Strike action is scheduled for March 8 and March 16 in Italy, UK tourists heading out to the European Union have been warned.
UK tourists could face holiday chaos starting this week as European Union tourist spots prepare for strikes. Strike action is scheduled for March 8 and March 16 in Italy, UK tourists heading out to the European Union have been warned.
The strike action is being backed by three Italian unions and significant disruption is expected. Up to 70 direct flights from the UK could be disrupted as a result, impacting as many as 11,000 passengers.
The UK airlines that could be affected include British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair. It has been warned that the strike, supported by the SLAI-COBAS, CUB, and USI-CIT trade unions, will affect flights for the whole day.
READ MORE 68 per cent of drivers risk £5,000 fine at any point between March and May
Key routes that could be impacted include services between London and Rome, London and Milan, Manchester and Rome, and Edinburgh and Milan.
Railway company Trenord warned that its services could be impacted by the strike action, with “repercussions on Trenord’s Regional, Suburban, Airport and Long-Distance services”.
Aviation expert and Founder of AirAdvisor Anton Radchenko told holidaymakers: “My top advice for passengers is to make flexible travel plans and plan ahead of time to minimise inconvenience. Plus, avoid connecting flights via Italy because they are at risk, even if not landing in Italy.
“Ideally, travel after March 20, when situations would be back under control, with flights facing fewer disruptions. If postponing is not an option, fly to nearby airports outside Italy, such as Nice (NCE, France) or Zurich (ZRH, Switzerland), and take a train to Italy. Train journeys take approximately four hours, with fares starting from £25, making them a great cost-effective option.
“Also, carry more cash because ATMs and card machines tend to crash during high crowds. Last but not least, act fast because airlines have an overwhelming number of requests during peak times, so they struggle with rebookings.
“Bypass this by contacting airlines through social media, where they’re more responsive to expedite your rebooking.”
