directly at the airport.

How Can I Prepare for a Strike?

Lufthansa and other airline strikes are difficult to predict until they are announced. However, there are some steps you can take to prepare for this possibility:

• Know your passenger rights and the EU Regulation EC 261.

• If you have flexibility in your travel plans, consider booking flights during off-peak seasons when strikes are less likely to occur, as these periods generally see fewer disruptions.

• Protect yourself with insurance. Learn more about how AirHelp+ works.

Lufthansa Staff Strikes vs External Strikes: What’s the Difference?

In the first case, you may be entitled to compensation. However, if the strike is not caused by the airline, such as a strike by airport security staff or air traffic controllers, you are not entitled to compensation.

Lufthansa Strike and Package Holidays: What Happens?

If you’ve purchased a package holiday that is partly disrupted by an airline strike, the airline is generally not responsible for covering costs related to hotels or onward travel. In such cases, it’s usually necessary to rely on your travel insurance.

Know more about your rights

• Flight Cancellation Compensation

• Missed Connection Compensation

• Flight Delay Compensation

• Overbooking Compensation