UK passengers travelling abroad with easyJet, Ryanair and British Airways are being warned to brace for major travel disruptions this month.
Strikes in Italy throughout March are set to impact air, rail and road travel in the country, resulting in possible cancellations and delays. A general strike, backed by the SLAI-COBAS, CUB and USI-CIT trade unions, is scheduled to take place in Italy on Saturday, March 8, which will affect air transport for the entire day. According to experts at AirAdvisor, the world’s leading air passenger rights company, the strike action will impact around 50 to 70 direct flights from the UK to Italy, affecting between 8,000 and 11,200 passengers.
The company says the strike will mainly impact easyJet, Ryanair and British Airways passengers, with each airline having more than 15 direct flights to key Italian destinations, including Milan, Venice, Rome, Naples and Florence on March 8. The main routes that will be affected include London to Rome, London to Milan, Manchester to Rome and Edinburgh to Milan.
Another strike is also scheduled for later this month on Sunday, March 16, and AirAdvisor warns passengers to expect increased flight disruptions between March 8 and 20.
The Italian Civil Aviation Authority – Ente Nazionale per l’Aviazione Civile (ENAC) – has indicated the protection time slots during which flights should operate. These are between 7am to 10AM and 6pm to 9pm, meaning passengers booking flights in these slots can likely bypass the direct impact of strikes.
AirAdvisor warns that passengers won’t receive compensation if flights are disrupted as the strike action is not under the control of airlines. Under EU261 regulation, compensation is only due where airlines are directly responsible for disruptions.
But passengers are entitled to care and assistance if the delay exceeds two hours for short-haul flights, three hours for medium-haul, and four hours for long-haul flights. This may include free meals and accommodation if an overnight stay is needed, and transport to and from the airport. For cancelled flights, free rerouting and full refunds are provided by airlines.
Anton Radchenko, Aviation expert and Founder of AirAdvisor, said: “The EU has one of the strongest laws protecting air passenger rights, but frequent disruptions make it a mess for passengers. The fact that they have to file for refunds, seek support, book alternate flights, time and again, sucks the joy out of travelling.
“With another strike action happening on the 16th of March, passengers flying to Italy will try to make the most of next week: 9th to 15th March. This means more seats will be booked, leading to congestion or higher traffic than usual. Plus, the ripple effects from the 8th March strike will make things worse and lead to more disruptions.
“My top advice for passengers is to make flexible travel plans and plan ahead of time to minimize inconvenience. Plus, avoid connecting flights via Italy because they are at risk, even if not landing in Italy. Ideally, travel after the 20th of March, when situations would be back under control, with flights facing fewer disruptions.
“If postponing is not an option, fly to nearby airports outside Italy, such as Nice (NCE, France) or Zurich (ZRH, Switzerland), and take a train to Italy. Train journeys take approximately four hours, with fares starting from £25, making them a great cost-effective option. Also, carry more cash because ATMs and card machines tend to crash during high crowds.
“Last but not least, act fast because airlines have an overwhelming number of requests during peak times, so they struggle with rebookings. Bypass this by contacting airlines through social media, where they’re more responsive to expedite your rebooking.”
