Flight delays or cancellations due to airline strikes can be annoying, but there is good news for travelers. There is a regulation called EU 261 that protects you. It says that airlines must issue compensation if your flight is cancelled or delayed due to a strike. In this article, we will clarify what the EU 261 regulation is and how it can assist you.
Passenger Rights Under EU 261/2004
Now let’s focus on the details of EU Regulation 261. In the following sections, you will learn about your entitlement to 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 protected by the EU 261/2004, you are entitled 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” i.e., those beyond the airline’s control.
Flight Cancellation Compensation
According to 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 about the cancellation within 14 days before your planned departure date.
However, as it often happens, there are exceptions you should be aware of. In particular, the airline is entitled to refuse compensation if they decide to offer you an alternative flight. However, this flight should 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 arrived at your final destination later than originally scheduled, you are still eligible to claim compensation.
The main factors that affect the amount of compensation are the flight distance and the duration of the delay. See 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 can significantly disrupt your plans. You are entitled to compensation if the flight delay resulting from an airline strike lasts at least three hours.
Regarding the possible amount of compensation that passengers may receive, there are two key factors to consider: the duration of the delay and the flight distance. See the table provided 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 cases when a passenger’s flight is delayed for 5 or more hours or cancelled, the passenger is entitled to more significant rights. You have two options to select from:
- You can refuse the delayed or cancelled flight and choose a full 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 choose the option that meets your needs.
Right to Care
In addition to compensation for a disrupted flight resulting from an airline strike, passengers also have the right to care. So, the airline is required to provide passengers with food, drinks, and the opportunity to make two phone calls, fax messages, and emails. When your flight is rescheduled for the next day, the airline has to provide you with a hotel, as well as transportation between the airport and the hotel.
Upgrading and Downgrading
Sometimes it occurs the airline may either upgrade or downgrade your flight’s class when offering an alternative flight. In such cases, you should understand specific rules and your rights:
In case of upgrading: if your class has been upgraded, you won’t have to pay extra for this advantage.
In case of downgrading: if your class is downgraded, the airline is obligated to reimburse you. Furthermore, the compensation in this case 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 rules apply to all flights within the EU; besides, these regulations cover 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 know that in cases in which the airline can’t 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 an airline’s control, and it’s not its fault that this situation occurs. Therefore, an airline is not required to pay compensation for disrupted flights.
Even though many cases 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.
According to the ECJ ruling of 11 June 2020 (Case C-74/19), the airline must prove they have done everything possible to prevent a strike. If the airline cannot prove it, it is required to pay passengers compensation for flight disruptions.
Which Flights are Covered by EU 261/2004?
EU Regulation 261 applies to all flights departing from European Union 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, Turkish Airlines is not a European airline. Therefore, they aren’t required 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 Turkish Airlines Strike Compensation
Dealing with flight cancellations or delays due to strikes is always frustrating. Such situations can not only ruin your trip but also create problems – emotional, financial, etc. To seek compensation for this inconvenience, follow these steps:
- Complete this form. You’ll need to provide details like 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 strive to get you your compensation. You only pay us 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
