Know your rights should you ever face a strike from an Airline.

What happens if an airline cancels your flight? What are my rights if my flights are cancelled? Know your rights should your flight is cancelled.

Q. What do I do if my flight is cancelled because of a strike?

A. Under EU Regulation 261 airlines must offer passengers affected by cancellations a full refund or a rerouting on the next available flight. If you ask to be put on the next available flight then the airline must provide care and assistance until you can be accommodated on an alternative flight. If you opt for a refund the airline’s responsibility to you ends.

Q. What does care and assistance mean?

A. If you are overseas and trying to get home – or indeed in Ireland and trying to get away – the airline must provide you with meals and refreshments. If necessary it will have to cover the cost of hotel accommodation and transport between the hotel and the airport and you will have to be offered two free telephone calls and access to email.

Q. What happens if my flight is not cancelled, but I face a long delay?

A. If you are facing a delay the airline must also provide you with care and assistance. If you are left hanging around in an airport it must cover reasonable cost of meals and refreshments. If your flight is delayed by more than five hours an airline must offer you the choice of continuing with your journey or a refund of the cost of your ticket.

Q. If I am overseas & can’t get home, what can I do?

A. If the airline does not provide the care and assistance it is legally obliged to at the moment you need it, you should make your own reasonable arrangements and retain all receipts and use them to claim back the reasonable expenses.
If your flight is cancelled for any reason, and regardless of when you are notified, your airline must offer you the choice between:
1) Re-routing as soon as possible, subject to availability, free of charge.
2) Re-routing at a later date.
3) A full refund.

Q. How do I arrange a re-routing or refund?

A. The quickest option is to check your carrier’s website. It should include the steps to process your own refunds or bookings.

Q. Can my travel insurance help?

A. In the event of a flight cancellation, the first source of refunds and re-routing should be with your airline. Your travel insurance policy can provide cover for travel delay and journey continuation for reasonable expenses. Keep receipts for additional expenses incurred! Provide proof from your airline that this was not paid! Refer to your policy booklet or PDF for more details. Always best to read the small print!