Flight delayed or cancelled because of a strike? Claim flight compensation up to £520!
Strikes are one of the main causes of flight delays and cancellations. Different entities can be striking: from air traffic controllers to ground staff to airline staff. Depending on which entity is striking, air passengers have different rights.
Important information
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You can only claim flight compensation for your cancelled or delayed flight if the disruption was caused by a strike of the airline’s employees (staff, cabin crew, pilots)
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If your flight was delayed or cancelled due to an industrial action in which the employees of your airline were not involved (e.g. airport staff), you cannot claim compensation but can still claim your right to care!
- Claim with Flight-Delayed.co.uk, we handle your claim process from A to Z and maximise your chances of success!
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Was your flight delayed or cancelled because of a strike? You might be eligible for flight compensation up to £520! |
Table of contents
Your rights as a passenger in case of a strike
The different types of strikes in the aviation industry
Airline strike: get compensation for your cancelled or delayed flight!
- Delayed flight due to an airline strike: get flight compensation up to £520
- Cancelled flight because of an airline strike: get flight compensation and a full refund!
- What is the amount of flight compensation in the event of a delayed flight?
Industrial action involving other parties than the airline: claim your right to care!
Unsure of who is responsible for the strike?
How to claim flight compensation and flight refund?
Your rights as a passenger in case of a strike
If your flight was delayed or cancelled due to a strike, you might be entitled to flight compensation. Under Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004, also known as EU261, passengers have the right to flight compensation under the following circumstances:
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A delayed flight of three or more hours
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A cancelled flight announced fewer than 14 days prior to the departure date
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In case of an unjustified denied boarding
However, the regulation also defines exceptions, so-called extraordinary circumstances, under which passengers are not entitled to compensation. If it was not your airline’s employees that were striking, you are likely not eligible for compensation. It is then important to know exactly who is striking.
The different types of strikes in the aviation industry
The European and British regulations protect your rights to a certain extent. Depending on who is striking, you might or might not be eligible for flight compensation.
The most common types of strikes or industrial actions are the following:
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Airline’s pilot strike (generally eligible for compensation)*
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Airline’s staff strike (generally eligible for compensation)*
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Air Traffic Control Strike (no compensation)
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Airport Staff strike (no compensation)
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Baggage handlers and ground staff strike (no compensation)
* Depending on the country of departure and nationality of the airline.
Airline strike: get compensation for your cancelled or delayed flight!
If the airline’s staff has organised the industrial action in question, then you might be entitled to compensation up to £520.
Delayed flight due to an airline strike: get flight compensation up to £520
If your flight was delayed by more than 3 hours due to a strike of your airline’s employees, you are entitled to flight compensation.
Cancelled flight because of an airline strike: get flight compensation and a full refund!
If your flight was cancelled fewer than 14 days before departure because of a strike of your airline’s staff, you can claim flight compensation up to £520 (see table below).
You can also ask for a full refund of your flight ticket if:
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The airline did not offer you an alternative flight
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The airline offered an alternative flight but you decided not to take it
What is the amount of flight compensation in the event of a delayed flight?
The flight compensation amount depends on the distance of your flight.
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For flights shorter than 1,500 km, the compensation is £220.
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For flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km, the compensation is £350.
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For flights of over 1,500 kilometres within the EU, the compensation is also £350.
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For flights of over 3,500 kilometres outside of the EU, the compensation is £520 —but if your flight was delayed by fewer than 4 hours, the total amount might be reduced by 50%.
Industrial action involving other parties than the airline: claim your right to care!
It is important to note that strikes are not always involving the airline staff or pilots. Some industrial actions, or strikes, are involving other parties such as air traffic controllers or ground personnel.
In these situations, we would refer to the extraordinary circumstances as the airline is not the party at fault for the delay or cancellation. Therefore, you wouldn’t be entitled to flight compensation.
However, while you may not be entitled to financial compensation, your airline is obliged to provide care in the case of severe delays. Care often includes:
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food & drinks
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phone calls
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overnight accommodation
Unsure of who is responsible for the strike?
Sometimes your flight can be delayed or cancelled and the only information you have is “due to a strike”. If you don’t know if the strike was from the airline or another party, you can submit your claim with us!
Our experts will have a look at your claim and check who was at fault. If our analysis shows that the problems were caused by a strike of the airport staff, we will close your file free of charge. We work on a “no win, no fee” basis, which means that we only charge fees for our service if you get your money from the airline.
How to claim flight compensation and flight refund?
To make sure your claim is complete, upload all the necessary documents to our platform: this only takes up to 5 minutes. Our legal team will then assess your claim, prepare legal documentation, contact the airline's decision-makers, and, if necessary, take your claim to court.
Why claim with Flight-Delayed.co.uk?
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‘No win, no fee’ — always
Please visit our Price List page to learn more about our fees.
If you are ready to claim, start the process right away — you can do it straight from your phone or computer!
Useful links
- More details on delayed flight compensation
- More details on cancelled flight compensation
- Post-Brexit flight compensation rules in the UK
- Rules regarding missed flight compensation
- Rules regarding flight compensation in the case of denied boarding
- Claim Calculator — check if you are eligible for compensation