Airline labour disruptions – what passengers should know
Labour Disruptions
The Air Passenger Protection Regulations include obligations for airlines in the event of flight disruptions and cancellations.
Obligations
A labour disruption within an airline, or within an essential service provider such as an airport or an air navigation service provider, is considered a situation outside an airline’s control.
This means that the airline, large or small, must rebook passengers on its next available flight or on the flight of an airline with which it has a commercial agreement. The flight must depart within 48 hours after the passenger's original departure time. If the airline cannot rebook the passenger within 48 hours, the airline must, at the passenger's choice:
- Provide a refund; or
- Make alternate travel arrangements, free of charge.
What can you do to be prepared?
If you have a trip that you think may be affected by a labour disruption, these are a few helpful tips you can follow in advance of your travel:
- contact the airline to confirm your travel dates and ask what you should do to prepare;
- regularly consult the airline's website to determine if it has implemented a policy dealing with this situation for ticket holders;
- verify if your travel insurance or the credit card insurance covers refunds for flights disruptions caused by labour disruptions; and
- if your travel dates are flexible, you may wish to consider contacting the airline to ask if it will reschedule your trip. Although airlines are not obligated to do so, sometimes, in advance of potential labour disruptions, they will waive fees related to rebooking or cancellation.
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