Hundreds of flights are not running today amid a 24-hour industrial dispute by Italian airport strike. National carrier Alitalia is the worst affected airline having had to scrap more than 300 departures. More than 30 EasyJet flights bound between the UK and Italy have been axed while British Airways has also been impacted. The dispute links airline, airport and air traffic control staff in united action over pay and working conditions.
What to do if YOUR flight is cancelled in Alitalia and EasyJet CHAOS?
The affected airlines have issued statements advising what to do if your flight is cancelled or if you fear it may not depart.
Alitalia
Alitalia says 60 percent of its customers will still be able to fly on May 21 and flights will operate as scheduled between 7am to 10am and 6pm to 9pm.
Some travellers will be moved onto “bigger aircraft” to prevent cancellations but people are advised to check with Alitalia before leaving home.
A company statement says: “Alitalia invites all customers already holding tickets for travels on 21 May, as well as on the late evening of 20 May and the early morning of 22 May, to check the status of their flights before going to the airport on Alitalia.com website, or calling the airline at the toll-free number 800.65.00.55 (within Italy), at +39 06.65649 (from overseas), or contacting the travel agency where the ticket was bought.
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“Travellers affected by cancellation or schedule change of Alitalia flights from the late evening of 20 May to the early morning of 22 May can rebook their travel at no additional cost or penalty, or ask for a full ticket refund (only if the flight is cancelled or the delay on departure exceeds 5 hours) by May 28, 2019.”
A list of the cancelled flights is available on the Alitalia website.
easyJet
easyJet advises its customers to check the status of their flight on the company’s flight tracker online or via their mobile in the first instance.
Passengers are also being told to allow extra time for security checks as they may take longer than usual.
Any customers who have had their flight cancelled are advised not to travel to the airport.
A statement says: “For cancelled flights only, we advise customers not to travel to the airport but to transfer their flights free of charge or take a refund by logging onto Manage Bookings on easyJet.com or our Flight Tracker: easyjet.com/XXXX(yourflightnumber).
“If overnight accommodation is required, affected passengers can book this through our Flight Tracker page easyjet.com/XXXX (flight number).”
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Customers are not entitled to compensation for cancelled flights but may claim some expenses in accordance with EU261 regulations, EasyJet said.
British Airways
BA said a “small number of flights delays and cancellations” are taking place but did not state how many.
Travellers are encouraged to get in touch with the airline ensuring their contact details are updated so they can get the “latest information regarding their flight”.
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