What Happens If My Flight Is Cancelled Or Delayed Due To A Strike?

Strike action can cause significant disruption to flights, with passengers potentially facing long delays, cancellations or missed connections.

However, your right to claim compensation will depend on who is taking strike action and the circumstances surrounding the disruption.

We explain what happens if your flight is cancelled or delayed because of a strike, when you may be entitled to compensation and what other rights you have if your travel plans are affected.

Can I Claim Compensation If My Flight Is Affected By A Strike?

Under EU261 and UK261, you may be able to claim compensation if your flight is delayed, cancelled or you missed a connecting flight because of strike action involving the airline’s own employees.

This could include strikes involving pilots, cabin crew, or other airline employees.

If the strike causes you to arrive at your final destination at least 3 hours late, or causes your flight to be cancelled, you may be entitled to compensation.

Strikes involving workers not employed by the airline are generally considered an extraordinary circumstance, as they are outside the airline’s control. Examples can include industrial action involving air traffic control, airport security, border control or third-party baggage handlers.

Who is taking strike action is therefore important when determining whether you can claim compensation.

How much you may be able to claim can vary from £220 to £520 per passenger, depending on the distance of your flight and the length of the delay.

You can check your flight using our free flight compensation calculator and get an instant decision on whether you may be able to claim and how much compensation you could receive.

What Types Of Strikes Can I Claim Flight Compensation For?

You can claim flight compensation for strikes involving employees of the airline operating your flight. This can include pilots, cabin crew, check-in staff and other employees directly employed by the airline.

Strikes involving workers not employed by the airline are generally considered an extraordinary circumstance under EU261, as they are outside the airline’s control.

Strike Action You May Be Able To Claim Flight Compensation For:

• Airline pilot strikes
• Airline cabin crew strikes
• Airline check-in staff strikes
• Airline engineer strikes
• Baggage handler or ground staff strikes where the workers are employed by the airline
• Other strikes involving employees of the airline that cause your flight to be delayed or cancelled.

Strike Action You Would Not Usually Be Able To Claim Flight Compensation For:

• Air traffic control strikes in the UK or abroad
• Airport security staff strikes
• Airport border control or customs strikes
• Baggage handler or ground staff strikes where the workers are employed by an airport or third-party company
• Strikes or disruption caused by political unrest.

When Can I Claim Compensation For A Cancelled Flight Due To A Strike?

You can claim compensation for a cancelled flight if the strike involves employees of the airline operating your flight.

For example, if your airline cancels your flight because its own pilots or cabin crew are on strike, you may be entitled to compensation under EU261 or UK261.

Your flight must also be covered by EU261 or UK261, and you must have been told about the cancellation less than 14 days before you were due to depart. Whether compensation is due can then depend on when you were notified and the departure and arrival times of any replacement flight offered.

If your flight is cancelled because of a strike involving workers outside your airline, such as air traffic controllers, airport security or border control staff, you would not normally be entitled to compensation, as these are generally considered extraordinary circumstances.

However, even if the strike is considered an extraordinary circumstance and you are not entitled to claim compensation, you still have the right to choose between a refund or a replacement flight if your flight is cancelled.

Can I Claim Compensation For A Flight Delayed By A Strike?

Just like flight cancellations, you may be able to claim compensation if your flight is delayed by a strike involving employees of the airline operating your flight.

You may be entitled to compensation if your flight is delayed by at least 3 hours and is covered by EU261 or UK261.

If the strike causes you to miss a connecting flight that is part of the same booking, you may also be able to claim compensation if you reach your final destination at least 3 hours late. The airline should also arrange a replacement flight to get you to your final destination.

In addition, you have rights while you are waiting for your flight to depart. Depending on the length of the delay and distance of your flight, the airline must provide food and refreshments and, where necessary, hotel accommodation and transport.

If your flight is delayed by at least 5 hours and you decide you no longer want to travel, you can choose a refund instead.

Whether you can claim compensation after a strike will often depend on who is taking industrial action and whether they are employed by the airline. Below, we look at how your rights can differ depending on who is on strike.

Can I Claim Flight Compensation For An Air Traffic Control Strike?

Despite the severe disruption an air traffic control strike can cause, you would not usually be entitled to claim compensation under EU261 if your flight is delayed or cancelled because of an ATC strike.

This also applies when the air traffic control strike takes place in another country. For example, if a strike by air traffic controllers in France causes your flight from the UK to be delayed or cancelled, you would not usually be entitled to compensation because the strike is outside the airline’s control.

Can I Claim Compensation If The Airline Staff Go On Strike?

Yes, you may be able to claim compensation if your flight is delayed or cancelled because employees of the airline operating your flight are on strike.

Under EU261 and UK261, strikes involving an airline’s own staff are not generally considered extraordinary circumstances. This is because industrial action involving the airline and its employees is considered to be within the airline’s control.

This can include strikes involving pilots, cabin crew, check-in staff, engineers and other employees who work directly for the airline.

