Strikes, Weather and 'Extraordinary Circumstances': When Compensation Is Not Owed, and When It Still Is
The line that decides whether you get paid.
Not every disruption comes with a cheque. The law draws a line between problems the airline could have prevented and ones it could not, and that line, "extraordinary circumstances," decides whether compensation is owed. The catch is that airlines reach for it more often than they should.
The rule, and the part that never goes away
If your flight is delayed or cancelled by something genuinely outside the airline's control, the fixed compensation is not due. But, and this matters, your right to be looked after does not disappear. Even in a storm or a strike, the airline must still feed you, put you up overnight if needed, and offer you a refund or a rerouting. Extraordinary circumstances remove the compensation, not the care.
What usually counts as extraordinary
These are the events airlines cannot reasonably prevent: weather too severe for the flight to operate safely, air traffic control decisions or strikes, strikes by airport staff, ground handlers or border force, political instability, security risks, and bird strikes. If your disruption truly traces back to one of these, compensation is unlikely.
What does not count, even when it sounds like it should
This is where many travellers are wrongly turned away. Routine technical faults, a late incoming aircraft, crew shortages and staff sickness are all considered within the airline's control, so compensation does apply. And, importantly, a strike by the airline's own staff, its pilots or cabin crew, is not an extraordinary circumstance. The regulator has been clear on this and has challenged airlines that tried to use their own strikes to avoid paying.
The strike distinction in one line
If the people striking work for someone else, like air traffic control or the airport, the airline is usually off the hook. If they work for the airline, it usually is not.
Do not take "extraordinary" at face value
An airline that blames extraordinary circumstances has to explain why, clearly. If the reason is vague, or you suspect the real cause was a technical or staffing problem dressed up as something else, you are entitled to make your claim anyway and let it be tested.
How MAJ helps
The hard part is knowing whether the airline's excuse actually holds. At MAJ Travel Concierge we help you read what really caused the disruption, make sure you still get the care and rerouting you are owed whatever the cause, and push back when compensation has been wrongly refused. Members have this built in, and our Disruption Advisory covers non-members in the moment.
This is general guidance, not legal advice. Whether an event is extraordinary turns on the facts, and the CAA is the place to confirm your position.
Want this handled for you?
MAJ Travel Concierge does the booking, the rebooking and the awkward calls with the airline, so you do not have to. We act as your concierge agent; your flight is booked with the airline in your name.