Passenger Rights Group Criticizes Britain’s Interpretation of Compensation Laws

Euclaim is seeking to redefine the term ‘extraordinary’ as it relates to industrial action by carriers.

Travelers in the United Kingdom who seek restitution against carriers for strike action are seeing their cases denied thanks to the country’s ‘flimsy and inconsistent’ compensation laws, reports passenger champion Euclaim.

The passenger rights body told TravelMole that legally, British courts view labor action as an ‘extraordinary circumstance’ for which they are not responsible.

However, in other European countries, travelers can seek compensation against a carrier as long as their flight has been delayed by three or more hours, even if that delay is due to industrial action.

Adeline Noorderhaven, Euclaim’s UK country manager, spoke to the website of her exasperation with Britain’s interpretation of compensation laws. “Just looking at the way travelers are able to claim compensation in the UK baffles me,” she said.

Noorderhaven illustrated the situation by giving an example of how Britain’s current claims process would work for a passenger who is unable to travel from the south coast city of Brighton to London Gatwick Airport (LGW) due to a transport strike.

Though that passenger could receive compensation from the rail network “When that person does eventually arrive at Gatwick to catch their British Airways flight and find it is canceled because of strike action by the crew, they are told they won’t be entitled to compensation […] how does that make sense?” Noorderhaven asked.

This was the situation faced earlier this year by British Airways’ passengers, many of whom saw their travel plans disrupted by cabin crew strikes. Euclaim is seeking to redefine the term ‘extraordinary’ as it relates to industrial action by carriers.

Speaking on behalf of Euclaim, Noorderhaven was firm in how the company viewed the current situation.

“We believe that a staff strike from the airline is absolutely the fault of an airline […] the reality is airline bosses have the power to end strike action, however you cut it, it is within their control. It’s the view of other European states, but not the UK. The law is flimsy and inconsistent,” Noorderhaven added.

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