British Airways strike: how does it affect you?

I've booked a BA flight which might be during the strike period. What happens now? If your flight is cancelled BA is obliged under EU law to offer you either a refund or a different route. A message on BA's website said anyone booked to travel over the strike period would be offered the option to switch to another BA flight within 12 months free of charge. Passengers whose flights are cancelled can choose to rebook on a different date or on a flight to the nearest alternative airport, or cancel and get a refund. It may be wise to buy travel insurance in case your flight is affected. Is it not too late to buy travel insurance now the strike has been announced? No. The Association of British Insurers says that any policy bought before the dates of the strike are announced will operate as usual. Many policies will pay out if you are delayed due to strike action, but few will pay out if you decide to cancel your trip – check the small print and make sure you know what cover you are buying. Once the strike dates are announced some insurers will refuse to offer cover on new policies because the action will be deemed a "known event". So do not put off buying a policy. What about compensation from BA? EU law dictates that passengers would ordinarily be offered compensation of up to £600 if a flight is cancelled. However, industry experts say the airline could argue the strike was "beyond its reasonable control". Should I book my own alternative flight? Until the strike dates are announced you would be unwise to do anything – your flight may not be affected. Even when dates are announced you may want to sit tight, as buying a second ticket means taking a gamble on the strike going ahead. If it is cancelled, as happened at Christmas, you could end up with two tickets to the same destination. Unless either ticket is fully refundable you will lose money because BA will not be obliged to give you a refund and your travel insurance is unlikely to offer any help either. What if my flight is part of a package holiday? Although most people just book a flight through BA, it does do package holidays. The Civil Aviation Authority says people who booked an entire holiday with the firm should contact their travel agent in the first instance, as they may be able to offer alternative travel options. I already have a travel insurance policy – will that cover me? You need to check the small print, as not all standard policies cover flight delays and cancellations caused by industrial action. Those that do rely on a muddled array of factors, including the type of strike and when the policy was issued. If BA cancels the flight you may be able to claim back the cost of a new flight, and in some cases the cost of the whole holiday. Before you book a new flight check that your insurer will cover any difference in the cost. But if you decide to cancel your holiday it is unlikely your policy will cover you. What can I do if my insurer refuses my claim? If you have exhausted your insurance company's complaints process and still think you have been treated unfairly you could take your case to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) . It will consider claims on a case-by-case basis because policies are all worded differently. The FOS will look at the wordings of individual policies, how well the insurance company flagged up the issue of industrial action when the policy was taken out and a person's circumstances when they took out the policy.