One of the most common causes of flight disruptions is flight strikes, which can be initiated by the personnel, an airport itself, or an airline. As a passenger, you should be aware of European Union Regulation 261, under which you could be qualified for compensation of up to 600 Euros.
Learn more to find out how to obtain compensation and under what circumstances.
Your Passenger Rights
The good news is that every air traveler is protected by the EU 261 regulation. The EU 261/2004 is a European Union law that sets the rules for compensation and assistance for travelers in cases of flight delays and cancellations. Now, let’s take a closer look at air passenger rights, under EU 261/2004:
- The airline must provide passengers with information about their rights.
- In case of flight cancellation, a passenger is entitled to select one of these options: either a ticket refund or rebooking to the final destination under similar conditions;
- Passengers can expect to receive meals and drinks; they are also entitled to have two free phone calls, e-mails, or faxes.
- If you decide to reroute, and it involves an overnight stay, the airline is obligated to provide hotel accommodation, as well as transportation between the the hotel and airport.
- Compensation between 250 to 600 euros per passenger
When You Are Entitled to Czech Airlines Strike Compensation
Often, Czech Airlines strikes involve their staff. These could be engineers, pilots, flight attendants, or any other crucial staff. As you now know, you can seek compensation for airline strikes, if your trip was disrupted. The compensation will then cover the inconvenience you encountered 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 required to provide compensation. It is important to note if a staff strike occurs, the airline could have potentially foreseen and handled 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 have a right to claim flight compensation.
However, you need to be aware that each incident is individual, meaning that every flight disruption caused by a strike must be carefully analyzed to determine whether the airline will pay compensation.
Czech Airlines Strike Compensation
Before claiming the airline strike compensation, you need to know about the requirements and the amount of compensation you could be entitled to.
Czech Airlines Strike Flight Delay Compensation
The longer a flight is delayed, the more trouble it causes travelers. When airline workers go on strike, it can disrupt travelers’ plans and make them arrive at their final destination much later than expected. It is important to know 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.
In considering the potential sum of compensation, passengers need to take two critical factors into account: the distance of the flight and the delay length they experience. It’s crucial to understand these factors, as only that is how you can be calm regarding the fair flight delay compensation you are entitled to. Below you can see a table with the amounts of compensation you could get.
| 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 |
Czech Airlines Strike Flight Cancellation Compensation
Sometimes, it also happens that airline strikes cause flight cancellations. According to EU Regulation 261, you are eligible for compensation of up to 600 Euros. Note 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.
Nevertheless, 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 flight must meet the conditions 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 have a right to claim compensation.
The amount of the compensation is determined by the flight distance and the time of delay in arriving at the final destination. Check the table below for more details:
| 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 Czech Airlines Flights Are Covered by EU261?
Regulation EU261 covers every flight departing from EU airports, regardless of the airline, as well as flights arriving in the EU from non-EU countries if they are operated by EU airlines. The regulation also covers flights to and from Switzerland, Iceland, and Norway.
The following table shows which Czech Airlines flights are covered by EU Regulation 261:
| Itinerary | Covered by EU 261 |
| Flights departing the EU airports | ✅ Covered |
| Flights arriving at the EU airports | ✅ Covered |
How to Claim Czech Airlines Strike Compensation
If you have encountered flight cancellations or delays at least once, you know how frustrating it can be.
Passengers who encounter any of these issues on Czech Airlines flights have a right to claim compensation, according to the EU regulations. Follow these steps to claim compensation:
- Fill in this form. You’ll need to provide details like your flight number, date, and what went wrong.
- Let our experts help you. Once you submit the form, our team will handle the rest. We know the EU laws comprehensively and will do our best to obtain your rightful compensation. You only pay us if we win your case.