Pilots for Ryanair, the world's largest low-cost carrier, are planning to go on strike for 24 hours on Thursday, July 12. The Irish Airline Pilots Association (IALPA), a branch of the trade union known as Fórsa, said that it will be meeting with Ryanair Wednesday, July 11, to negotiate, but that strikes were still "likely" to happen.
Ryanair has more than 350 Irish pilots — 27% of them (94 pilots) will reportedly be participating in the strike this week, despite the airline's advice against it. Pilots and the airline have found themselves in a dispute over matters of seniority; specifically, how the airline deals with base allocation, annual leave and length of service. As a result of the planned strike, the airline says it will be cancelling flights from Ireland to destinations in the United Kingdom, including important flights to London.
Following the strike in Ireland, Ryanair cabin crews in Italy, Portugal, Spain and Belgium are also planning strikes for late July and said further action may follow if the airline doesn't comply with the demands of its cabin crews. On July 25, crews in Italy will strike for 24 hours, and crews in Spain, Portugal and Belgium will strike for 48 hours from July 25 through July 26, Reuters reported.
If you're flying Ryanair on these proposed strike dates and if your flight ends up getting canceled, you can expect to be reimbursed. The airline has said that all affected customers should have received both text and email notifications of any cancellations or changes to their flights. Additionally, customer service teams are standing by to assist with refunds, or to help rebook passengers on flights to alternative destinations on Thursday, or flights to the same destinations before the strike on Wednesday (July 11) or after the strike ends on Friday (July 13) or Saturday (July 14).
Fortunately, if you have cards such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Citi Prestige, you'll have a degree of protection if you booked with those cards thanks to their trip delay and trip cancellation insurance policies.
H/T: The Independent
