A strike by about 4,000 pilots at German airline Lufthansa has been suspended – with union officials agreeing to resume negotiations.

The action – which had been scheduled to run for four days – was called off after less than 24 hours of delays and cancellations for passengers.  There will be no further action until at least March 9, the union said.

Lufthansa had predicted the strike would cost it about US$34 million per day.  However the strike has already disrupted an estimated 10,000 passengers around the world, with the carrier trying to arrange alternative travel for them.

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Travel Resources received news today of an upcoming Lufthansa strike due to begin on Monday, February 22^nd and run until February 25^th.  The airline expects that its flights will be significantly affected.

Travel Resources will be contacting our clients who may be affected by this action to provide them with assistance in securing alternate flight arrangements.

Lufthansa has issued advice for passengers on its website.  Travelers already booked on flights during the strike period can rebook on another Lufthansa flight at no extra cost, provided their ticket was issued before 18 February. If changing to another Lufthansa flight, the new travel date must be before 31 March.

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Ottawa is relaxing its rules for flying into the United States by allowing passengers to take one carry-on bag on the plane.

The changes announced Tuesday by Transport Minister John Baird take effect Wednesday at all Canadian airports.

There will be some exceptions to the new regulation –travelers will be allowed to take a purse or laptop or briefcase or camera bag on board along with the carry-on.

All items taken on a plane such as reading material, personal electronics and medications must be stored in the carry-on bag and packed prior to the security check.  The bag must not exceed 23 centimeters by 40 centimeters by 55 centimeters.

Carry-on bags were restricted after the failed Dec. 25 bomb plot on a Northwest flight to Detroit from Amsterdam.  The changes and increased security at airports caused chaos and long lines for travelers for weeks.

Transport Canada also announced they were buying full body scanners for airports and a plan to implement a screening method known as behavior pattern recognition.

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Travel Resources wants to remind our clients about heightened security procedures in place at Canada’s airports and elsewhere. Revised security policies and procedures, particularly baggage rules, may vary by airport and airline, but generally affect air travel to, from, and within the USA.

 Increased airport screening, including several carry-on baggage searches, and personal “pat-downs” can be expected, including at the gate or in the jetway.  In almost all cases, passengers enroute to or within the USA will not be permitted to leave their seats, access overhead bins, or keep blankets and personal effects in their laps during the last hour prior to arrival.  Some airlines will also disable inflight entertainment systems showing real-time route maps and enroute flight progress details.

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