Air Belgium Strike Compensation

One of the most common reasons for flight interruptions is flight strikes, which may be initiated by airline staff, an airport itself, or an airline. As a passenger, you should be aware of the EU 261 regulation, according to which you may be eligible for compensation of up to 600 Euros.

Read on to find out how you can get compensation and in which situations.

Your Passenger Rights

The good news is that every air traveler is protected by the EU 261 regulation. The EU 261 is a European Union law that sets the rules for assistance and compensation for travelers in cases of flight delays and cancellations. Now, let’s take a closer look at passenger rights, under European Regulation 261:

• The airline is required to provide travelers with information about their rights.
• In case of flight cancellation, a passenger has the right to select one of these options: either a ticket refund or rerouting to the final destination under similar conditions;
• Passengers can expect to receive food and beverages; they are also entitled to have two free phone calls, e-mails, or faxes.
• If you choose an alternative flight, and it involves an overnight stay, the airline is obligated to provide hotel accommodation, as well as transportation between the airport and the hotel.
• Compensation between 250 to 600 euros per passenger

When You Are Entitled to Air Belgium Strike Compensation

Often, Air Belgium strikes involve their workers. These could be engineers, pilots, flight attendants, or other essential employees. As you now know, you may be eligible for compensation for airline strikes, if your travel was disrupted. The compensation will then cover the inconvenience you faced due to the strike.

It is also crucial to understand what “extraordinary circumstances” are. These are events outside of the airline’s control. If a strike is considered one of these circumstances, the airline is not obliged to provide compensation. It is important to note if a staff strike occurs, the airline could have potentially foreseen and managed such incidents, therefore such cases are within the airline’s control. That is when flight disruptions are made by the airline’s own employees, these are not cases of extraordinary circumstances. As a result, passengers are entitled to claim flight compensation.

Nonetheless, you should understand that each incident is individual, meaning that every flight disruption caused by a strike must be carefully analyzed to determine whether the airline will provide compensation.

Air Belgium Strike Compensation

Before claiming compensation for an airline strike, you should be aware of the criteria and the amount of compensation you could be entitled to.

Air Belgium Strike Flight Delay Compensation

The longer a flight is delayed, the more trouble it causes travelers. When airline staff go on strike, it can disrupt passengers’ plans and make them arrive at their final destination much later than expected. It is essential to understand that if your flight is delayed for over 3 hours because of a strike, you are entitled to compensation from the airline for the inconvenience caused.

When assessing the potential sum of compensation, passengers should take two critical factors into account: the distance of the flight and the delay length they experience. It’s essential to understand these details, as only that is how you can be calm regarding the fair flight delay compensation you are entitled to. In the following, you can see a table with the amounts of compensation you could receive.

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

Air Belgium Strike Flight Cancellation Compensation

Sometimes, it also happens that airline strikes result in flight cancellation. According to EU 261/2004, you are eligible for compensation of up to 600 Euros. It’s important to know that the regulation also states that you are entitled to compensation in the case when the airline informed you about the cancellation less than two weeks before your travel.

However, there are always some exceptions to the regulations, and here is the case. The airline has a right to avoid paying compensation if it provides the passenger an alternative flight. This alternative flight must meet the criteria enumerated below:

Advance Notice	Re-routing Requirements
14 Days	None
7 – 13 Days	Alternative flight departing no more than 2 hours before and arriving less than 4 hours after the original flight
Less than 7 Days	Alternative flight departing no more than 1 hour before and arriving less than 2 hours after the original flight

Importantly, if you used an alternative flight but your final arrival time at the destination point was still delayed, you are entitled to claim compensation.

The amount of the compensation fully depends on the flight distance and the time of delay in arriving at the final destination. Take a look at the table below for additional information:

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

Which Air Belgium Flights Are Covered by EU261?

EU261 regulation applies to every flight departing from airports in the EU, regardless of the airline, as well as flights arriving in the EU from non-EU countries when operated by EU airlines. The regulation also covers flights to and from Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.

The following table shows which Air Belgium flights are covered by EU Regulation 261/2004:

Itinerary	Covered by EU 261
Flights departing the EU airports	✅ Covered
Flights arriving at the EU airports	✅ Covered

How to Claim Air Belgium Strike Compensation

If you’ve encountered flight cancellations or delays at least once, you know how annoying it can be.

Travelers who face any of these situations on Air Belgium flights have a right to claim compensation, according to EU regulations. Follow these steps to claim compensation:

1. Complete our form. You’ll need to provide details like your flight number, date, and the issue you encountered.
2. Let our experts help you. Once you submit the form, our team will handle the rest. We know the EU laws well and will make every effort to obtain your rightful compensation. You are only charged if we win your case.