General strike in Belgium affects Eurostar services and some flights today

A general strike is taking place in Belgium today, Monday 30 January: Trains, Metro and buses are likely to be seriously disrupted or cancelled entirely. If you are due to travel today you should contact your travel supplier for the latest information. If you are delayed for more than 12 hours you may able to make a claim under the travel delay section of your travel insurance policy.

The strike action officially begins at 22:00 on Sunday 29 January until 22:00 on Monday 30 January, but public transports services are likely to be disrupted for longer.

Eurostar will not be running any trains to Belgium today, instead they are running a revised service to Lille, and a bus service will be provided to take passengers on to Brussels Midi. However, due to the increased journey time they are strongly advising customers not to travel unless absolutely necessary, and are offering the option to re-book for another date or a full refund.

Ryanair has cancelled dozens of flights to and from Brussels Charleroi airport today. British Airways said it planned to operate a normal schedule, although they are recommending that passengers check the status of their flight before leaving for the airport.

If you are due to travel to Belgium today you should check with your airline or travel company before travelling.

Travel insurance and strike cover

Your airline or travel supplier is contracted to get you to your destination, if they are unable to do so due to a strike, they have a duty to offer you an alternative, or a full refund.

In addition to this, the travel delay section of your travel insurance can give you more options, as it entitles you to a benefit payment for every 12 hours that you are delayed, this is designed to help cover any additional expenses, such as food and drink whilst you wait.

Plus, if you are subject to a delay of 24 hours you have the option to abandon the holiday and make a claim for the cost, up to the limit stated in the terms and conditions.

So long as you booked your holiday and bought your travel insurance cover before the strike dates were announced you should be covered under the travel delay section of your travel insurance policy.

To make a claim under the travel delay section of your policy you must have checked in for your flight and you must obtain a letter from the airline or travel company confirming the length and reason for the delay.

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