Strike Information
General FAQs for answering traveler questions about a strike

Nothing. There are no provisions guaranteeing you anything in the case of a labor disruption. Sometimes there is advance notice that a strike might occur, other times it is a wildcat strike such as a sick-in where airline employees call in sick en masse. That being said, airlines will usually try to do something for their passengers.

In many instances the automatic response is to book passengers on the next available flight on the same airline and waive the change fees.

The airlines may offer some or all of the following options depending on circumstances:

• If the strike affects all flights - Rebook you on an available partner airline flight at no additional cost
• If the strike is prolonged and there are no available partner airline flights - Rebook you on an available flight on a non-partner airline at no additional cost
• If your dates are flexible - Rebook you for later travel dates at no additional cost
• If cancelling your trip is the best option for you - Provide a full refund with no penalties

The airline response for flights that are delayed, but not canceled also varies. Many will offer the same options if the delay is more than a certain number of hours. Often this number is 2 hours domestically and 4 hours internationally, but it is up to each airline.

If you are a top tier frequent flyer member, the airline may already be working on re-accommodating you before you are aware of it. The airline wants to maintain its most loyal passengers and will try and accommodate them first.

Yes you may, but if you do so before the airline cancels or changes your original flights you will generally be subject to the cancellation rules and penalties of the fare, and if the strike is canceled your ticket will not be reinstated.

The credit card companies want you to contact the striking airline first, because in almost all cases, the airline will find ways to accommodate you on other flights, even if it’s not a schedule you prefer. If that fails, reimbursement is at the discretion of your issuing bank, which has the final say about whether you get a refund. If the strike develops into a bankruptcy, your bank is more likely to be quick to reimburse you because in that case, the transportation is less likely to have been delivered.

If you paid in cash or in frequent-flier miles, though, you're at the mercy of the airlines. Travel-On will work with you and the airline to see what can be done for you.

No. Most airlines’ Contracts of Carriage include strikes as a "force majeure", which is the legal way of saying it is not their fault and therefore they bear no financial responsibility.

Some policies cover strikes, but many do not, and those that do must generally be purchased before the strike is called. Be sure to get all the details from the insurance company.

When a strike (or any other travel disruption) occurs Travel-On takes the following steps:

• Send a Travel Alert to all travel managers and our agents with the known, basic information about the strike.
• Identify all affected/potentially affected travelers.
• Contact each traveler to ensure that he or she is aware of the situation, assist with re-booking, or render any other assistance needed.
• Report the status of a company’s travelers back to the travel manager.

We also have an Emergency Response Team which we activate depending on the nature of the event, if it occurs on or over a weekend, is wide-spread and will affect a large number of travelers, etc. Our ERT provides faster response and more thorough assistance to stranded travelers eliminating the need for them to contact the after-hours emergency service or airline directly.

• Keep you cell phone handy and be sure Travel-On and the airline have your cell number to alert you to rapidly changing situations
• If you are flexible with your travel dates offer to rebook for a later time. As the airline works to re-accommodate the logjam of displaced passengers this is often a welcome offer.
• If you absolutely must travel on a certain date book a refundable ticket on another airline. It will be expensive, but you can refund the ticket if you do not end up needing to use it.
• Make sure that you have Travel-On’s mobile app on your phone. It can be downloaded from your online profile.
• Enroll in Travel-On’s automated flight status notification program by going to Manage Notifications, then Flight Status, within your online profile.