Compensation for Airline Strikes: How to Claim?

Claim compensation in the event of an airline strike.

Whether you're heading to a dream destination or on a business trip, finding yourself in the midst of an airline strike with your flight cancelled or delayed can be stressful. It can be challenging to stay calm and find a solution when flights are affected, causing delays to your journey.

Want to know your rights in such situations? Discover with Delayed the best way to reorganise your trip and, most importantly, when you can claim compensation in the event of an airline strike.

How is the trip reorganised in the event of a strike?

In the event of a strike, regardless of the reason, your airline must place you on an alternative flight if your original flight was delayed, cancelled, overbooked, and you missed your connection as a result. Go directly to your airline's counter to find a solution for your journey: your ticket can be exchanged at no cost if an alternative flight is found, you can be repatriated to your original airport, or you can get a refund for the ticket if you wish to cancel your trip.

If you accept the alternative flight, the airline must provide you with food, drinks, two means of communication if needed, and hotel accommodation if your replacement flight departs the following day.

Claim compensation following a strike.

Disruption to your journey due to a strike is one of the reasons you can claim compensation. To do so, you must meet several specific criteria. Don't have time to read this article? Trust our online tool to determine your eligibility for compensation following an airline strike in less than 5 minutes.

The difference between compensation and a refund.

A refund generally applies to the purchase of a good, whether tangible or intangible. In the case of air travel, the refund concerns the ticket, and the terms are predefined at the time of purchase. Compensation relates to damage suffered. If during your journey, the delay or cancellation caused you emotional distress, you are entitled to claim compensation. This is entirely separate from a refund: whether you have been refunded or not, you can still claim compensation.

However, obtaining compensation depends on the cause of the strike: this is why it is crucial to gather as much information as possible before making a compensation claim.

In which strike cases can you claim compensation?

Under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, compensation is possible when the strike directly involves the airline. This includes:

As you can see, you can only receive compensation if the strike involves the airline.

In which strike cases is it not possible to receive compensation?

Therefore, if the strike is conducted by any other organisation, independent of the airline, you cannot receive compensation. This includes:

In general, the airline will refer to “extraordinary circumstances”, which are circumstances entirely beyond their control. If, when you ask for the reason for the delay or cancellation, your airline mentions extraordinary circumstances, dig a little deeper to find out the exact reason.

It's important to note that there can be exceptions: baggage handlers or ground agents may sometimes be employed by your airline. This is why it's crucial to investigate the causes of the strike before claiming compensation.

In which cases can you receive compensation during an airline strike?

If you are eligible because the strike directly involves the airline staff, you must then meet several criteria to claim compensation.

If you meet these criteria, you can claim compensation. Still unsure about your eligibility? Visit our site: we'll check if your claim is valid and calculate your compensation amount in less than five minutes!

How long do I have to claim compensation in the event of an airline strike?

When your schedule is disrupted due to an airline strike, your main focus is on reorganising your trip. That's why you have a three-year period to claim compensation following an airline strike.

That's right! If you experienced a cancellation or delay during the strikes at the start of 2023 due to union calls for pension reform, you have until early 2026 to claim your compensation.

What is the amount of compensation?

When claiming compensation for a delayed, cancelled, or overbooked flight, you can receive up to €600. The compensation amount is not based on the ticket price but on the flight distance of your journey.

Focus on delayed flights due to an airline strike.

In the event of an airline strike, your flight may be delayed by several hours. If the delay exceeds three hours, you can claim compensation. The amount largely depends on the distance between the departure and arrival cities. For flights within Europe of 1500 km or less, you can receive €250 in compensation. For flights of 1500 km or more, the amount can rise to €400. For a detailed understanding of compensation for delayed flights, feel free to visit our dedicated page.

Compensation per passenger for a delayed flight due to an airline strike:

Focus on cancelled flights due to an airline strike.

In the event of an airline strike, you can receive compensation if your flight was cancelled less than 14 days before departure. If the airline offers you an alternative flight, you can receive compensation ranging from €125 to €600. This depends on the distance of your flight in kilometres and your delay upon arrival compared to the originally scheduled arrival time. You can visit our article dedicated to flight cancellations to fully understand airline compensation.

Compensation per passenger for a cancelled flight due to an airline strike:

Focus on overbooked flights due to an airline strike.

During an airline strike, you might be denied boarding. Indeed, the airline must reorganise passengers' flights, and some may take your place! As the responsibility lies entirely with the airline, you can claim compensation for the inconvenience suffered. Find all the information on compensation following an overbooked flight on our blog.

Which EU countries are eligible for compensation in the event of an airline strike?

If you depart and arrive in one of the 28 EU countries, you are covered by any airline. This also includes outermost regions and EEA members (European Economic Area) such as the Azores, Canary Islands, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Iceland, Madeira, Martinique, Mayotte, Norway, Réunion, Saint Martin, and Switzerland.

However, if you are travelling to Europe from abroad or vice versa, you can only claim compensation if the flight is operated by a European airline.

It is not possible to claim compensation on a flight outside the European Union.

List of countries eligible for compensation in the event of an airline strike:

How to claim compensation in the event of an airline strike?

To obtain compensation from the airline responsible for the strike, you need to gather several documents. The first important document is the written justification from the airline, detailing the disruption (in this case, the strike). It's essential to have your ticket, with your name, departure, destination, and price visible, as well as the boarding passes.

The alternative travel tickets are also important. Be sure to keep meal and hotel receipts, as well as any written exchanges you may have had with the airline.

Once all these documents are gathered, you should then contact the airline responsible for your journey.

However, be aware that airlines are often very reluctant to provide compensation. It can be quite a challenge to obtain it, requiring persistence, time, and energy. You can seek assistance from Delayed to claim compensation following an airline strike.

The Delayed Offer: Claim compensation with peace of mind!

Have you experienced a delay, cancellation, or overbooking due to an airline strike and are struggling to get compensation? That's why Delayed exists! We gather all the essential data and negotiate with the airline on your behalf.

It's simple! You can visit our website to check the eligibility of your claim. In less than five minutes, you'll know if you can claim compensation. All you need to do is send us the documents you've collected. Our agents will handle your claim with the airline and keep you updated on your case's progress.

If successful, we charge a 25% commission on the compensation amount. If your claim is not accepted by the airline, however, we charge nothing. You have nothing to lose by using our services: you're guaranteed to benefit!