Flight cancellations or delays due to airline strikes can be frustrating, but there is good news for passengers. There is a law called EU 261 that protects you. It says that airlines have to issue compensation if your flight is cancelled or delayed as a result of a strike. In this article, we will explain what the EU 261 regulation is and how it can help you.
Passenger Rights Under EU 261/2004
Now let’s explore the specifics of EU Regulation 261. In the following sections, you will discover your eligibility for compensation and what benefits you can expect in case of a flight disruption.
Right to Compensation
The European Union regulation stipulates that if you are covered by the EU 261/2004, you have a right to seek compensation if a wildcat or planned strike of the airline’s workers affects your flight. Notably, that both cases do not qualify as “extraordinary circumstances” i.e., those beyond the airline’s control.
Flight Cancellation Compensation
In line with EU Regulation 261, you are entitled to compensation of up to €600 if your flight is cancelled and the airline does not notify you about the cancellation within two weeks before your scheduled travel date.
Yet, as is frequently the case, there are exceptions you should be aware of. In particular, the airline is entitled to refuse compensation if they decide to offer you an alternative flight. However, this flight should also meet certain requirements:
- If your flight is over 3,500 km, your replacement flight must arrive at the point of destination with a delay of less than 4 hours;
- If your flight is 1,500-3,500 km, your replacement flight must arrive at the point of destination with a delay of less than 3 hours;
- If your flight is less than 1,500 km, your replacement flight must arrive at the point of destination with a delay of less than 2 hours;
If you agreed to the alternative flight offered by the airline but reached your final destination later than you were supposed to, you are still eligible to claim compensation.
The main factors that affect the amount of compensation are the flight distance and the duration of the delay. See the table below for compensation amounts:
| Under 2 hours | 2-3 hours | 3-4 hours | Over 4 hours | Never arrived | Distance |
| €125 | €250 | €250 | €250 | €250 | All flights 1,500 km or less |
| €200 | €200 | €400 | €400 | €400 | Internal EU flights over 1,500 km |
| €200 | €200 | €400 | €400 | €400 | Non-internal EU flights 1,500 km- 3,500 km |
| €300 | €300 | €300 | €600 | €600 | Non-internal EU flights over 3,500 km |
Flight Delay Compensation
Delays caused by airline strikes of any duration can be frustrating and can significantly disrupt your plans. You may be eligible for compensation if the flight delay resulting from an airline strike lasts a minimum of three hours.
Concerning the possible compensation amount that passengers can expect, there are two crucial factors to consider: the duration of the delay and the flight distance. Check the table below for compensation amounts:
| Less than 3 hours | Between 3-4 hours | Over 4 hours | Distance |
| €0 | €250 | €250 | All flights up to 1500 km |
| €0 | €400 | €400 | All flights between 1500 km and 3500 km |
| €0 | €400 | €400 | All intra-EU flights over 3500 km |
| €0 | €300 | €600 | All non-EU flights over 3500 km |
Ticket Refund or Alternative Transportation
In the rare cases when a passenger’s flight is delayed for 5 or more hours or cancelled, the passenger has more substantial rights. There are two options for you to choose from:
- You can refuse the cancelled or delayed flight and choose a full refund, meaning that you will also cancel your planned trip, and there won’t be a financial penalty for this.
- You can agree to use an alternative flight that the airline arranges for you.
As you can see, you have the right to choose the option that meets your needs.
Right to Care
Besides compensation for a disrupted flight resulting from an airline strike, passengers are also entitled to the right to care. So, the airline must provide passengers with food, beverages, and the opportunity to make two phone calls, fax messages, and emails. If your flight is rescheduled for the next day, the airline is required to provide you with a hotel, as well as transport from the airport to the hotel and back.
Upgrading and Downgrading
Sometimes it happens the airline might either upgrade or downgrade your flight’s class when offering an alternative flight. In such cases, you should understand specific rules and your rights:
In case of upgrading: if your class has been upgraded, you don’t need to pay extra for this advantage.
