I have an interesting conundrum for my legal eagle friends here.
Yesterday, 2nd June, a friend was booked on a flight from London to Alicante. When she arrived at the check-in in the morning she was informed that the flight had been cancelled due to the French Air Traffic Control industrial action. Eventually the airline offered a hotel and rebooked her on a flight to Valencia the next day. If she had 'insisted' on her original route the earliest she could have flown was about Wednesday of next week. So far everything seems 'acceptable' but not very pleasant or convenient.
The truth is that on Wednesday evening the French called off the strike action and it now emerges that the reason for all the flight cancellations was a precaution by the airlines.
My question is, is she entitled to claim the compensation from the airline for her flight being late under the E.U. 261 regulations flight compensation scheme? By the way the airline sent her an e-mail at about 19:00 Thursday apologising for the cancellation etc. and that they will pick up the bill for reasonable expenses (hotel) but that as they were not responsible for the delay no EU 261 comp.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts