Airline Strikes: How to Claim and When You Have the Right
Strikes paralyze entire airports. However, not all strikes are equal in the eyes of European judges. Find out exactly when a strike gives you the right to compensation and when it does not.
News of impending airline strikes generates panic for any experienced traveler. The ecosystem is complex: pilots demanding better working conditions, cabin crew unions, air traffic controllers, airport staff, and baggage handlers.
The Key: Who is causing the strike?
The entire long-term legal debate surrounding passenger regulations revolved around whether strikes constituted extraordinary circumstances or not.
Recent rulings by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in 2018 and 2021 finally clarified the jurisprudence:
WHEN YOU ARE ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION (UP TO €600): Internal Strikes
If the strike is driven by employees inherently under the direct operational mandate of the airline itself, the company MUST compensate for the cancellation or delay it causes.
- Ryanair Pilots Strike
- Lufthansa Cabin Crew/Flight Attendants Strike
- British Airways directly contracted Check-In staff
A "wildcat strike" originating without notice due to internal corporate restructuring is also subject to compensation since it is part of the airline's corporate affairs.
WHEN YOU ARE NOT ENTITLED: External Strikes
If the strike is caused by people entirely outside the airline's control:
- Air Traffic Controllers (ATC).
- Airport Security staff.
- External Baggage Handling agents.
- General / National strikes.
Right to Care is still mandatory
Even if it is an external strike, the airline has an indelible duty to provide mandatory legal assistance and Rerouting. They must pay for your breakfast, hotel, and taxi/Uber. Keep all receipts!
Have you been affected recently?
Do not leave your money with the airline. We handle your case for free.
Legal Team
YourFlightCompensation