20.05.202521:10 | Turkish Airlines 8843 | Tokyo (KIX) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.05.202518:05 | Turkish Airlines 8852 | Tokyo (HND) Tokyo (KIX) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.05.202518:00 | Turkish Airlines 8826 | Tokyo (ITM) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.05.202517:25 | Turkish Airlines 4523 | Bangkok (BKK) Phnom Penh (SAI) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.05.202517:25 | Turkish Airlines 8425 | Kumamoto (KMJ) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.05.202517:00 | Turkish Airlines 4560 | Hiroshima (HIJ) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.05.202517:00 | Turkish Airlines 4564 | Komatsu (KMQ) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.05.202516:40 | Turkish Airlines 8339 | Okinawa (OKA) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.05.202516:30 | Turkish Airlines 8427 | Kagoshima (KOJ) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.05.202514:55 | Turkish Airlines 8155 | Krakow (KRK) Warsaw (WAW) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.05.202513:55 | Turkish Airlines 8846 | Tokyo (HND) Tokyo (KIX) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.05.202511:35 | Turkish Airlines 4526 | Bangkok (BKK) Phnom Penh (SAI) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.05.202510:15 | Turkish Airlines 4565 | Tokyo (HND) Toyama (TOY) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.05.202510:05 | Turkish Airlines 1729 | Istanbul (IST) Berlin (BER) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.05.202509:20 | Turkish Airlines 8729 | Auckland (AKL) Brisbane (BNE) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.05.202508:55 | Turkish Airlines 9423 | Sao Paulo (GRU) Brasilia (BSB) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.05.202508:10 | Turkish Airlines 8591 | Bucharest (OTP) Istanbul (IST) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.05.202508:10 | Turkish Airlines 8424 | Tokyo (HND) Kumamoto (KMJ) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.05.202507:55 | Turkish Airlines 1389 | Istanbul (IST) Bordeaux (BOD) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.05.202507:40 | Turkish Airlines 269 | Istanbul (IST) Chisinau (RMO) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.05.202507:40 | Turkish Airlines 1937 | Istanbul (IST) Brussels (BRU) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.05.202506:50 | Turkish Airlines 1043 | Istanbul (IST) Bucharest (OTP) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.05.202506:30 | Turkish Airlines 8109 | Ponta Delgada (PDL) Lisbon (LIS) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.05.202506:20 | Turkish Airlines 4567 | Tokyo (HND) Tokyo (CTS) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.05.202506:20 | Turkish Airlines 8428 | Tokyo (HND) Fukuoka (FUK) | delayed | Claim Refund |
20.05.202501:10 | Turkish Airlines 964 | Istanbul (IST) Lefkosa (ECN) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202521:50 | Turkish Airlines 657 | Istanbul (IST) Tunis (TUN) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202521:45 | Turkish Airlines 199 | Tokyo (HND) Istanbul (IST) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202521:10 | Turkish Airlines 8843 | Tokyo (KIX) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202521:00 | Turkish Airlines 758 | Istanbul (IST) Dubai (DXB) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202519:59 | Turkish Airlines 8609 | (ORD) Seattle (SEA) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202519:00 | Turkish Airlines 1529 | Istanbul (IST) Dusseldorf (DUS) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202518:55 | Turkish Airlines 8967 | New York (JFK) West Palm Beach (PBI) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202518:50 | Turkish Airlines 161 | Istanbul (SAW) Lefkosa (ECN) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202518:50 | Turkish Airlines 1941 | Istanbul (IST) Brussels (BRU) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202518:15 | Turkish Airlines 236 | Istanbul (IST) (UBN) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202517:25 | Turkish Airlines 8425 | Kumamoto (KMJ) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202517:05 | Turkish Airlines 9012 | Bucharest (OTP) Timisoara (TSR) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202516:30 | Turkish Airlines 8427 | Kagoshima (KOJ) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202516:15 | Turkish Airlines 4900 | Istanbul (IST) Lefkosa (ECN) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202516:05 | Turkish Airlines 8930 | Raleigh (RDU) Boston (BOS) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202515:52 | Turkish Airlines 8986 | New York (MCO) Boston (BOS) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202515:20 | Turkish Airlines 8210 | Bari (BRI) Rome (FCO) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202515:00 | Turkish Airlines 1527 | Istanbul (IST) Dusseldorf (DUS) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202515:00 | Turkish Airlines 834 | Istanbul (IST) Aqaba (AQJ) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202514:45 | Turkish Airlines 9002 | Bucharest (OTP) Timisoara (TSR) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202514:40 | Turkish Airlines 9586 | Seattle (SEA) San Francisco (SFO) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202514:35 | Turkish Airlines 4812 | Kuala Lumpur (KUL) Tawau (TWU) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202514:25 | Turkish Airlines 1944 | Brussels (BRU) Istanbul (IST) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202513:55 | Turkish Airlines 8846 | Tokyo (HND) Tokyo (KIX) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202513:35 | Turkish Airlines 4524 | Phnom Penh (SAI) Bangkok (BKK) | cancelled | Claim Refund |
