Air France Strike Compensation

Yurii Semikopenko
21.08.2024

One of the most common factors behind flight interruptions is flight strikes, which are often organized 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 might be entitled to compensation of up to 600 Euros.

Continue reading to find out how to obtain compensation and when you qualify.

Your Passenger Rights

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

  • The airline is required to provide passengers with information about their rights.
  • In case of flight cancellation, a passenger has the right to choose one of the following options: either a ticket refund or rebooking 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 from 250 to 600 euros per passenger

When You Are Entitled to Air France Strike Compensation

Often, Air France strikes involve their workers. These can be engineers, pilots, flight attendants, or any other crucial employees. As you’re now aware, you have the right to claim airline strike compensation, if your travel was disrupted. The compensation will then cover the inconvenience you encountered because of the strike.

It is also important 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. Importantly, if a staff strike occurs, the airline could have potentially foreseen and handled such incidents, thus these situations 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. Consequently, passengers have a right to claim flight compensation.

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

Air France Strike Compensation

Before claiming compensation for an airline strike, it’s important to understand the requirements and the amount of compensation you might receive.

Air France Strike Flight Delay Compensation

The longer a flight is delayed, the more trouble it creates for passengers. 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 crucial to know that if your flight is delayed for over 3 hours due to a strike, you can claim compensation from the airline for the inconvenience caused.

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

Less than 3 hoursBetween 3-4 hoursOver 4 hoursDistance
€0€250€250All flights up to 1500 km
€0€400€400All flights between 1500 km and 3500 km
€0€400€400All intra-EU flights over 3500 km
€0€300€600All non-EU flights over 3500 km

Air France Strike Flight Cancellation Compensation

Sometimes, it also happens that airline strikes result in flight cancellations. According to EU 261/2004, you can claim compensation of up to 600 Euros. Note that the regulation also states that you are entitled to compensation in the case when the airline notified you about the cancellation less than 14 days before your travel.

Nevertheless, there are always some exceptions to the regulations, and here is the case. The airline is entitled to avoid paying compensation if it provides the passenger an alternative flight. This alternative flight must meet the conditions listed below:

Advance NoticeRe-routing Requirements
14 DaysNone
7 – 13 DaysAlternative flight departing no more than 2 hours before and arriving less than 4 hours after the original flight
Less than 7 DaysAlternative 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 your destination was still delayed, you have a right to claim compensation.

The amount of the compensation is based on the flight distance and the time of delay in arriving at the final destination. Check the table below for additional information:

Under 2 hours2-3 hours3-4 hoursOver 4 hoursNever arrivedDistance
€125€250€250€250€250All flights 1,500 km or less
€200€200€400€400€400Internal EU flights over 1,500 km
€200€200€400€400€400Non-internal EU flights 1,500 km- 3,500 km
€300€300€300€600€600Non-internal EU flights over 3,500 km

Which Air France Flights Are Covered by EU261?

Regulation EU261 covers all flights departing from EU airports, 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 Switzerland, Iceland, and Norway.

The following table shows which Air France flights are protected by EU 261:

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

How to Claim Air France Strike Compensation

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

Travelers who face any of these issues on Air France flights are entitled to claim compensation, according to European Union regulations. Follow these steps to claim compensation:

  1. Complete our form. You’ll need to provide details including 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 understand the EU laws thoroughly and will make every effort to get you your compensation. You are only charged if we win your case.

Claim your compensation now

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