Tuesday Briefing: Europe Travel Alert, Lufthansa Strike Snarl Holiday Travel

A new strike for Lufthansa, a Europe travel alert for the holiday season, Tropical Storm Otto and the lifting of a tsunami advisory in Japan are the travel industry headlines to watch today. 

U.S. State Department Issues Europe Travel Alert

Just ahead of a busy holiday travel season, the U.S. State Department has issued a new travel alert for U.S. citizens, citing a heightened risk of terrorist attacks throughout Europe. The alert indicates U.S. citizens should exercise caution at holiday festivals, events, and outdoor markets. It expires February 20, 2017.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or Da'esh), al-Qa'ida, and their affiliates continue to plan terrorist attacks in Europe, with a focus on the upcoming holiday season and associated events, the State Department said. U.S. citizens should also be alert to the possibility that extremist sympathizers or self-radicalized extremists may conduct attacks during this period. 

The State Department advises citizens to exercise vigilance when attending large holiday events, visiting tourist sites, using public transportation, and frequenting places of worship, restaurants and hotels. Citizens should also review security information from local officials, as well as follow the instructions of local authorities and monitor local media and information sources. Travelers are also advised to be prepared for additional security screening and unexpected disruptions, stay in touch with family members and ensure they know how to reach you in the event of an emergency, have an emergency plan of action, and register for the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).

Lufthansa Strike to Cancel Flights Wednesday

In air travel news, a 24-hour strike by Lufthansa pilots has been scheduled for Wednesday, forcing the airline to cancel 876 out of 3,000 of its scheduled flights, CNBC reports. The strike, which is the 14th to hit the airline during its dispute with the Vereinigung Cockpit union, will affect approximately 100,000 passengers. 51 of the cancelled flights are intercontinental. 

The strike is scheduled to start at midnight, and it will affect short- and long-haul flights departing from airports in Germany. Flights from Lufthansa Group’s other airlines — Germanwings, Eurowings, Austrian Airlines, SWISS and Brussels Airlines — will remain unaffected, although Eurowings has had to cancel more than 60 flights on Tuesday due to a separate strike by cabin crew. That strike affects Dusseldorf and Hamburg airports and is scheduled to last until 8 p.m.

In a written release Lufthansa is advising its customers to check the status of their flight before traveling to the airport. The airline will also be notifying all passengers who have added their contact information to their customer profiles of potential flight cancellations by e-mail or SMS.

Customers whose flights have been cancelled due to the strike have the one-time option to transfer or cancel their booking, Lufthansa said. Additionally, all passengers traveling with Lufthansa Group airlines will have the one-time option to transfer their booking for free, regardless of whether their flight has been cancelled or not. Passengers can find additional information on LH.com under ‘Current Travel Information’. For flights within Germany, travelers can also exchange flight tickets for train-travel vouchers.

Flights from Lufthansa’s Zurich, Vienna and Brussels hubs will go forward as scheduled, the airline said. Austrian and SWISS are currently reviewing the possibility of increasing their flight capacity to Germany. Among other things, at least one connection with a Boeing 777 is planned between Vienna and Frankfurt, Lufthansa said.

Lufthansa said it plans to operate individual routes tomorrow in spite of the strikes. Among other destinations, flights are planned from Frankfurt to Chicago, Delhi, Haneda, Houston, Miami and Washington. A total of three intercontinental flights are scheduled to depart from Munich tomorrow to San Francisco, Newark and Charlotte. Other connections, including Hong Kong and Shanghai, are being postponed until Thursday.

The Lufthansa strike had been announced last week

Cruise Lines Alter Itineraries Due to Tropical Storm Otto

In cruise news, Norwegian Cruise Line has altered the itinerary of the Norwegian Pearl due to Tropical Storm Otto, Cruise Critic reports. The ship, which had been scheduled to call at Limon, Costa Rica, today, will now spend the day at sea. The ship is still scheduled to arrive in Roatan, Honduras, on Thursday as scheduled. 

The storm is forecast to make landfall in Nicaragua or Costa Rica Thanksgiving Day, bringing heavy rain across the region. No storm watches or warnings have been issued, however. 

Tsunami Advisory Lifted in Japan

Finally, a series of tsunami advisories have been lifted in Japan after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Tuesday, USA Today reports. 14 people were injured due to the quake, which was centered off the coast of Fukushima prefecture. No major damage or deaths were reported, although there was disruption in transportation. 

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