I was a customer service agent in the reservations department of the airline I work for when the airline last had a strike. And even minutes before the threat of a looming strike, we were not updated on what was occurring. Reservation lines were flooded with phone calls, people waited over an hour to speak to a live person, and at that point in time the airline was not offering options for concerned passengers. I was left with apologizing for not having more information, but as far as I was aware the airline was operating.
Hours later...the airline was not operating as usual. Passengers were stranded, and in reservations as well at the airport, customer service agents struggled to rebook passengers on the few spaces left on other airlines during a peak travel season. Service was disrupted - some passengers who were able to be rebooked now had even 3 or 4 connections for travel within North America when they originally had a non-stop flight.
The airline I work for did have agreements with other airlines to accept tickets / MCOs (miscellaneous charge orders) that were endorsed to them. But did they have to do this, and can all airlines do this? The short answer is no, although if an airline wants to have any passengers after a strike, it is more likely to try to accommodate.
What is an airline obligated to do during a strike? Nothing. There are no provisions guaranteeing you anything in the case of a labor disruption. Sometimes there is advance notice that a strike might occur, other times it is a wildcat strike such as a sick-in where airline employees call in sick en masse. That being said, airlines will usually try to do something for its passengers.
What will an airline try to do during a strike for its passengers?
- If you are a top tier frequent flyer member, the airline is probably working on rebooking your travel. The airline wants to maintain its most loyal passengers and will try and accommodate them first.
- Although airlines are not obligated to do anything during a strike, they will usually loosen their ticket rules. If a strike does not affect all flights then you are likely to be able to standby for other flights without fees, thus arrive at the airport early.
- In the same vein, you may be able to rebook for later travel dates without fees. And if a strike drags on, refunds without penalties are often offered.
- During a strike, an airline will often rebook on partner airlines, space permitting. You will be waiting a long time on the phone or at the airport, but an airline will turn to partner airlines as a strike lingers. For example, if United Airlines were on strike, they would look for space on US Airways for its passengers.
- During a strike, an airline may offer to rebook on non-partner airlines. This usually does not occur until all partner airline options have been exhausted, but it does occur. When I was rebooking passengers as a reservations agent, the airline eventually gave us the go-ahead to use any airlines as long as the airline had a ticketing agreement with them. One horrendous rebooking involved San Francisco to Amsterdam and ended up having connections in Denver, Chicago, Boston and London on 3 airlines.
- Unfortunately, the airline may not offer many options, save rebooking you on their next available flight if yours cancels. In the days after 9/11, some passengers could not be accommodated for days after their original flights on 9/11 and 9/12.
- An airline may simply post their policies / news on their website as circumstances change. It is always a good idea during a strike to check the airline's website.
