The 14-day Air France pilot strike has affected more than half of the airline’s scheduled flights, leaving passengers stranded worldwide. The strike is reportedly costing Air France up to 20 million Euros (£15.6m) per day and is the longest strike in over 20 years. The reason for the strike is to protest against plans to move part of Air France’s European operations to Transavia, as this will decrease the amount of jobs available in France. The pilots are on a healthy wage of 200,000 Euros a year which shows that the strike is not due to pay or working conditions, pilots are striking out of principle. On Wednesday 24th September, Air France withdrew their proposal of outsourcing business toTransavia, ensuring that there would be no relocation of jobs. Yet pilots continue to strike. The pilot’s union SNPL (Syndicat National des Pilotes de Ligne) hasresumed talks in a bid to resolve the strike, as Air France become desperate.Negotiating with the unions is the only way to settle the protest. The French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has called for an end to the strike and has said that it is “intolerable” for customers, Air France and the country’s economy. The government owns a 16% stake of the airline, which is why the strike is having a major impact on France.
According to EC Regulation 261/2004, strikes are considered as unforeseen circumstances that cannot be avoided. Therefore the airline affected is not liable to pay passengers compensation for delays. Airlines are fully responsible if ‘knock-on effects’ occur. This is when a previous flight delay causes disruption to later flights that should be operating normally. The recent Air Traffic Control strike in France caused many knock-on effect delays for France airlines, creating valid compensation claims. Passengers can claim 250, 300, 400 or 600 Euros worth of compensation if they have been subject to a delay of 2 hours 40 minutes or more.
Airline news: Air France is enabling passengers to postpone their journey or exchange tickets free of charge for flights between 15th and 28th September (and any subsequent affected flights). Passengers also have the option of receiving a voucher valid for one year to use on travel after 30th September with Air France or KLM.
Blueway Limited is a flight delay refunds company based in the UK that assists passengers when claiming flight delay compensation. If you would like to enquire about a recent flight delay (or any delay within the past six years), contact Blueway Limited to receive the best advice. You can do this by visiting their website (www.flightdelayrefunds.com) or calling +44 (0) 208 428 3692.Blueway can refer to their flight data systems and historical weather information to check the validity of your claim. Their “no win, no fee” policy means that there are no hidden charges, you will only pay a small commission if your claim is successful.