One of the most common causes of flight interruptions is flight strikes, which are often organized by the personnel, an airport itself, or an airline. As a passenger, you should be aware of the EU 261 regulation, according to which you may be entitled to compensation of up to 600 Euros.
Read on to find out how to obtain compensation and under what circumstances.
Your Passenger Rights
The good news is that any passenger is protected by the EU 261 regulation. The EU 261/2004 is a European Union law that sets the rules for assistance and compensation to passengers in cases of flight delays and cancellations. Now, let’s take a closer look at air passenger rights, under EU 261:
- The airline has to provide passengers with information about their rights.
- In the event of flight cancellation, a passenger has the right to choose one of these options: either a ticket refund or rerouting 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 required to provide hotel accommodation, as well as transportation between the the hotel and airport.
- Compensation from 250 to 600 euros per passenger
When You Are Entitled to Edelweiss Air Strike Compensation
Frequently, Edelweiss Air strikes involve their employees. These could be pilots, engineers, flight attendants, or other essential staff. As you now know, you may be eligible for airline strike compensation, if your trip 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 beyond 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 happens, 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 caused by the airline’s own employees, they are not cases of extraordinary circumstances. Consequently, passengers are entitled to claim flight compensation.
However, 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 pay compensation.
Edelweiss Air Strike Compensation
Before claiming the airline strike compensation, it’s important to understand the criteria and the amount of compensation you might receive.
Edelweiss Air 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 travelers’ plans and make them arrive at their final destination much later than expected. It is crucial to be aware that if your flight is delayed for over 3 hours due to a strike, you are eligible for compensation from the airline for the inconvenience caused.
In assessing the potential sum of compensation, passengers need to take two critical facts into account: the distance of the flight and the delay length they experience. It is important 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 can 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 |
Edelweiss Air Strike Flight Cancellation Compensation
Sometimes, it also happens that airline strikes cause flight cancellations. According to EU Regulation 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 informed you about the cancellation less than two weeks before your travel.
Nevertheless, there are always some exceptions to the rules, 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 requirements listed 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 can claim compensation.
The amount of the compensation fully depends on 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 Edelweiss Air Flights Are Covered by EU261?
The 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 outside the EU if they are operated by EU airlines. The regulation also covers flights to/from Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.
The following table shows which Edelweiss Air flights are covered by EU 261/2004:
| Itinerary | Covered by EU 261 |
| Flights departing the EU airports | ✅ Covered |
| Flights arriving at the EU airports | ✅ Covered |
How to Claim Edelweiss Air Strike Compensation
If you’ve experienced flight delays or cancellations at least once, you understand how annoying it can be.
Travelers who experience any of these situations on Edelweiss Air flights are entitled to claim compensation, according to EU regulations. Follow these steps to claim compensation:
- Complete our form. You’ll need to provide details such as your flight number, date, and the issue you encountered.
- Let our experts help you. Once you submit the form, our team will manage the process. We know the EU laws comprehensively and will do our best to secure your compensation. You are only charged if we win your case.