British Airways Said Their Strike Was 'Extraordinary Circumstances.' I Got 250 Euros Under EC261.

British Airways cancelled my flight from Heathrow to Paris due to a strike. They rebooked me on a flight six hours later. I arrived at my destination at midnight. My hotel was still holding my room, which was a relief, but I lost an entire day of my trip.

Under UK law and EU Regulation 261/2004, passengers are entitled to compensation of up to 600 euros depending on the flight distance and delay time. British Airways knew this but they did not offer it proactively. They said the cancellation was due to "extraordinary circumstances" because it was a staff strike.

I argued that BA knew about the strike weeks in advance and should have planned better. EC261 says extraordinary circumstances are events beyond the airline's control, but a strike by your own employees is not extraordinary. It is a management issue.

I filed a claim with the UK Civil Aviation Authority. British Airways rejected it again. I then used a claims service called AirHelp. They took 25% of the compensation but handled all the paperwork. Two months later, I received 250 euros.

Was it worth it? For 250 euros, yes. For a smaller amount, probably not. But the principle matters. Airlines get away with this because most people do not know their rights under EC261. If you fly in Europe, know your rights.