Flight cancellations or delays due to airline strikes can be frustrating, but there is good news for passengers. There is a regulation called EU 261 that protects you. It stipulates that airlines have to issue compensation if your flight is delayed or cancelled because of a strike. In this article, we will clarify what EU261 is and how it can assist you.
Passenger Rights Under EU 261/2004
Now let’s focus on the particulars of EU Regulation 261/2004. In the following sections, you will learn about your eligibility for compensation and what advantages you can expect in the event of a flight disruption.
Right to Compensation
The European Union regulation stipulates that if you are covered by EU 261, you have a right to claim compensation if a wildcat or planned strike of the airline’s workers affects your flight. It is worth noting, that both cases do not qualify as “extraordinary circumstances” which are events outside the airline’s control.
Flight Cancellation Compensation
Under EU Regulation 261, you may be eligible for compensation of up to €600 if your flight is cancelled and the airline does not notify you of the flight cancellation within 14 days before your planned departure date.
Yet, as is frequently the case, there are exceptions you should be aware of. Specifically, the airline is entitled to refuse compensation if they decide to offer you an alternative flight. However, this flight must 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 provided by the airline but reached your final destination later than you were supposed to, you are still eligible to claim compensation.
The primary factors that affect the amount of compensation are the flight distance and the duration of the delay. Check 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 may seriously affect your plans. You are entitled to compensation if the flight delay resulting from an airline strike lasts three or more hours.
Concerning the potential compensation amount that passengers could be entitled to, there are two key 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 situations when a passenger’s flight is either cancelled or delayed for 5 or more hours, the passenger has more significant rights. There are two options for you to choose from:
- You can refuse the delayed or cancelled flight and choose a full ticket 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 select the option that meets your needs.
Right to Care
Besides compensation for a disrupted flight resulting from an airline strike, passengers also have the right to care. Therefore, the airline must provide passengers with meals, beverages, and the opportunity to make two phone calls, fax messages, and emails. When your flight is rescheduled for the next day, the airline is required to provide you with a hotel, as well as transportation between the airport and the hotel.
Upgrading and Downgrading
In some instances, it occurs the airline can either upgrade or downgrade your flight’s class when providing an alternative flight. In these situations, you should understand specific rules and your rights:
In case of upgrading: if your class has been upgraded, you aren’t required to pay extra for this advantage.
In case of downgrading: if your class is downgraded, the airline is obligated to reimburse you. Again, the compensation here is determined by 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 within the EU; besides, 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 cases in which the airline cannot influence or prevent the strike, there will be no compensation for passengers. Let’s take an example: any labor dispute could significantly affect aviation (such as a national labor or air traffic strike); however, such situations are not under the airline’s control, and it’s not their fault that this situation happens. As a result, an airline is not required to pay compensation for disrupted flights.
Although many instances of strikes are not covered by EU261 and are classified as “extraordinary circumstances”, this doesn’t automatically mean that the airline will not pay compensation.
In line with 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, it is required to provide passengers compensation for flight disruptions.
Which Flights are Covered by EU 261/2004?
EU 261 covers all flights departing from EU airports. It also applies to flights arriving in the EU if the airline originates in the EU. This includes airlines from EU countries as well as Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.
