Continued general strikes taking place in France are causing major travel disruptions to flights, ferries and Eurostar services to and from France.
The on-going dispute concerning pension reforms remains unresolved; strike action has been on and off since December 2019
The walk-outs staged by French air-traffic controllers are affecting thousands of airline passengers. easyJet and British Airways are expecting flight delays and cancellations until the weekend. According to The Independent, British Airways has cancelled 12 flights between Heathrow and France: three round-trips to Toulouse, and return flights to Lyon, Marseilles and Nice. The airline has also suspended a return service to Geneva and Barcelona as they pass through French airspace.
Eurostar Ski trains will be disrupted due to industrial action, with railway line closures in the Alps region. Eurostar state they ‘had no option but to change the departure times of the direct nightSki trains on Friday 10 January and Saturday 11 January.’
The train operator has cancelled eight trains between London St Pancreas International and Paris and a single round trip to Brussels. A reduced and revised timetable has been running since early December as a result of the on-going strikes.
The rail service has offered to exchange tickets at no additional cost or provide a full refund, if the revised timetables are not appropriate for passengers.
Despite refunds being offered, the industrial action is likely to affect skiers who will need to rearrange accommodation and purchase additional tickets for an extra night in Bourg St Maurice. More information about disruptions and delays to services can be found on the Eurostar website.
Planned protests will continue in Paris affecting public transport networks. Many of the Metro lines are running a limited service – only automated lines 1 and 14 are running as normal.
Ferry services have also been cancelled due to the industrial action. Brittany Ferries cancelled sailings from Portsmouth to Le Havre today, as well as services due to depart on Friday and Saturday. P&O have cancelled a sailing this morning whilst a Poole to a Cherbourg crossing has also been cancelled.
If you are planning to travel over the coming days, you should contact your travel operator regarding disruptions and delays. Although airlines, in particular, are not obliged to provide compensation for industrial action, airlines have a duty of care and must provide passengers with food, drink and accommodation where necessary. Your airline should also offer to rebook your flight as soon as possible.
If you bought your policy before the strike was announced, and have checked-in, your travel insurance may offer a small amount of compensation for food and refreshments. Generally, travel insurance will not cover the cost of alternative transport to reach your destination due to disruptions caused by a strike. Find out more about cover for industrial action.
