EasyJet Portugal Strike — FINAL DAY October 6, 2026: 443 Flights Cancelled Across 5 Days — Which Flights Are Still Running Today? — Your EU261 Claim Is Worth Up to €600 — Complete Step-by-Step Submission Guide — Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Gatwick, Luton, Southend, Manchester, Newcastle All Affected — December Strike Confirmed December 19–23

Today, Tuesday October 6, 2026, is the final day of the easyJet Portugal cabin crew strike. The industrial action, which began on Friday October 2, has already produced 443 confirmed flight cancellations across five operating days at Lisbon, Porto and Faro airports. Portugal’s Republic Day long weekend — one of the country’s busiest travel periods — was swept up entirely in the disruption. Today minimum services remain in force from DGERT, meaning a limited number of flights are operating. The strike ends at midnight tonight. But your EU261 compensation claim does not expire today — and your right to a full cash refund for any cancelled flight remains open regardless. This is your complete guide to what is still running today, what you are owed, and exactly how to claim up to €600 per person before the process becomes more complex.

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📊 PART 1: The Five-Day Damage Report — What This Strike Did

The easyJet cabin crew strike in Portugal has resulted in 443 flight cancellations between October 2nd and 6th, 2026, ahead of a further strike planned from December 19th to 23rd.

Family example — what a family of 4 can claim:

A family of four whose Gatwick–Faro flight was cancelled on October 4 is entitled to:

• £880 in fixed compensation (4 × £220)
• Full refund of their flight tickets
• Reimbursement of meals at the airport while waiting
• Hotel costs if they were stranded overnight
• Transfer costs to and from any hotel arranged

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📝 PART 5: How to Submit Your EU261 Claim — Step-by-Step

The most important thing to know: Your EU261 claim does not expire today when the strike ends. Under UK law you have 6 years to submit; under French and most EU member state laws you have 2–3 years. However, the sooner you claim, the faster you are paid — and the evidence is freshest now.

Step 1: Confirm Your Flight Was Cancelled or Delayed 3+ Hours

Log in to easyjet.com → My Trips → locate your affected booking. You need:

• Your booking reference (6-character code — e.g. ABC123)
• The date of travel
• Your departure and arrival airports
• Confirmation that the flight was cancelled or arrived 3+ hours late at your final destination

The 3-hour clock measures your actual arrival time versus your scheduled arrival time at your FINAL destination — not the departure delay. If your flight departed 4 hours late but you arrived only 2 hours 45 minutes late, you are not eligible for the fixed compensation (though your refund right remains unconditional).

Step 2: Go to easyJet’s Compensation Portal

Direct URL: easyjet.com/en/help/disruptions/flight-disruption-claim

• Select “Flight Disruption”
• Enter your booking reference
• Select the affected flight
• Select “Claim Compensation”
• Confirm the reason shown is strike-related

Step 3: Enter Your Bank Details

easyJet pays EU261 compensation directly to your bank account. You will need:

• Your full name (as on your booking)
• Your sort code and account number (UK bank) or IBAN (EU bank)
• Your email address for claim confirmation

Step 4: Submit Additional Expense Claims

In the same portal, under “Additional Expenses,” upload receipts for:

• Meals and drinks purchased at the airport while waiting
• Hotel accommodation if you were stranded overnight
• Taxi or transfer costs to/from alternative accommodation
• Any alternative flights you booked to reach your destination
• Communication costs (phone calls, data)

Keep all receipts — easyJet reimburses reasonable costs with proof. “Reasonable” means airport prices for food and drink (not alcohol), standard hotel rates, and documented transport costs.

Step 5: If easyJet Rejects Your Claim

EasyJet must respond within 14 days. If they reject on “extraordinary circumstances” grounds for a staff strike — that rejection is likely incorrect and contestable. Airline staff strikes are NOT extraordinary circumstances under the European Court of Justice ruling in Krüsemann and others v TUIfly (Case C-195/17, 2018) — confirmed to apply to cabin crew strikes specifically.

If easyJet rejects your claim incorrectly, escalate to:

UK passengers: Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) complaint at caa.co.uk → “Resolve a complaint” → EasyJet → Claim reference number

Alternative: Use an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme:

• EasyJet is a member of Aviation ADR — aviationadr.org.uk
• Free to use — no legal fees required

Third-party claim companies: AirHelp, Flightright, Resolver, ClaimCompass. These handle the process for you but take 25–35% commission. Use ADR first — it is free.