However, JetBlue isn’t a European airline. Therefore, they don’t have to issue compensation if their flights operate outside the European Union. This applies even to 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 JetBlue Strike Compensation
Dealing with cancelled or delayed flights due to strikes is always frustrating. This can not only ruin your trip but also create problems – emotional, financial, etc. To seek compensation for this inconvenience, proceed with these steps:
- Complete our 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 are well-versed in the EU laws comprehensively and will do our best to obtain your rightful compensation. You are only charged 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
07.05.202521:30 | JetBlue Airways 359 | Burbank (BUR) New York (JFK) | delayed | Refunds |
07.05.202518:05 | JetBlue Airways 5996 | Boston (BOS) Rockland (RKD) | cancelled | Refunds |
07.05.202517:40 | JetBlue Airways 5117 | Boston (BOS) Augusta (AUG) | delayed | Refunds |
07.05.202517:25 | JetBlue Airways 5159 | Boston (BOS) Bar Harbor (BHB) | delayed | Refunds |
07.05.202516:42 | JetBlue Airways 5137 | Boston (BOS) Saranac Lake (SLK) | delayed | Refunds |
07.05.202514:10 | JetBlue Airways 5126 | Bar Harbor (BHB) Boston (BOS) | delayed | Refunds |
07.05.202510:20 | JetBlue Airways 6841 | Brussels (BRU) Dublin (DUB) | delayed | Refunds |
07.05.202510:15 | JetBlue Airways 5163 | Spanish Town (VIJ) San Juan (SJU) | delayed | Refunds |
07.05.202502:20 | JetBlue Airways 5585 | Doha (DOH) Lahore (LHE) | cancelled | Refunds |
07.05.202501:35 | JetBlue Airways 5595 | Doha (DOH) Nairobi (NBO) | delayed | Refunds |
06.05.202520:25 | JetBlue Airways 5461 | Fort Lauderdale (FLL) Tampa (TPA) | delayed | Refunds |
06.05.202520:10 | JetBlue Airways 2626 | Fort Lauderdale (FLL) Raleigh (RDU) | delayed | Refunds |
06.05.202518:05 | JetBlue Airways 5996 | Boston (BOS) Rockland (RKD) | cancelled | Refunds |
06.05.202517:40 | JetBlue Airways 5117 | Boston (BOS) Augusta (AUG) | cancelled | Refunds |
06.05.202517:25 | JetBlue Airways 5159 | Boston (BOS) Bar Harbor (BHB) | cancelled | Refunds |
06.05.202516:40 | JetBlue Airways 5191 | Charlotte Amalie (STT) Anguilla (AXA) | delayed | Refunds |
06.05.202515:40 | JetBlue Airways 5116 | Augusta (AUG) Boston (BOS) | cancelled | Refunds |
06.05.202507:40 | JetBlue Airways 5810 | Honolulu (HNL) Los Angeles (LAX) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202518:30 | JetBlue Airways 6689 | Warsaw (WAW) Budapest (BUD) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202518:20 | JetBlue Airways 6828 | Dublin (DUB) Paris (CDG) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202518:05 | JetBlue Airways 5996 | Boston (BOS) Rockland (RKD) | cancelled | Refunds |
05.05.202517:50 | JetBlue Airways 5105 | Boston (BOS) Rutland (RUT) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202517:40 | JetBlue Airways 5117 | Boston (BOS) Augusta (AUG) | cancelled | Refunds |
05.05.202517:00 | JetBlue Airways 6889 | Amsterdam (AMS) Dublin (DUB) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202516:42 | JetBlue Airways 5137 | Boston (BOS) Saranac Lake (SLK) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202515:55 | JetBlue Airways 5463 | Fort Lauderdale (FLL) Marsh Harbour (MHH) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202515:40 | JetBlue Airways 5116 | Augusta (AUG) Boston (BOS) | cancelled | Refunds |
