Things just keep getting worse for EasyJet. For months the budget airline has been responsible for thousands of cancelled and delayed flights, then earlier this week it was forced to scrap even more summer flights. And now a huge proportion of its cabin crew could be going on strike right in the middle of peak summer holiday season.
The staff in question are based in Spain and are members of the USO union. They’re looking for a 40 percent pay increase and are set to walk out for a total of nine days throughout July and August. The plan is to strike for three 72-hour periods from July 1, with a fortnight between each period.
So what does that mean for travellers? Well, the cabin crew taking action number hundreds of employees and they’re based at EasyJet’s bases in Barcelona, Palma and Málaga. It’s currently believed that only flights to and from those destinations are likely to be affected.
The new EasyJet strike is on top of another USO strike targeting Ryanair cabin crews in Spain that was announced last week. Complaining of poor working conditions and low pay, around 1,400 Ryanair staff will take action on June 24, 25, 26 and 30 and on July 1 and 2. As you’ve probably noticed, the last two dates of the Ryanair strike coincide with the first days of EasyJet’s strike.
In other words, flying with EasyJet to or from Spain over the next few weeks could be even more chaotic than it has been over the last few months. If you’ve booked any flights on or around July 1, 2, 3, 17, 18 or 19 or August 2, 3 or 4, be sure to regularly check your flight status for updates.
ICYMI: here are 10 ways to make sure you avoid holiday hell this summer.
Plus: here’s why flying to a small city might not be such a great idea in 2022.