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⚠️ PART 6: The December Strike — Already Confirmed

The October 2–6 strike was only the first wave. The SNPVAC union has already confirmed the second strike: December 19–23, 2026.

The December strike lands just before Christmas, when demand is usually much higher. The union says the December impact could be greater than October because airlines normally add capacity around Christmas — meaning more flights, more passengers, and more cancellations if the strike proceeds.

UK airports affected in December will be the same as October: Gatwick, Luton, Southend, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Belfast and Newcastle.

DGERT has confirmed it will set minimum services for December too. But minimum services only protect a floor of essential travel — they do not protect your Christmas holiday flight.

If you are booked on easyJet to or from Lisbon, Porto or Faro between December 19 and 23:

• Monitor easyjet.com from December 5 onwards for cancellation notifications
• Consider rebooking now to December 18 or December 24 if your schedule allows
• Check your travel insurance policy covers airline strikes (most comprehensive policies do)

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🌍 PART 7: Market-by-Market Guide

🇬🇧 UK Travellers — Your Main Action Today

Today is the last day of the strike. If your UK-departing easyJet flight to Portugal between October 2 and 6 was cancelled:

UK261 applies to every flight departing a UK airport. The compensation amount is £220 per person for UK–Portugal routes (under 1,500km). EasyJet cannot claim extraordinary circumstances for its own cabin crew’s strike action.

Submit your claim today at easyjet.com. If you are waiting for your return flight today (October 6) — check your flight status now. Minimum services are running but your specific flight may still be cancelled.

🇮🇪 Irish Travellers

If you flew easyJet from Ireland through Lisbon, Porto or Faro, EU261 applies to your EU-departing flight. Same rights as UK261 — €250 per person for under-1,500km routes. Submit at easyjet.com.

🇺🇸 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 🇳🇿 Passengers

If you are a US, Canadian, Australian or NZ passport holder who flew on an easyJet flight departing from a UK or EU airport between October 2 and 6, you are entitled to UK261 or EU261 rights regardless of your nationality. Your passport country does not determine your rights — the airport of departure does.

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🛡️ PART 8: Complete Rights Summary — Final Day Checklist

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✅ PART 9: 8-Step Action Checklist — Do This Today

1. Check your October 6 flight status NOW at easyjet.com or the easyJet app — do not go to the airport without confirming
2. Gather your evidence: Boarding pass (or cancellation email), booking confirmation, all receipts from your disrupted travel
3. Log your actual arrival time if your flight was delayed — you need this for the 3-hour threshold calculation
4. Submit your compensation claim at easyjet.com → Help → Flight Disruption Claim — do it today while details are fresh
5. Submit expense receipts in the same portal — meals, hotel, taxis, alternative flights
6. Do not accept a voucher in place of cash compensation — you are legally entitled to cash
7. If rejected on extraordinary circumstances — file with Aviation ADR immediately at aviationadr.org.uk (free, no commission)
8. Note the December 19–23 strike — if you have easyJet Portugal bookings in that window, start monitoring and consider rebooking now

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🔗 Related Articles

• EasyJet Portugal Strike October 2–6, 2026 — 500 Flights at Risk, Lisbon Porto Faro, EU261 Up to €600 — Complete Advance Guide
• Europe Flight Chaos October 4, 2026 — 297 Cancellations and 3,938 Delays — Heathrow, CDG, Frankfurt, 14 Airports

 

🌐 Official Sources

• EasyJet flight disruption claim portal — easyjet.com/en/help/disruptions/flight-disruption-claim
• SNPVAC union statement — snpvac.pt
• Portugal DGERT minimum services order — dgert.gov.pt
• UK Civil Aviation Authority — caa.co.uk
• Aviation ADR — aviationadr.org.uk
• AirHelp EU261 Portugal guide — airhelp.com
• EU Regulation 261/2004 — eur-lex.europa.eu
• ECJ ruling Krüsemann v TUIfly — curia.europa.eu

Posted By : Vinay

As a lead contributor for Travel Tourister, Vinay is dedicated to serving our Tier 1 audience (US, UK, Canada, Australia). His mission is to deliver precise, fact-checked news and actionable, data-driven articles that empower readers to make informed decisions, minimize travel risks, and maximize their adventure without compromising safety or budget.