Ryanair passengers are facing the prospect of five days of disruption in late August and early September after talks to avert strike action by UK-based pilots broke down. Here’s everything that customers need to know.

When are Ryanair pilots going on strike?

Ryanair pilots who are members of Balpa, the British pilots’ trade union, have voted to stage five days of strikes in the peak summer holiday period. They plan a 48-hour strike from 00:01 on 22 August until 23.59 on 23 August, and a 72-hour strike from 00:01 on 2 September until 23.59 on 4 September.

Which flights will be affected?

It’s not possible to say in detail, but the fact that the striking pilots are all based in the UK indicates that flights to and from UK airports will be the only ones affected. That suggests that passengers using Stansted, Ryanair’s main UK base, can expect some disruption.

Not all Ryanair pilots are Balpa members and not all Balpa pilots will necessarily go on strike, so many flights will still go ahead. Ryanair typically drafts in replacement pilots in such situations, so expect the Irish airline to do everything it can to minimise the disruption. Tens of thousands of passengers could be affected across the strike dates.

It’s highly likely though that some flights will not take off, and passengers who have booked flights, or are thinking of doing so, should check with the airline. Ryanair tends to give passengers two or three days’ notice if their flight is cancelled.

Quick Guide Coronavirus travel shutdown: what are your rights? Show My flight to Europe is cancelled. All I’m being offered is an alternative flight or vouchers. Is this legal? No. But that hasn’t stopped a number of airlines doing exactly that. All flights on EU carriers within, or into the EU, and all flights leaving from an EU airport, are protected by the EU’s “denied boarding” rules, which require a full refund in seven days when flights are cancelled. The problem for consumers is that enforcing these rights is proving very difficult. After initially promising to refund passengers within 20 working days, Ryanair has now said passengers should accept vouchers valid for 12 months, or wait until the Covid-19 pandemic is over for a refund. Refunds at British Airways are only being processed by customer services which, of course, is impossible to contact. easyJet, initially only offered refunds through customer services but now has a web portal to request refunds. Note: the EU cancellation rules do not apply to non-EU carriers where the flight started outside the EU – for example, a Korean Air flight from Seoul to London. In the face of a no-refund policy, what should I do? Taking the offer of replacement vouchers in the current climate is highly risky given the airline may not be around in six months. While some will be happy to accept vouchers, many will not. Coby Benson of the specialist flight compensation lawyers, Bott and Co, advises passengers to submit their refund request in writing, using the following text: I understand that my flight [fight number] on [flight date] has been cancelled and I therefore request a full refund pursuant to articles 5(1)(a) and 8(1)(a) of EC Regulation No.261/2004. You are reminded that the refund must be made within seven days. For the avoidance of doubt, I do not accept a travel voucher. If the airline does not respond or does not agree then the passenger can either issue court proceedings or use Alternative Dispute Resolution. If your flight cost more than £100 and was booked using a credit card, you can hold the card provider jointly liable. When things calm down we suspect many passengers will be forced down this route. My flight operated as scheduled but I was unable to go on it. What then?

The fact that the government advised against all but essential travel means travel insurance policies should pay foreign trip cancellation claims provided you bought your policy before the pandemic was declared on 11 March. Miles Brignall

Can I claim compensation if my flight is cancelled?

Airlines are bound to pay EU compensation of between €250 and €600 (£230 and £555) if they cancel your flight without 14 days’ notice, unless it is owing to an “extraordinary circumstance”. Coby Benson, a flight delay compensation lawyer at Bott and Co, says passengers on a strike-hit Ryanair flight would be entitled to EU compensation, but they might have to go to court to get it. “Ryanair refused to accept that it is liable to pay EU compensation in the event of the strike,” he said. “UK courts have taken a different view, as did the alternative dispute resolution service that Ryanair was a member of. However, when it too ruled that the airline should pay passengers caught up in strike action, Ryanair pulled out of the scheme.”

I am due to fly home from abroad on the strike days. What is the airline’s responsibility?

If your flight is cancelled, airlines are required by law to either reimburse you in full or rebook alternative travel arrangements on the first available airline – not just Ryanair. In reality it is likely to be up to you to rebook an alternative flight yourself and then to reclaim your costs from Ryanair. If you are rerouted and arrive back in the UK more than three hours late, compensation is due as above, but again you will probably have to go to court to get the money. Note that travel insurance policies rarely if ever cover strike action by airline staff, so assume that your insurance will not come to your rescue. If you opt for a later flight, the airline is obliged to provide assistance, which means food, and accommodation if the delay is overnight. Keep all receipts, and keep costs at a “reasonable” level.

I’ve got to be back at work. Should I book a replacement flight now?

Ryanair is better than most at managing the impact of a strike, so it may be a case of holding your nerve. If you can’t afford to miss a day’s work and you need a back up flight, it’s going to cost you. The cheapest single fare from Faro in Portugal to London on 2 September booked online this week was £185. If you are prepared to go via Dublin, you can bring the cost down to £110. If strike action starts to look more likely, expect the cost of alternative flights to start rising fast.

What are the pilots’ complaints?

Their grievances are legion, according to Balpa, which cites disagreement about pensions, insurance against loss of a pilot’s licence, parental benefits, allowances and a fair, transparent and consistent pay structure. Balpa does not disclose how many Ryanair pilots it represents, but says 72% of its membership turned out for the ballot, of whom 80% voted in favour of strikes.

What does Ryanair say?

The Dublin-based airline says it has written to Balpa asking for a resumption of talks but is hardly taking a conciliatory tone, pointing out that fewer than 30% of its UK pilots have voted for action.

“This Balpa industrial action has no mandate from Ryanair pilots, is ill-timed just 10 weeks before Brexit, and will cause unnecessary disruption to customers holidays and travel plans,” the airline said.

It added that Ryanair’s UK pilots recently agreed a 20% salary increase, with senior captains earning up to £180,000 a year.

What’s the background?

Ryanair simply refused to recognise trade unions for many years. That changed at the beginning of 2018 following a significant blunder. The airline mismanaged its pilot rostering schedule and was forced to cancel hundreds of flights. Suddenly, it required the goodwill of its pilots to limit the damage, and not long after it agreed to recognise unions. Old habits die hard though, and relations between the chief executive, Michael O’Leary, and his pilots have remained fractious.