Situations with strikes can be overly complicated as they can happen at any time and disrupt your scheduled flights. While it’s understandable that airline or airport employees have the right to strike, you might be wondering what this means for you if your flight ends up being delayed or cancelled because of a strike.
If strike action is taking place by the airline’s own employees, such as pilots or other airline staff, then the airline is required to pay compensation to its passengers. The European regulation EC 261/2004 protects you in case a flight has been disrupted when certain criteria are met. This regulation covers all flights departing from or arriving at, EU airports when they are operated by EU-based air carriers.
Strikes can be considered extraordinary circumstances that are beyond the control of the airline.
- Strike by airline’s personnel
However, if strike action is taking place by the airline’s own employees, such as pilots or airline staff, then the airline is required to pay compensation to its passengers.
- Unexpected strikes
Either programmed or unexpected strikes (usually known as “wildcat strikes”) aren’t considered extraordinary circumstances when the action was called by the airline’s staff rather than a nother party (such as air traffic control or baggage handling strikes).
It remains the airline’s responsibility to make sure that there are proper contingencies in place and to guarantee that you arrive at your destination on time or otherwise that you get proper compensation for your delayed or cancelled flight.
Besides flight compensation, if your flight has been delayed the airline must provide you with care, such hotel, taxi, phone calls, food and drinks. Always make sure you know your air passenger rights and that they are respected by the airline.
Flight strike compensation
In case you had a flight disrupted by an airline’s staff strike, you are entitled to financial compensation if:
- Your flight was either delayed by 3 hours or more or was cancelled less than 14 days before it was due to depart.
- Your flight was set to depart from the EU or was on an EU airline arriving in the EU.
- The disruption occurred within the last 3-10 years (depends on the country).
You are not entitled to flight compensation if it’s a strike that the airline has no control over, like:
- Strikes by airport security staff
- Strikes by baggage handlers
- Strikes by air traffic management staff
- Strikes caused by political unrest
To file a claim because of an airline strike is a hard process, but using an expert company is a good deal because you only pay upon success (no win, no fee). Do not hesitate to call us!