Airline Strike Compensation: How to Claim up to £520 For Disrupted Flights

Anton Radchenko

By:  Anton Radchenko

Last Updated:  April 27, 2026

Understanding Airline Strike Action

When airline employees decide to go on strike, they will usually announce their intentions. This gives airlines the opportunity to meet the demands of the workers or further negotiate. If an agreement cannot be reached by the strike date, then a work stoppage will happen.

Sometimes airlines will cancel flights in anticipation of a strike. Other times, delays that lead to long waits and late arrivals or last-minute cancellations that require rebooking will take place. Either way, you could be eligible for up to £520 in compensation if the airline strike makes you 3 or more hours late at your destination.

What if the strike is unannounced?

If airline employees decide to strike without announcing it beforehand, then it is called a wildcat strike. If this work stoppage leads to delays and cancellations, then you are entitled to compensation because the European Court of Justice ruled that airlines are ultimately responsible for their employees even when they strike without warning.

Care & Assistance During Strike-related Flight Disruptions

No matter what caused the flight cancellation or delay, the airline is still obliged to provide you with appropriate support and assistance at the airport.

If you're delayed for 2 hours or more, the airline will provide food and beverage vouchers. If you don't receive them, be sure to ask. Also, if you end up paying out-of-pocket for any essentials, be sure to keep your receipts.

If the flight is delayed by 5 hours or more, you are entitled to a full ticket refund or a rebooking. Remember, you are always entitled to support and assistance in the event of a long delay or cancellation of your flight, even in cases caused by extraordinary circumstances. So, if your flight is delayed until the next day, then the airline will provide lodging and relevant transport.

Mostly in such cases, passengers are left to fend for themselves: they are confused and do not receive adequate information or assistance.

In the event of a strike, under UK Regulation 261, you may be entitled to the following options:

• Replacement of transport: the airline is obliged to arrange alternative transport to the destination
• Right to Support: If you have to wait a long time at the airport, the airline is obliged to provide you with drinks and food in proportion to the waiting time, as well as two free phone calls/text messages and, if necessary, a place to stay overnight.
• Ticket refund: Flight delay of 5 hours or more? You are entitled to have your flight cancelled and your ticket refunded.
• Compensation in the event of an airline's cabin crew going on strike (unlike, for example, a nationwide strike). Passengers are entitled to compensation of between 250 and 600 euros each (this depends on the length of the flight delay and the distance of the flight)

Given the above, we suggest to consider in more detail what monetary compensation is and when you are entitled to it by law.

In 2018, the European Court of Justice ruled that the airline was liable for strikes called by its workers and therefore liable for monetary compensation.

These cases are known as “wildcat strikes” because they involve strikes that airline workers announce at the last minute, as opposed to those planned in advance.

Thanks to EU regulation 261, in the event of a “wildcat strike”, airlines must compensate passengers whose cases meet the criteria for compensation, because they are responsible.

You can also claim compensation if the strike has affected your flight. For example, if the strike happened the day before your flight and it was cancelled the next day, you can claim compensation for any delays caused as a result.

Flight delayed over 3 hours or canceled due to a strike?See if AirAdvisor can get you compensation.Check Your Flight

How Much Can You Get for Strike-related Flight Disruptions?

In the United States, airlines are not required to compensate passengers whose flights have been disrupted because of an airline strike. In the European Union and United Kingdom, on the other hand, you can get cash compensation for strike-related disruptions based on the distance of your flight. 

Compensation Payout Amounts

Can You Get Compensation for Airport and Air Traffic Control Strikes?

Unfortunately, passengers are not eligible for compensation if they have flight disruptions caused by third party strikes. Third parties can include airport staff, air traffic control, fuel delivery workers or any other party not directly employed by the airline. 

A flight delay or cancellation due to a strike can be stressful and confusing for sure. To find out if you're entitled to compensation for a disrupted flight, use our free and quick compensation check form. If your flight meets the criteria, we'll help you resolve your issue quickly and easily.

Airline Strike Disruptions Outside the Strike Period

When a strike causes multiple cancellations and delays, passengers can feel the effects for days and even weeks afterwards. Based on EU261 regulations, passengers are entitled to compensation during the active strike period, but they might also get compensation for flight interruptions that happen after the strike period.

Because of this, it might be worth filing a claim if you were affected indirectly. For example, if your flight was delayed due to earlier strike-related disruptions, the airline may need to show that it took all reasonable steps to prevent the delay. If it can’t, you may be able to recover some of your costs. To find out, you can check your eligibility in our compensation calculator in just a minute.

Does travel insurance cover airline strike disruptions?

Travel insurance policies can vary quite a bit, but generally, most will cover strike-related delays, cancellations, missed connections, and denied boarding. If you’re travelling in the United States, travel insurance would be especially helpful because airlines are not required to pay passengers for the inconvenience as they are in Europe and the UK.