19.05.202513:30 | Turkish Airlines 8209 | Rome (FCO) Bari (BRI) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202513:15 | Turkish Airlines 273 | Istanbul (IST) Chisinau (RMO) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202512:59 | Turkish Airlines 8560 | Richmond (RIC) Boston (BOS) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202512:45 | Turkish Airlines 1945 | Istanbul (IST) Brussels (BRU) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202512:40 | Turkish Airlines 8906 | New York (MCO) Boston (BOS) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202511:35 | Turkish Airlines 4526 | Bangkok (BKK) Phnom Penh (SAI) | cancelled | Claim Refund |
19.05.202511:20 | Turkish Airlines 8208 | Bari (BRI) Rome (FCO) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202510:55 | Turkish Airlines 1943 | Istanbul (IST) Brussels (BRU) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202510:35 | Turkish Airlines 8154 | Warsaw (WAW) Krakow (KRK) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202510:35 | Turkish Airlines 1924 | Zurich (BSL) Istanbul (IST) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202510:30 | Turkish Airlines 759 | Dubai (DXB) Istanbul (IST) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202510:30 | Turkish Airlines 3812 | (NKT) Covilha (COV) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202508:10 | Turkish Airlines 8424 | Tokyo (HND) Kumamoto (KMJ) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202508:00 | Turkish Airlines 6801 | Istanbul (IST) (KFS) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202508:00 | Turkish Airlines 3811 | Istanbul (ESB) (NKT) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202507:30 | Turkish Airlines 1923 | Istanbul (IST) Zurich (BSL) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202507:25 | Turkish Airlines 1937 | Istanbul (IST) Brussels (BRU) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202507:00 | Turkish Airlines 1035 | Istanbul (IST) Budapest (BUD) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202505:41 | Turkish Airlines | Diyarbakir (DIY) Erbil (EBL) | delayed | Claim Refund |
19.05.202501:10 | Turkish Airlines 611 | Istanbul (IST) Asmara (ASM) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.05.202521:10 | Turkish Airlines 8843 | Tokyo (KIX) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.05.202518:20 | Turkish Airlines 1465 | Istanbul (IST) Bari (BRI) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.05.202518:15 | Turkish Airlines 254 | Istanbul (IST) Dushanbe (DYU) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.05.202518:10 | Turkish Airlines 4566 | Toyama (TOY) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.05.202518:05 | Turkish Airlines 8852 | Tokyo (HND) Tokyo (KIX) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.05.202518:00 | Turkish Airlines 8826 | Tokyo (ITM) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.05.202517:45 | Turkish Airlines 8429 | Fukuoka (FUK) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.05.202517:30 | Turkish Airlines 4568 | Tokyo (CTS) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.05.202517:25 | Turkish Airlines 8425 | Kumamoto (KMJ) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.05.202517:00 | Turkish Airlines 8645 | Bathurst (ZBF) Montreal (YUL) | cancelled | Claim Refund |
18.05.202517:00 | Turkish Airlines 4564 | Komatsu (KMQ) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.05.202517:00 | Turkish Airlines 4560 | Hiroshima (HIJ) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.05.202516:40 | Turkish Airlines 8339 | Okinawa (OKA) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.05.202516:30 | Turkish Airlines 8427 | Kagoshima (KOJ) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.05.202515:40 | Turkish Airlines 8331 | Honolulu (HNL) Tokyo (HND) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.05.202515:20 | Turkish Airlines 8210 | Bari (BRI) Rome (FCO) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.05.202515:10 | Turkish Airlines 4489 | Phuket (HKT) Pattaya (UTP) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.05.202514:35 | Turkish Airlines 4812 | Kuala Lumpur (KUL) Tawau (TWU) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.05.202513:30 | Turkish Airlines 8209 | Rome (FCO) Bari (BRI) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.05.202512:00 | Turkish Airlines 2748 | Istanbul (IST) Van (VAN) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.05.202510:15 | Turkish Airlines 4565 | Tokyo (HND) Toyama (TOY) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.05.202508:55 | Turkish Airlines 4563 | Tokyo (HND) Komatsu (KMQ) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.05.202508:25 | Turkish Airlines 2666 | Istanbul (IST) (NKT) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.05.202508:00 | Turkish Airlines 661 | Istanbul (IST) Tunis (TUN) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.05.202506:25 | Turkish Airlines 8338 | Tokyo (HND) Okinawa (OKA) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.05.202505:15 | Turkish Airlines 215 | Sao Paulo (GRU) Santiago (SCL) | delayed | Claim Refund |
18.05.202501:05 | Turkish Airlines 501 | Istanbul (IST) (DSS) | delayed | Claim Refund |
17.05.202523:15 | Turkish Airlines 167 | Istanbul (SAW) Lefkosa (ECN) | delayed | Claim Refund |
17.05.202522:10 | Turkish Airlines 8083 | Manila (MNL) Davao (DVO) | delayed | Claim Refund |