05.05.202513:30 | JetBlue Airways 6412 | Belgrade (BEG) Budapest (BUD) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202513:20 | JetBlue Airways 6825 | Paris (CDG) Dublin (DUB) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202513:20 | JetBlue Airways 6314 | London (LHR) Budapest (BUD) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202512:50 | JetBlue Airways 6674 | Budapest (BUD) Warsaw (WAW) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202512:00 | JetBlue Airways 6286 | London (LHR) Brussels (BRU) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202511:00 | JetBlue Airways 6292 | London (LHR) Dusseldorf (DUS) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202510:25 | JetBlue Airways 6893 | Dusseldorf (DUS) Dublin (DUB) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202510:25 | JetBlue Airways 2709 | New York (JFK) Santo Domingo (SDQ) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202510:20 | JetBlue Airways 6841 | Brussels (BRU) Dublin (DUB) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202510:16 | JetBlue Airways 1160 | Philadelphia (PHL) Boston (BOS) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202510:05 | JetBlue Airways 6421 | Paris (CDG) Belgrade (BEG) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202509:35 | JetBlue Airways 5161 | Boston (BOS) Rockland (RKD) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202509:30 | JetBlue Airways 5388 | Boston (BOS) Hyannis (HYA) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202509:30 | JetBlue Airways 5178 | Nantucket (ACK) Boston (BOS) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202509:29 | JetBlue Airways 627 | New York (JFK) Puerto Plata (POP) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202508:53 | JetBlue Airways 5101 | Boston (BOS) Rutland (RUT) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202508:50 | JetBlue Airways 5157 | Boston (BOS) Bar Harbor (BHB) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202508:35 | JetBlue Airways 5168 | Boston (BOS) White River (LEB) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202508:15 | JetBlue Airways 5382 | Boston (BOS) Nantucket (ACK) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202508:00 | JetBlue Airways 8603 | New York (MCO) San Salvador (SAL) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202507:55 | JetBlue Airways 5115 | Boston (BOS) Nantucket (ACK) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202507:50 | JetBlue Airways 5110 | Augusta (AUG) Boston (BOS) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202507:25 | JetBlue Airways 5114 | Saranac Lake (SLK) Boston (BOS) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202507:20 | JetBlue Airways 5100 | Rutland (RUT) Boston (BOS) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202507:20 | JetBlue Airways 5356 | Vineyard Haven (MVY) Boston (BOS) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202507:00 | JetBlue Airways 1006 | Nashville (BNA) Boston (BOS) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202506:30 | JetBlue Airways 6717 | Ponta Delgada (PDL) Lisbon (LIS) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202506:00 | JetBlue Airways 375 | Windsor Locks (BDL) San Juan (SJU) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202506:00 | JetBlue Airways 562 | San Juan (SJU) Boston (BOS) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202506:00 | JetBlue Airways 2660 | Philadelphia (PHL) Boston (BOS) | delayed | Refunds |
05.05.202506:00 | JetBlue Airways 345 | Islip (ISP) Boston (BOS) | cancelled | Refunds |
04.05.202523:59 | JetBlue Airways 1478 | Las Vegas (LAS) Boston (BOS) | delayed | Refunds |
04.05.202522:39 | JetBlue Airways 994 | Denver (DEN) Boston (BOS) | delayed | Refunds |
04.05.202522:34 | JetBlue Airways 988 | Los Angeles (LAX) Boston (BOS) | delayed | Refunds |