What to Do When an Airline Announces a Strike

1. Stay informed: Download the airline’s app and check their announcement or news page on their official website for updates.
2. Consider changing your flight: If you have a refundable ticket, you might want to change your flight dates. 
3. If you have a non-refundable ticket, contact the airline to see if they will allow you to make changes without extra fees. Otherwise, wait until they cancel your flight so you can get a rebooking or a refund without paying more. 
4. Pack for delays: Make sure you bring a change of clothing and toiletries in a carry-on bag so you’re prepared for long delays.
5. Contact your travel insurance to see what is and isn’t covered for strike related flight disruptions. 

How to File a Strike Compensation Claim

If your strike-disrupted flight was scheduled to depart from the EU or UK, you should contact the airline in writing. Most of them will have a dedicated form on their site for compensation claims. So, be sure to include all the relevant information about your particular situation and any supporting documents including correspondence with the carrier.

The claim process itself is fairly straight-forward, but don’t be surprised if your claim is denied or if the airline won’t respond to your messages. It can take weeks and even months for them to reach a decision, but that’s where we can help!

Figuring out how much you are owed for a disrupted flight can be complicatedWe're here to help. Let us assess your compensation for you.Check Your Flight

Frequently asked questions

Why Trust AirAdvisor with Your Strike Compensation Claim

You can avoid the hassle and headache of submitting a claim on your own! If you’ve had a flight disruption caused by an airline strike, let our team of legal professionals handle the hard work for you!

• We have a 98% win rate
• Our legal team has been protecting passenger rights since 2017
• We have helped over 620,000
• We work on a no-win, no-fee basis. 

We have the Largest Airline Strike-Related Compensation Database in Europe

There’s plenty of airline strike-related information out there, but AirAdvisor’s strike pages give you the largest strike-related compensation database in Europe. In these pages, we combine legal expertise, proprietary disruption data, and direct experience with airlines worldwide to give you insights you won’t find anywhere else.

Instead of basic strike FAQs, you’ll get comprehensive explanations about how each airline handles employee strikes, and we don’t just restate the rules. We provide expert insights from thousands of real passenger cases that we’ve already handled. This gives you a unique vantage point and a more thorough understanding of how airlines apply passenger rights laws in real life.

How You’ll Benefit from our Airline Strike Guides

1. You’ll learn how to navigate strike-related delays and cancellations when you’re in the midst of them, 
2. You’ll understand your passenger rights and what you’re entitled to, and
3. How to file a successful compensation claim with the airline so you can get what you’re owed for the inconvenience.

Each guide gives you:

• Clear explanations of how EU261, UK261 and other passenger rights laws apply to different kinds of strikes.
• Expert guidance on what airlines are responsible for and how strike timing or third-party involvement affects your compensation eligibility.
• A fast and easy way to claim: If your flight is disrupted because of an airline strike, you can turn your complaint into a formal compensation claim with just a few clicks. No waiting, no searching, no dead ends.
• Built-In Passenger Rights Expertise: AirAdvisor is the only site with real, professional support to help you resolve airline problems. We give you the information about airline strikes, but we also give you the tools to get real compensation results.

How We Built Our Airline Strike Centre

These pages are based on expert insights from over 2,500 real strike cases handled since the landmark 2018 European Court of Justice ruling. 

This ruling established that airlines are responsible for compensating passengers for flight disruptions caused by employee work stoppages. The information you’ll find here is written by aviation experts, and crafted to help you understand when you can and can’t get compensated for strike-related disruptions.

We’re Always Here to Assist 

Our airline strike pages are meant to empower you, but if you still need help, we’re happy to step in to assist. We understand how stressful it can be to have your plans scrambled because of a strike, and we know that going up against an airline alone can be intimidating. That’s why we make it easy for you to check your compensation and to start a claim.

So, search the list of airlines in the list below, and remember that we can help you file your claim from scratch or even pick up where you left off if you’ve started it yourself. Either way, you’ll get all the information and tools you need to get what you’re owed from the airline.

Claim up to £600 for flight disruption due to airline strike

We've been helping travelers for over 9 years. Join more than 620,000 passengers who have entrusted AirAdvisor with their compensation claims due to the strike.

During the busiest travel seasons like summertime and the winter holidays, you might notice a wave of airline strikes that invariably cause delays and cancellations. This can lead to enormous amounts of stress and frustration, but fortunately, you might be able to get compensated for the inconvenience!

Every time air traffic controllers or ground staff decide to strike, flight schedules are disrupted and lead to significant chaos, disruption to your plans or extra costs. 

Claim Compensation 

Author:

Anton Radchenko, Esq.

Job/Position: Founder & CEO

Anton Radchenko, Esq. is a consumer rights advocate and licensed attorney admitted to practice in the state of New York, where he has been in good standing since his admission in 2012 to the Second Division of the New York Supreme Court. He brings more than 12 years of professional experience in international aviation law to his role as Founder and CEO of AirAdvisor.

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