The shock for many air travelers is deep: in the middle of the busy Easter travel season, the AUA flight staff decided on a 36-hour strike. As many as 420 flights and 52,000 passengers are affected – this is what you need to know now:
The dispute over the collective labor agreement between the AUAS and the shipboard staff has recently come to a head. It was decided to strike for the period from midnight on Maundy Thursday to noon on Good Friday. Trade unionist Daniel Liebhart said this on Saturday. Whether the strike can still be averted seems doubtful, but it is possible. The employees demand a new offer, but the AUA could even withdraw its offer.
Different options for passengers
Flight cancellations, such as those threatened by the AUA due to the possible strike on Thursday and Friday, are cancellations. According to the Agency for Passengers and Passenger Rights (apf), passengers then have the choice between a refund of the ticket price, a return flight to the first point of departure at the earliest possible time or alternative transport to the destination under comparable conditions at the earliest possible time. Financial compensation is also possible.
Actively contact the airline
An alternative transportation to the destination under similar conditions at a later time would also be possible at the passenger’s request, subject to seat availability. On its homepage, apf recommends that affected passengers who are not proactively offered alternative transportation contact the company first before booking themselves. This way, the airline certainly has the contact details and can provide better information.
If you actually have to arrange and pay for replacement transport yourself, apf recommends that you keep invoices and receipts and keep costs as low as possible. This also applies if an overnight stay becomes necessary.
Passengers could be entitled to compensation
Now the possible strike for passengers and the AUA has been known days in advance. When asked on Saturday in the Ö1 “Mittagsjournal” whether you could assume that the Austrian could handle all this now, Robert Kogler of apf said: “That is a bit difficult for us to judge.” You must adhere to the AUA turn. If you do not hear anything for six weeks or are not satisfied with what you hear, you can contact the APF.
Regardless of which of the above options you choose as a passenger affected by cancellations, you may also be entitled to compensation payments, Kogler says. This amounts to 250 to 600 euros per flight and per person. In principle, the airline is responsible for accommodating passengers in the event of cancellations.
AUA is already trying to rebook
The airline said on Saturday that it is now trying to reach all those affected and rebook if possible. However, as Lufthansa is already very well booked in this intensive travel time and there are only a few seats available, this will be a difficult undertaking.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
