Stansted baggage handlers to Strike at Easter: Your rights and travel insurance cover

On the day that another strike is announced which will impact UK holiday makers on one of the busiest weekends of the year, we look at your rights if your flight is delayed or cancelled and the extra help your travel insurance policy can provide.

It has been announced that strikes will go ahead at Stansted Airport in Essex on Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday after baggage handlers voted in favour or strike action due to a row over pay with their employer Swissport.

If you are due to fly in to, or out of Stansted over the Easter weekend you should contact your airline for further information.

You have a contract with your airline to get you to your destination at a certain time, if they are unable to do so due to a strike, they have a duty to offer refreshments or accommodation if it is a long delay, and if they cancel the flight due to a strike, they should offer you an alternative flight, or a full refund.

In addition to your rights with your airline your travel insurance policy can give you some more options.

Travel insurance cover for strike action

Insurewithease.com customers who have bought their travel insurance and booked their holiday before the Easter strike was announced will have cover under the travel delay section of their travel insurance.

The travel delay section of a travel insurance policy is designed to cover additional expenses that you might incur whilst waiting for your flight to depart, it pays a fixed benefit for every 12 hours that you are delayed.

In addition to this, if your flight is delayed by more than 24 hours you have the option to abandon your holiday and make a claim for the cost, up to the limit stated in the terms and conditions.

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

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