Brits flying with easyJet given winter sun warning over 'unlimited' strike action
Brits looking to fly abroad and enjoy some winter sun have been warned over potential strike action that has been labelled as 'unlimited' by those behind it.
And the knock-on effect from this could be huge for travellers going on holiday right up to the end of 2024.
There has already been problems with easyJet this autumn, with thousands of passengers entitled to compensation after hundreds of flights were cancelled in and out of Portugal.
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The likes of Money Saving Expert founder Martin Lewis has issued critical advice on this, saying you could get up to £500 depending on your delay.
And it might come in very handy if you decide on heading to France this summer, with French easyJet staff putting the company on notice over an 'indefinite' strike notice.
Starting last month, it means that until 16 December workers could put down tools in protest against easyJet's plan to close its hub in Toulouse. Dates are expected to be announced for strikes, but they could happen at any point until the week before Christmas.
EasyJet has said staff at the Toulouse base have been offered the chance to relocate; something union bosses have criticised saying the Toulouse base 'is very family-oriented... where employees are mainly couples, have children, or have bought property'.
On top of the 'unlimited' warning, determined strikes are set to impact Brits who are heading to Italy across October.
With one 24 hour strike already taking place on Saturday (5 October), two more are happening on 12 and 18 October. Those on strike are public transport workers who run the country's buses, trams and trains.
To make matters worse in Italy, those flying out of Italy on 27 October will be impacted with easyJet pilots striking between 1pm and 5pm.
The airline has told passengers to keep up to date with the easyJet website if they are impacted.
Anton Radchenko, who heads up AirAdvisor, a company that helps travellers affected by disruption to their journeys claim compensation from airlines, explains: "Our message is: be prepared for disruption and understand your rights as a passenger. While these strikes are unlikely to have as devastating an impact as August’s strikes in Portugal, if you’re travelling to Italy via easyJet on the 27th, expect delays to your journey.
"It’s also entirely possible that easyJet services in other destinations will be affected by these strikes, so keep a close eye on their website approaching the weekend if you’re set to travel. This can happen when delays to flights causes a kind of domino effect, where other flights end up missing their departure slot and are forced to take off later than planned.
"The good news is that from a compensation perspective, as these strikes are within easyJet’s control, in other words they could have prevented them from happening - should your flight be cancelled or delayed by over three hours you will be due between £350 and £520 for the inconvenience."
Radchenko adds: "If you can no longer board your intended flight, your airline must arrange alternative transportation to your destination, this can be a flight with a rival airline. Naturally, no-one wants their journey to be affected by this kind of disruption - but if you find yourself in a situation where you have a long wait at the airport, the airline must provide you with refreshments proportional to the waiting time.
“Following a disrupted journey we always suggest using a compensation calculator to establish what you might be owed."
Tom Earnshaw