Last night I arrived home from a trip to Germany, though I was concerned I wouldn’t make it back on time. This past week, the ground staff at Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) and Berlin Tegel Airport (TXL) went on strike.

During my stay, I traveled throughout the country, stopping in Munich, Frankfurt and Berlin. Many international flights out of Frankfurt left according to schedule. Most domestic flights were affected. On Wednesday, our flight from Frankfurt to Berlin was cancelled. Luckily, we took the high-speed ICE train instead and arrived in Berlin only an hour or so behind schedule.

Just as Frankfurt’s strike came to a close, the strike in Berlin began. In the days and hours leading up to my Saturday morning departure, I frequently checked my flight status and the website for strike information. Berlin’s strike was rather organized. The website posted a schedule of the strike on Friday, 6:30 a.m. until 9 a.m. Still, I was concerned my return flights would be affected. My Berlin to Frankfurt flight was scheduled to leave at 9:25 a.m. and Frankfurt to Philadelphia (PHL) at 1:15 p.m.

I vividly remember New York City’s MTA strike during the winter of 2006, my sophomore year at Fordham University. This occurred at the time of my winter break, when droves of students and travelers were coming in and out of the city. I certainly did not want to experience another transit strike.

Luckily, both airports were up and running by the time I departed Germany, and I arrived home only a few minutes later than scheduled.

— Katie Skrzek, advertising and editorial coordinator, eFlyer USA editor