Are you entitled to airport strike compensation in the EU or the UK?

Yes, you might be—if it’s an airline staff strike. Airline staff strikes are not considered extraordinary circumstances, so you may be entitled to compensation if your flight is disrupted due to an airline strike.

If you are stuck at the airport because of a flight disruption, you have a right to care, too.

1. Types of Strikes

There are two types of strikes.

Not always you can get compensation if your flight is disrupted due to a strike.

1.1 Airport Staff Strikes

There are a lot of people working in airports.

About most, we – travelers – don’t even know.

These people go on strike too. But the difference is that they work for an airport or some other company. They don’t work with airlines — they aren’t employees of airlines. Accordingly, if an airport staff strike causes delays or cancellations, mostly you won’t be entitled to flight compensation.

Mostly, you can’t get strike compensation.

1.2 Airline Staff Strikes

For example, a SAS pilot strike is considered an airline staff strike.

It’s the employees of SAS who went on strike. Accordingly, it will mostly be considered the fault of the airline. As the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg ruled, it’s the responsibility of an airline to look after its own staff.

So, mostly this will be seen as something that they may have prevented but haven’t — accordingly, they have to pay compensation.

Often you can get compensation from the airline.

2. Airport Strike Compensation: When Can You Get It?

Your flight is disrupted because the airline staff is on strike.

Here are situations when you can get compensation:

• Your flight is delayed due to a strike. Mostly delay should be at least 3 hours. It’s calculated at the moment the doors of the airplane are opened, and passengers are free to leave the airplane. You may be entitled to flight delay compensation.
• Your flight is cancelled. It includes flight cancellations that have happened up to 14 days before the departure. In Europe, this is considered a last-minute flight cancellation, and often, you can get flight cancellation compensation.
• You miss your connecting flight if your flight is delayed or cancelled due to an airline strike. As long as you arrive at your final destination 3+ hours late. You may be entitled to compensation for a missed connection.

3. Claiming UK/EU Airport Strike Compensation

How to claim airport strike compensation?

One option is to submit a request directly to the airline with details like your flight number, booking reference, and delay duration. Supporting evidence — such as boarding passes or confirmation emails — can strengthen your case. Most airlines offer online forms, or you can contact them by email. If your claim is unfairly denied, you can escalate it to a national enforcement body.

If you decide to claim strike compensation on your own, you may encounter some challenges. Airlines sometimes provide misleading reasons for delays or cancellations, even claiming that staff strikes are extraordinary circumstances. This is often not true, so be prepared.

Airlines frequently use the term extraordinary circumstances as an excuse to avoid paying compensation—even when it doesn’t apply. Keep this in mind: always double-check the information you receive, ask for evidence, and don’t take their word at face value.

Alternatively, you can work with a flight compensation company. It’s the easiest way.

Mostly, you’ll need to fill in and sign one form, and the rest will be done by the compensation claim company. You won’t need to communicate with the airline. When the process is over, your compensation will be transferred to your bank account. Keep in mind, though, that this service is not free. Most companies charge a fee of around 30–35% of the compensation amount.

3.1 How Much Can You Claim?

The longer the flight, the more you can get.

Here’s how much you can claim:

• 250 EUR – if the flight distance is less than 1500 km;
• 400 EUR – if the distance is between 1500 and 3500 km;
• 600 EUR – if the distance is more than 3500 km.

The best part is that you don’t need travel insurance for this.

The amount of the EU flight compensation is not affected by the ticket price, nor by the age of the passenger. If the compensation is due, your child/baby can get it, too. Even if you haven’t booked a separate seat for your baby. The same applies under UK compensation rules, which are nearly identical to the EU’s, with payments made in pounds instead of euros.

4. Right to Care From Your Airline

Okay, you may get compensation later, but what happens now, when you are waiting for your delayed flight or a replacement flight (if your flight was cancelled)?

You have a right to care if you are waiting at the airport for 3+ hours.

In this case, right to care means:

• Free food and drinks in a reasonable relation to the waiting time (at least a sandwich and a bottle of water or something similar);
• Free hotel accommodation if a stay of one or more nights is necessary (it can be an airport hotel or some other hotel; it’s up to the airline to arrange this);
• Free airport transfer to hotel and back;
• Plus, two telephone calls, telex or fax messages, or e-mails. So you can get in touch with your family, relatives, or inform someone about this delay and the resulting changes in your travel plans.

All of it is possible thanks to Regulation 261/2004 / UK261.