Q&A: French air traffic controllers’ strike

My flight has been cancelled because of the French strike. Where do I stand? In a long queue, most likely. Many passengers due to fly in or out of French airports or even through French air space yesterday or today and between April 16th and 18th and April 29th and May 2nd are likely to experience serious disruption as a result of industrial action but you still have certain rights.

What are they? Under EU Regulation 261 airlines must offer passengers affected by cancellations a full refund or a rerouting on the next available flight or at a later time that suits the passenger. If you opt for a refund the airline's responsibility to you ends. If you ask to be put on the next available flight then the airline must provide care and assistance until you can be accommodated on an alternative flight.

What does care and assistance mean? If you are overseas and trying to get home – or indeed in Ireland and trying to get home – the airline must provide you with meals and refreshments. If necessary it will have to cover the cost of hotel accommodation and transport between the hotel and the airport and you will have to be offered two free telephone calls and access to email.

My flight has not been cancelled but delays look inevitable. What next? If you are facing a delay the airline must also provide you with care and assistance. If you are left hanging around in an airport it must cover reasonable cost of meals and refreshments. If your flight is delayed by more than five hours an airline must offer you the choice of continuing with your journey or a refund of the cost of your ticket.

There is no one from the airline at the airport to give me money for the hotel. What can I do? If the airline does not provide the care and assistance it is legally obliged to at the moment you need it you should make your own reasonable arrangements and retain all receipts and use them to claim back the reasonable expenses.

Reasonable expenses? What does that mean? Who knows. Ultimately it is aviation regulators across the EU who decide what is reasonable, although if you check into a five-star hotel and eat and drink all around you and then look to be reimbursed you can expect to be disappointed.

How do I claim back expenses incurred? Passengers should send copies (it is very important the original documentation is never sent in case it goes missing) of all receipts to the airlines on which they booked flights. Submissions should also include booking references, passenger names, original and new flight details.

Am I covered by my travel insurance? It is possible but not likely. Most policies have a get-out clause and don't cover industrial action.

Am I entitled to compensation outside of reasonable expenses from my airline? That is most unlikely. If you are affected by flight cancellations or long flight delays as a result of this strike action and seek compensation it is only likely to be granted after an investigation. Passengers who remain unclear about their entitlements as set out in EC Regulation 261/ 2004, or who have further queries in relation to same, should log onto flightrights.ie or contact the Commission for Aviation Regulation on 1890 787 787.