Airline labour disruptions – what passengers should know

A labour disruption within the airline or within an essential service provider such as an airport or an air navigation service provider is deemed outside the airline's control. This means that the airline must provide you with status updates and that you complete your travel as soon as possible, but is not required to provide compensation under the Air Passenger Protection Regulations. Should your flight be disrupted because of this type of labour dispute, you should:

• 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 you are flexible with your travel dates, you might consider alternate dates or ask if a refund is permitted. Often times, airlines will loosen their ticket rules.