In case of downgrading: if your class is downgraded, the airline must reimburse you. Furthermore, the compensation in this case entirely depends on the distance of the flight:
- 30% of the cost of the flights that are 1,500 km or less;
- 50% of the cost of t is an intra-EU flight over 1,500 km; also, if these are all other flights that are 1,500-3,500 km;
- 75% of the cost of the flight is 3,500 km and more.
These regulations cover all flights inside the EU; additionally, these rules apply to flights that are either departing from or arriving in the European Union on airlines based in the EU.
When Are You Not Entitled to Compensation?
Unfortunately, you should understand that in situations when the airline cannot influence or prevent the strike, there will be no compensation for passengers. Let’s take an example: any labor dispute can significantly affect aviation (such as a national labor or air traffic strike); however, such events are not under an airline’s control, and it’s not its fault that this situation occurs. As a result, an airline is not obligated to pay compensation for disrupted flights.
Even though many instances of strikes are not covered by EU261 and are classified as “extraordinary circumstances”, this does not automatically mean that the airline will not provide compensation.
According to the ECJ ruling of 11 June 2020 (Case C-74/19), the airline must prove they have done everything possible to avoid a strike. If the airline cannot prove it, they are obliged to provide passengers compensation for flight disruptions.
Which Flights are Covered by EU 261/2004?
EU 261 applies to all flights departing from European Union airports. It also covers flights arriving in the EU if the airline is based in the EU. This includes airlines from EU countries as well as Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.
However, Singapore Airlines is not a European airline. Consequently, they aren’t required to issue compensation if their flights operate outside the European Union. This is true even for their flights to the European Union if they start outside the EU.
| Itinerary | Covered by EU 261 |
| Flights departing from EU airports | ✔️ Yes |
| Flights arriving at EU airports | ❌ No |
How to Get Singapore Airlines Strike Compensation
Dealing with flight delays or cancellations due to strikes is always frustrating. It can not only ruin your trip but also create problems – emotional, financial, etc. To seek compensation for this inconvenience, take the following actions:
- Complete this form. You’ll need to provide details such as your flight number, date, and the problem you faced.
- Let our experts help you. Once you submit the form, our team will handle the rest. We understand the EU laws comprehensively and will do our best to get you your compensation. You only pay us if we win your case.
Recent Flight Delays and Cancellations
Was your flight delayed or cancelled due to the strike? Check our table for the latest flight delays and cancellations. Assess your right to compensation using our claim checker, and let us protect your rights and pursue compensation for you.
Did not find your flight in our table? Try our compensation form, and we will check it for you.
| Date | Airline (Flight number) | Route | Status | Your compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
20.06.202518:40 | Singapore Airlines 5928 | Tottori (TTJ) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202515:00 | Singapore Airlines 4429 | Auckland (AKL) Tauranga (TRG) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202514:50 | Singapore Airlines 5638 | Kuala Lumpur (KUL) Sandakan (SDK) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202514:35 | Singapore Airlines 5636 | Kuala Lumpur (KUL) Tawau (TWU) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202514:30 | Singapore Airlines 6175 | Nadi (NAN) Savusavu (SVU) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202511:50 | Singapore Airlines 2806 | Munich (MUC) Brussels (BRU) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202511:20 | Singapore Airlines 4568 | Timaru (TIU) Wellington (WLG) | cancelled | Claim Refund |
20.06.202510:30 | Singapore Airlines 5969 | Tokyo (HND) Ube (UBJ) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202510:25 | Singapore Airlines 5935 | Tokyo (HND) Akita (AXT) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202510:25 | Singapore Airlines 5949 | Tokyo (HND) Toyama (TOY) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202510:15 | Singapore Airlines 5967 | Tokyo (HND) Okayama (OKJ) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202509:50 | Singapore Airlines 2823 | Brussels (BRU) London (LHR) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202509:45 | Singapore Airlines 5941 | Tokyo (HND) Hakodate (HKD) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202509:40 | Singapore Airlines 2971 | Brussels (BRU) Zurich (ZRH) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202509:25 | Singapore Airlines 5981 | Tokyo (HND) Saga (HSG) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202509:15 | Singapore Airlines 5961 | Tokyo (HND) Kagoshima (KOJ) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202509:10 | Singapore Airlines 5963 | Tokyo (HND) Iwakuni (IWK) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202509:05 | Singapore Airlines 5953 | Tokyo (HND) Matsuyama (MYJ) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202509:00 | Singapore Airlines 2838 | Frankfurt (FRA) Brussels (BRU) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202508:55 | Singapore Airlines 5979 | Tokyo (HND) Odate Noshiro (ONJ) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202508:55 | Singapore Airlines 5947 | Tokyo (HND) Komatsu (KMQ) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202508:55 | Singapore Airlines 2153 | Brussels (BRU) Munich (MUC) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202508:30 | Singapore Airlines 5909 | Tokyo (HND) Ishigaki (ISG) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202508:30 | Singapore Airlines 2037 | Brussels (BRU) Frankfurt (FRA) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202508:25 | Singapore Airlines 164 | Singapore (SIN) Phnom Penh (SAI) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202508:20 | Singapore Airlines 5662 | Kuala Lumpur (KUL) Bintulu (BTU) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202508:10 | Singapore Airlines 5965 | Tokyo (HND) Kumamoto (KMJ) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202508:05 | Singapore Airlines 5943 | Tokyo (HND) Kochi (KCZ) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202508:00 | Singapore Airlines 2720 | Copenhagen (CPH) Trondheim (TRD) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202506:55 | Singapore Airlines 4374 | Auckland (AKL) Dunedin (DUD) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202506:30 | Singapore Airlines 6043 | Cairo (CAI) Dubai (DXB) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.06.202505:20 | Singapore Airlines 6031 | Dubai (DXB) Cairo (CAI) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202523:59 | Singapore Airlines 1212 | Seattle (SEA) Atlanta (ATL) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202523:40 | Singapore Airlines 1544 | San Francisco (SFO) Boston (BOS) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202523:30 | Singapore Airlines 6032 | Cairo (CAI) Dubai (DXB) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202521:28 | Singapore Airlines 1386 | San Francisco (SFO) Boston (BOS) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202520:20 | Singapore Airlines 5918 | Hiroshima (HIJ) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202520:15 | Singapore Airlines 5930 | Yonago (YGJ) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202519:50 | Singapore Airlines 5936 | Akita (AXT) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202519:30 | Singapore Airlines 5946 | Tokyo (CTS) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202519:20 | Singapore Airlines 5924 | Tokushima (TKS) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202519:19 | Singapore Airlines 1223 | El Paso (ELP) Seattle (SEA) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202518:53 | Singapore Airlines 1237 | New York (JFK) Seattle (SEA) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202518:45 | Singapore Airlines 2129 | Berlin (BER) Frankfurt (FRA) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202518:35 | Singapore Airlines 5948 | Komatsu (KMQ) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202518:20 | Singapore Airlines 5772 | Seoul (ICN) Seattle (SEA) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202518:15 | Singapore Airlines 5944 | Kochi (KCZ) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202517:50 | Singapore Airlines 5970 | Ube (UBJ) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202517:50 | Singapore Airlines 5976 | Oita (OIT) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202517:30 | Singapore Airlines 4854 | Kolkata (CCU) Mumbai (BOM) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202517:25 | Singapore Airlines 5487 | Bangkok (BKK) Phnom Penh (SAI) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202517:25 | Singapore Airlines 5966 | Kumamoto (KMJ) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202517:13 | Singapore Airlines 1456 | New York (JFK) Buffalo (BUF) | cancelled | Claim Refund |
