British tourists could face financial lossed of up to £660 as two popular European holiday hotspots are set to be marred by airport strikes. Travellers visiting Spain and Italy have been issued an urgent warning about last-minute cancellations, reroutes, and growing out-of-pocket losses.
Various airport strikes in Italy and Spain are set to take place on Thursday and Friday and come after last week French air traffic control strikes caused chaos with more than 30,000 passengers affected. Staff walked out on July 3 and 4. Finance experts at Dot Dot Loans have analysed the true cost of these back-to-back aviation strikes and found that UK passengers could lose up to £660 in disruption costs per person due to unrecoverable expenses like missed bookings, emergency rebookings, and limited compensation eligibility.
According to the experts, British travellers could face direct personal losses ranging from £225 to £660 per person amid flight disruptions, with airlines offering only minimal duty-of-care support.
They explained that when rebooking isn’t covered, average costs for UK to Spain or Italy summer fares alone range from £180 to £400 per passenger.
Additional expenses—such as emergency accommodation (£120–£180 per night), daily meals and incidentals (£25–£60), and missed prepaid transfers or activities (£50–£100)—can quickly add up, pushing the typical out-of-pocket impact to a midpoint estimate of around £430.
If you accept the airline’s reroute or refund, your flight fare is preserved, but you’re still likely to lose between £75 and £260 due to missed bookings and extra costs. However, if you choose to arrange your own last-minute travel instead, the financial hit can climb to £255–£660, factoring in the cost of alternative transport.
Paul Gillooly, Finance Expert & Director at Dot Dot Loans, said: “Most people think the cost of travel is locked in once the flight is booked, but the reality is that airport strikes like these can unravel even the most carefully planned holiday budgets.
“What’s particularly challenging this week is that UK passengers are facing two simultaneous strike events at the height of the summer season, when prices are already inflated.
“The financial exposure here isn’t just about missed flights; it’s about the ripple effect: last-minute hotel bookings, inflated rebooking fares, lost deposits, and the extra costs of meals and ground transport. These expenses add up fast, and most aren’t protected unless you’ve paid for premium insurance or your airline voluntarily covers the loss.
“From a financial standpoint, travellers need to treat strike risk as part of the cost of flying in summer. That means building contingency funds into your holiday budget, knowing your refund rights, and avoiding non-refundable add-ons where possible. Planning isn’t just about where you’re going, it’s about making sure you’re financially protected if things go off course.”