At a glance: If airport strikes disrupt your holiday, your airline or travel provider is responsible for helping first. That means rebooking or refunding you, and covering essentials like food, drink and accommodation if your journey is delayed overnight. These protections apply even if the strike dates were announced before you booked.
Avanti Travel Insurance can step in to cover extra costs beyond what airlines and providers handle, but only if the strike wasn’t widely known at the time you arranged your trip or policy.
- Classic and Deluxe policies: Benefits for delays over 12 hours, plus cancellation cover if you abandon your trip.
- All policies: Cover for missed departures and missed connections, as long as a gap of at least 2 hours has been allowed for the connection.
Strikes are never a part of anyone’s holiday plans. Yet this year, thousands of travellers have already faced disruption because of them – from French air traffic control walkouts to UK rail strikes that left people struggling to reach the airport.
If you’re affected, the most important thing to know is that your airline or travel provider must support you first.
Under EU and UK air passenger regulations, airlines and ATOL-protected travel companies must offer you a rebooking or refund, regardless of whether strike dates were already announced when you booked.
Travel insurance can help with some of the extra costs they don’t cover, but only if the strike wasn’t common knowledge when you arranged your holiday or bought your policy.
What are my rights if a strike delays or cancels my flight?
If your flight is cancelled or heavily delayed due to strike action, your airline has a legal duty to put things right. They must either rebook you onto an alternative flight or give you a refund.
If the strike involves the airline’s own staff, and you booked directly with them, they may need to arrange travel with another carrier at their expense.
For package holidays booked through an ATOL-protected travel company, responsibility sits with the provider. They must arrange an alternative flight, or if that isn’t possible, give you a full refund for the holiday.
How long does a flight need to be delayed before you get compensation?
According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), these rights apply if your flight:
- Delay of 2+ hours (short flights under 1,500km) – airline must give you food and drink.
- Delay of 3+ hours (flights 1,500–3,500km) or 4+ hours (long-haul over 3,500km) – same duty applies.
- Delay of 5+ hours – you can refuse to board and request a full refund for that flight (and any connecting flights booked with the same airline).
Cash compensation is separate. You may be able to claim it if your flight arrives more than 3 hours late, but only when the delay was within the airline’s control – for example, a technical issue or staffing problem.
The amount depends on flight distance and delay length, ranging from £220 to £520. However, strikes by air traffic control or airport staff usually count as “extraordinary circumstances”, so airlines don’t have to compensate passengers.
How Avanti Travel Insurance can help
Missed departure
If your public transport – such as a bus or train – is cancelled or delayed because of industrial action, you might miss your flight.
With Avanti, you’re covered for reasonable extra costs of getting there another way, such as a taxi or re-routed journey. Classic policies cover up to £1,000; Deluxe policies cover up to £1,500.
Missed connections
If industrial action delays your first flight, ferry, bus or train and you miss an onward connection, your policy could help with costs to catch up with your trip.
Cover applies to reasonable extra travel or accommodation costs needed to re-join your journey by the most direct route – up to £500 on Essentials, £1,000 on Classic, or £1,500 on Deluxe.
Connections must allow a reasonable gap. For example, flights booked with less than 2 hours between them wouldn’t be covered.
Travel delay and cancellation
If your main international flight is delayed due to strike action, our policies pay a set benefit for every 12-hour period of waiting – up to £300 on Classic and £500 on Deluxe. Essentials policies don’t include this benefit.
If the delay lasts more than 12 hours and you decide not to travel, you may be able to claim for cancellation instead, recovering your non-refundable holiday costs.
For full details of what’s covered, including limits and exclusions, see our policy documents.
When strike disruption isn’t covered by travel insurance
For strike-related claims, the common knowledge rule always applies. If strike dates were already announced publicly when you booked your holiday or policy, you won’t be covered.
This includes when dates were reported in the news, published on your airline’s site, or confirmed by a union. Even if you hadn’t seen the announcement yourself, it still counts once public.
You also can’t claim if your airline offers an alternative flight or refund, or if you didn’t allow enough time to reach the airport.
What to do if you’re caught in strike disruption
Airlines and travel companies must tell you your options, but it helps to know what to expect:
- Check updates from your airline or travel provider online. Their app or site often has the latest info before airport screens update.
- Allow extra time. Strike days can mean queues and slower connections, so set off earlier.
- Check your onward travel. Even if your flight runs, trains or transfers might still be disrupted.
- Ask what support your airline or rail operator is offering. Speak to staff or use their app to confirm rebooking, refunds, or vouchers.
- Keep receipts and paperwork. Proof of delays, cancellations, and expenses will help with claims.
- Contact your insurer if you need clarity. Our team can explain your cover and guide you through next steps.
When plans change, we can help put things right
When airport strikes cause uncertainty, it helps to know there’s someone on your side. Airlines and travel providers have legal duties, but Avanti goes further – helping with the knock-on costs that might otherwise fall to you.
That’s Travel Reassurance!
