easyJet’s Portuguese cabin crew are set to walk out again from 19 to 23 December, four days before Christmas Eve, in a long-running dispute over pay and working conditions.
The SNPVAC union, which represents the crew, has already staged a five-day stoppage from 2 to 6 October that saw around 500 flights at risk and 35 UK return flights cancelled, including services from Manchester. The December dates threaten fresh chaos at the busiest travel moment of the year.
Which airports are affected?
The strike covers easyJet’s Portuguese bases: Lisbon, Porto and Faro. UK airports with direct easyJet links to Portugal are in the firing line, including Gatwick, Luton, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Newcastle, Belfast and Southend.
Why are crew striking?
SNPVAC says Portuguese cabin crew are paid less than easyJet crew in other countries and less than staff at rival Portuguese airlines. The union also alleges the airline has tried to work around previous strikes, claims easyJet denies. Talks have continued through Portugal’s DGERT mediation service.
Your compensation rights
This is the rare disruption where passengers’ rights are strong. Because the strike is by the airline’s own employees, it does not count as an extraordinary circumstance under EU261 or UK261 rules.
That means if your flight is cancelled you can claim fixed cash compensation: up to 400 euros per passenger on these routes under EU261, or up to 520 pounds under UK261 for flights departing the UK, plus a refund or rerouting and care such as meals and hotels during delays.
One important tip from the October round: wait for easyJet to cancel your flight before making your own arrangements. If you self-rebook first, claiming becomes much harder.
What to do now
If you are booked to Portugal between 19 and 23 December, keep your easyJet app notifications on, check your booking every few days, and make sure your contact details are up to date so the airline can reach you. We will update this story as the December dates approach.
