Smartwings Strike Compensation

One of the most common factors behind flight disruptions is flight strikes, which can be arranged by the personnel, an airport itself, or an airline. As a passenger, you should be aware of European Union Regulation 261, according to which you could be eligible for compensation of up to 600 Euros.

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

Your Passenger Rights

The good news is that every air traveler is protected by EU Regulation 261. The EU 261 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 261/2004:

• The airline is required to provide travelers 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 food and beverages; 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 airport and the hotel.
• Compensation from 250 to 600 euros per passenger

When You Are Entitled to Smartwings Strike Compensation

Often, Smartwings strikes involve their workers. These can be flight attendants, pilots, engineers, or any other crucial personnel. As you’re now aware, you have the right to claim 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 outside of the airline’s control. If a strike is considered one of these circumstances, the airline is not required to provide compensation. Importantly, if a staff strike occurs, the airline could have potentially foreseen and managed such incidents, thus such cases are within the airline’s control. That is when flight disruptions are made by the airline’s own employees, they are not cases of extraordinary circumstances. As a result, passengers have a right 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.

Smartwings Strike Compensation

Before claiming compensation for an airline strike, you should be aware of the requirements and the amount of compensation you might receive.

Smartwings Strike Flight Delay Compensation

The longer a flight is delayed, the more trouble it causes 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 be aware 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.

In considering the potential sum of compensation, passengers should take two critical factors into account: the distance of the flight and the duration of the delay. It is important to understand these factors, as only that is how you can be calm regarding the fair flight delay compensation you deserve. In the following, you can find 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

Smartwings Strike Flight Cancellation Compensation

Sometimes, it also happens that airline strikes cause flight cancellations. According to EU 261/2004, you may receive 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 is entitled to avoid paying compensation if it provides the passenger an alternative flight. This alternative 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 your destination 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 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 Smartwings Flights Are Covered by EU261?

Regulation EU261 applies to all flights departing from EU airports, regardless of the airline, as well as flights arriving in the EU from outside the EU if they are operated by airlines based in the EU. It also applies to flights to and from Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.

The following table shows which Smartwings flights are protected 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 Smartwings Strike Compensation

If you have faced flight cancellations or delays at least once, you understand how annoying it can be.

Travelers who encounter any of these issues on Smartwings flights have a right to claim compensation, according to European Union regulations. Follow these steps to claim compensation:

1. Fill in our form. You’ll need to provide details including your flight number, date, and what went wrong.
2. 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.