Thousands of holiday-makers and business travellers face disruption after easyJet’s Portuguese cabin-crew union SNPVAC confirmed a five-day walk-out from 2 to 6 October – right in the middle of school holidays in much of Switzerland. The low-cost carrier operates up to 30 daily rotations from Zurich, Geneva and Basel EuroAirport to Lisbon, Porto and Faro; around 500 flights system-wide are expected to be cancelled, Swiss media reported on 24 September. Although the industrial action originates in Portugal, the impact will ripple across easyJet’s European network because crews and aircraft are rostered on multi-leg rotations. Zurich’s first busy holiday weekend (5–6 October) is especially vulnerable, while families in Basel will be hit throughout the entire half-term break. Geneva passengers may be spared the worst, as francophone cantons start holidays later in October. The union accuses the airline of “eroding working conditions” through last-minute roster changes and inadequate rest periods; it is demanding higher base pay and a guarantee of predictable schedules. easyJet counters that Portuguese salaries already exceed industry averages and says it has begun proactive re-accommodation of customers, offering refunds or alternative routings on partner carriers. For corporate travel managers the advice is clear: audit October itineraries involving easyJet, alert travellers, and, where possible, shift time-sensitive trips onto Swiss, TAP Air Portugal or rail links via Paris and Madrid. Travellers who must keep existing tickets should check the carrier’s app daily, as same-day cancellations are likely once the strike window opens. Under EU261 rules, passengers are entitled to care and, in many cases, compensation – but only if they submit claims promptly.
Source: The Local Switzerland