19.06.202516:59 | Singapore Airlines 1555 | New York (JFK) Burbank (BUR) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202516:45 | Singapore Airlines 4432 | Auckland (AKL) Taupo (TUO) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202516:45 | Singapore Airlines 1239 | New York (JFK) Seattle (SEA) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202516:30 | Singapore Airlines 1504 | New York (JFK) Seattle (SEA) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202516:00 | Singapore Airlines 1229 | Newark (EWR) Seattle (SEA) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202515:35 | Singapore Airlines 5910 | Ishigaki (ISG) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202515:25 | Singapore Airlines 4980 | Goa (GOI) Mumbai (BOM) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202515:05 | Singapore Airlines 4962 | Mumbai (BOM) Ahmedabad (AMD) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202514:45 | Singapore Airlines 1392 | San Francisco (SFO) Seattle (SEA) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202514:20 | Singapore Airlines 4907 | Coimbatore (CJB) Mumbai (BOM) | cancelled | Claim Refund |
19.06.202514:15 | Singapore Airlines 5771 | Seattle (SEA) Seoul (ICN) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202513:50 | Singapore Airlines 4853 | Mumbai (BOM) Kolkata (CCU) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202513:35 | Singapore Airlines 1710 | Seattle (SEA) Minneapolis (MSP) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202512:46 | Singapore Airlines 1735 | Seattle (SEA) St Louis (STL) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202512:40 | Singapore Airlines 2932 | Zurich (ZRH) Berlin (BER) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202512:29 | Singapore Airlines 1457 | Buffalo (BUF) New York (JFK) | cancelled | Claim Refund |
19.06.202511:40 | Singapore Airlines 6539 | Townsville (TSV) Brisbane (BNE) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202511:24 | Singapore Airlines 1518 | Savannah (SAV) New York (JFK) | cancelled | Claim Refund |
19.06.202511:21 | Singapore Airlines 1200 | Seattle (SEA) Victoria (YYJ) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202511:20 | Singapore Airlines 1230 | Seattle (SEA) Spokane (GEG) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202511:20 | Singapore Airlines 1224 | Seattle (SEA) Eugene (EUG) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202510:55 | Singapore Airlines 5975 | Tokyo (HND) Oita (OIT) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202510:50 | Singapore Airlines 5959 | Tokyo (HND) Miyazaki (KMI) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202510:35 | Singapore Airlines 2272 | Munich (MUC) Sibiu (SBZ) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202510:25 | Singapore Airlines 5935 | Tokyo (HND) Akita (AXT) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202510:15 | Singapore Airlines 5967 | Tokyo (HND) Okayama (OKJ) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202510:15 | Singapore Airlines 27 | Seattle (SEA) Singapore (SIN) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202509:25 | Singapore Airlines 5981 | Tokyo (HND) Saga (HSG) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202509:15 | Singapore Airlines 5961 | Tokyo (HND) Kagoshima (KOJ) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202509:10 | Singapore Airlines 6138 | Addis Ababa (ADD) Entebbe (EBB) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202509:05 | Singapore Airlines 5953 | Tokyo (HND) Matsuyama (MYJ) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202508:55 | Singapore Airlines 5947 | Tokyo (HND) Komatsu (KMQ) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202508:55 | Singapore Airlines 2153 | Brussels (BRU) Munich (MUC) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202508:50 | Singapore Airlines 6528 | Brisbane (BNE) Townsville (TSV) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202508:40 | Singapore Airlines 5971 | Tokyo (HND) Iwami (IWJ) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202508:30 | Singapore Airlines 5909 | Tokyo (HND) Ishigaki (ISG) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202508:30 | Singapore Airlines 2037 | Brussels (BRU) Frankfurt (FRA) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202507:15 | Singapore Airlines 2913 | Berlin (BER) Zurich (ZRH) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202507:15 | Singapore Airlines 4982 | Riyadh (RUH) Mumbai (BOM) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.06.202507:05 | Singapore Airlines 2820 | Hamburg (HAM) Brussels (BRU) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.06.202523:30 | Singapore Airlines 6032 | Cairo (CAI) Dubai (DXB) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.06.202522:34 | Singapore Airlines 1715 | Maui (OGG) Seattle (SEA) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.06.202521:28 | Singapore Airlines 1386 | San Francisco (SFO) Boston (BOS) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.06.202520:49 | Singapore Airlines 1289 | San Francisco (SFO) Seattle (SEA) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.06.202520:42 | Singapore Airlines 1717 | (ORD) Seattle (SEA) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.06.202520:36 | Singapore Airlines 1221 | Dallas (DFW) Seattle (SEA) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.06.202520:15 | Singapore Airlines 5930 | Yonago (YGJ) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