04.05.202521:35 | JetBlue Airways 916 | Los Angeles (SMF) Boston (BOS) | delayed | Refunds |
04.05.202521:20 | JetBlue Airways 438 | New York (MCO) Windsor Locks (BDL) | delayed | Refunds |
04.05.202521:10 | JetBlue Airways 6289 | Budapest (BUD) London (LHR) | delayed | Refunds |
04.05.202521:00 | JetBlue Airways 478 | Las Vegas (LAS) Boston (BOS) | delayed | Refunds |
04.05.202521:00 | JetBlue Airways 709 | New York (JFK) Santo Domingo (SDQ) | delayed | Refunds |
04.05.202520:52 | JetBlue Airways 134 | San Francisco (SFO) Boston (BOS) | delayed | Refunds |
04.05.202520:25 | JetBlue Airways 6414 | Belgrade (BEG) Budapest (BUD) | delayed | Refunds |
04.05.202519:40 | JetBlue Airways 6546 | Hong Kong (HKG) Doha (DOH) | delayed | Refunds |
04.05.202517:45 | JetBlue Airways 6876 | Dublin (DUB) Berlin (BER) | delayed | Refunds |
04.05.202517:29 | JetBlue Airways 1202 | New York (JFK) Buffalo (BUF) | delayed | Refunds |
04.05.202516:50 | JetBlue Airways 6680 | Warsaw (WAW) Krakow (KRK) | delayed | Refunds |
04.05.202516:40 | JetBlue Airways 5191 | Charlotte Amalie (STT) Anguilla (AXA) | delayed | Refunds |
04.05.202516:35 | JetBlue Airways 5350 | Charlotte Amalie (STT) Nevis (NEV) | delayed | Refunds |
04.05.202516:05 | JetBlue Airways 221 | New York (MCO) Montego Bay (MBJ) | delayed | Refunds |
04.05.202514:15 | JetBlue Airways 5816 | Honolulu (HNL) Boston (BOS) | delayed | Refunds |
04.05.202513:10 | JetBlue Airways 5126 | Bar Harbor (BHB) Boston (BOS) | delayed | Refunds |
04.05.202511:38 | JetBlue Airways 398 | Seattle (SEA) Boston (BOS) | delayed | Refunds |
04.05.202508:45 | JetBlue Airways 6571 | Hanoi (HAN) Doha (DOH) | delayed | Refunds |
03.05.202520:50 | JetBlue Airways 6515 | Doha (DOH) Phuket (HKT) | delayed | Refunds |
03.05.202520:10 | JetBlue Airways 6622 | Doha (DOH) Bangkok (BKK) | delayed | Refunds |
03.05.202518:05 | JetBlue Airways 5933 | San Juan (SJU) Vieques (VQS) | delayed | Refunds |
03.05.202518:05 | JetBlue Airways 5996 | Boston (BOS) Rockland (RKD) | cancelled | Refunds |
03.05.202517:40 | JetBlue Airways 5117 | Boston (BOS) Augusta (AUG) | cancelled | Refunds |
03.05.202516:40 | JetBlue Airways 5191 | Charlotte Amalie (STT) Anguilla (AXA) | delayed | Refunds |
03.05.202516:35 | JetBlue Airways 5176 | San Juan (SJU) Spanish Town (VIJ) | cancelled | Refunds |
03.05.202516:10 | JetBlue Airways 5104 | Rutland (RUT) Boston (BOS) | cancelled | Refunds |
03.05.202516:00 | JetBlue Airways 5569 | Doha (DOH) Amman (AMM) | delayed | Refunds |
03.05.202515:40 | JetBlue Airways 5116 | Augusta (AUG) Boston (BOS) | cancelled | Refunds |
03.05.202514:30 | JetBlue Airways 5176 | Spanish Town (VIJ) San Juan (SJU) | cancelled | Refunds |
02.05.202522:20 | JetBlue Airways 5808 | Honolulu (HNL) Las Vegas (LAS) | delayed | Refunds |
02.05.202517:10 | JetBlue Airways 358 | New York (JFK) Burbank (BUR) | delayed | Refunds |
02.05.202516:50 | JetBlue Airways 263 | New York (JFK) Seattle (SEA) | delayed | Refunds |
02.05.202516:40 | JetBlue Airways 5191 | Charlotte Amalie (STT) Anguilla (AXA) | delayed | Refunds |
02.05.202513:45 | JetBlue Airways 5126 | Bar Harbor (BHB) Boston (BOS) | delayed | Refunds |
02.05.202513:05 | JetBlue Airways 5118 | San Juan (SJU) Spanish Town (VIJ) | cancelled | Refunds |
02.05.202512:55 | JetBlue Airways 5998 | New York (JFK) Saranac Lake (SLK) | delayed | Refunds |
02.05.202511:55 | JetBlue Airways 5125 | Boston (BOS) Bar Harbor (BHB) | delayed | Refunds |
01.05.202521:30 | JetBlue Airways 359 | Burbank (BUR) New York (JFK) | delayed | Refunds |
01.05.202517:29 | JetBlue Airways 1202 | New York (JFK) Buffalo (BUF) | delayed | Refunds |