Can I Claim Compensation If There Is A Cabin Crew Strike?

Yes, you may be able to claim compensation if your flight is delayed or cancelled because cabin crew employed by the airline operating your flight are on strike.

Under EU261 and UK261, a strike involving cabin crew employed directly by the airline is generally considered to be within the airline’s control. This means the airline cannot rely on extraordinary circumstances to avoid paying compensation.

Can I Claim Compensation For A Delayed Or Cancelled Flight Caused By A Pilot Strike?

Yes, you would be able to claim compensation if a pilot strike causes your flight to be delayed or cancelled.

Under EU261 and UK261, a strike involving pilots employed by the airline you are flying with is considered to be the responsibility of the airline. This means passengers may be legally entitled to compensation when their flight is disrupted as a result.

Can I Claim Compensation For A Delayed Or Cancelled Flight Caused By A Check-In Staff Strike?

Yes, you would be able to claim compensation because the airline is responsible for providing the staff needed to operate its flights. If the airline were unable to provide check-in staff or ground crew and this delayed your flight or caused your flight to be cancelled, you would have the right to claim compensation.

Under EU261 and UK261, if check-in staff or ground crew employed by the airline decide to strike, this is considered to be within the airline’s control, and passengers may be entitled to compensation as a result.

Can I Claim Compensation If Airport Staff Go On Strike?

You would not normally be able to claim compensation if your flight is delayed or cancelled because of a strike involving airport staff who are not employed by your airline.

This can include airport security, border control, customs staff and other workers employed by the airport or a third-party company. As the strike is outside the airline’s control, it would generally be considered an extraordinary circumstance under EU261 or UK261.

However, if the workers taking strike action are directly employed by the airline operating your flight, you may be able to claim compensation.

Can I Claim Compensation For A Baggage Handler Strike?

Whether you can claim compensation for a baggage handler strike will depend on who employs the staff taking industrial action.

If the baggage handlers are directly employed by the airline operating your flight, you may be able to claim compensation if the strike causes your flight to be delayed or cancelled.

However, baggage handlers are often employed by an airport or a third-party ground handling company. If these workers go on strike, the disruption is usually considered outside the airline’s control, and you would not normally be entitled to compensation.

What Should I Do If The Airline Cancels My Flight Because Of A Strike?

If the airline cancels your flight because of a strike, you should first decide whether you still want to travel or would prefer a refund.

For cancelled flights, you have the right to choose between a refund or a replacement to your final destination.

If you choose to travel, the airline should arrange a replacement flight at the earliest opportunity.

Contact the airline to confirm why your flight has been cancelled and find out what options are available. It is also worth establishing who is taking strike action, as this can affect whether you may be entitled to compensation.

Keep your booking confirmation and any emails, text messages or other communications you receive about the cancellation. You should also keep details of any replacement flight offered by the airline, as this information may be important if you later make a compensation claim.

Does The Airline Have To Find Me Another Flight When There Is A Strike?

Yes. If your flight is cancelled because of a strike and you still want to travel, the airline must offer to reroute you to your final destination at the earliest opportunity.

This right applies even when the strike is considered an extraordinary circumstance, and you are not entitled to compensation.

Where necessary, rerouting can include travelling with another airline. If there are widespread cancellations because of strike action, finding available seats may take longer, but the airline is still required to make reasonable arrangements to get you to your destination.

Alternatively, you can choose to travel at a later date that is convenient for you, subject to seat availability.

Can I Get A Refund If My Flight Is Cancelled Because Of A Strike?

Yes. If the airline cancels your flight because of a strike and you decide not to accept a replacement flight, you can choose to receive a refund instead.

Your right to a refund under EU261 or UK261 is separate from your right to compensation. This means you are entitled to a refund even when the strike is considered an extraordinary circumstance and compensation is not payable.

The airline should refund the unused parts of your ticket within 7 days.

Can I Claim Flight Compensation For A Strike Even If It Was Announced In Advance?

Yes. The fact that a strike was announced in advance of the day you are scheduled to fly does not prevent you from claiming flight compensation.

For cancellations, what matters is when the airline tells you your flight has been cancelled, not when the strike itself was announced.

If the airline gives you less than 14 days’ notice of the cancellation, you may still be entitled to compensation, depending on when you were notified and the replacement flight offered.

Can I Claim If My Flight Is Disrupted Before Or After The Strike?

You may still be able to claim compensation if your flight is delayed or cancelled before or after the official dates of an airline staff strike.

Strike action can have a knock-on effect on an airline’s schedule. Aircraft, pilots and cabin crew may end up at different airports from those they are scheduled to depart from, which can cause further delays and cancellations even after the strike has ended.

If this disruption has a knock-on effect and causes your flight to be delayed or cancelled, you may still be entitled to compensation under EU261 or UK261. The fact that your flight was not scheduled on the actual day of the strike does not automatically prevent you from making a claim.