As strikes continue to disrupt Portuguese airports every weekend in August severely, many travellers, including thousands of Brits, are finding themselves without their luggage.
UK tourists with holidays booked to Portugal in August could be set to receive a free £1,600 payment. As strikes continue to disrupt Portuguese airports every weekend in August severely, many travellers, including thousands of Brits, are finding themselves without their luggage.
The crisis stems from a strike by SPdH/Menzies ground staff (formerly Groundforce), who handle baggage at Portugal’s main airports. Backed by the SIMA union, they’re protesting low wages, unpaid night shifts, and a broken pay agreement after Menzies Aviation’s takeover.
These strikes are affecting Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Madeira, Porto Santo, and the Azores, with disruptions scheduled every weekend in August: August 8-11, August 15-18, August 22-25, and August 29-September 1.
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Aviation experts at AirAdvisor have revealed that British passengers can claim up to £1,600 in compensation for lost baggage.
Passengers can request reimbursement for essential purchases (clothing, hygiene products, medication) made while waiting for their bags. In some cases, they may also be eligible for a fixed compensation of up to €1,920 or £1,600.
This ceiling is defined under Article 22 of the Montreal Convention, which governs airline liability. This compensation applies when luggage is officially declared lost (after 21 days with no update), returned in unusable or severely damaged condition, or if the delay caused a real, documented financial loss, for example, during a business trip or a significant event.Aviation Expert & Founder of AirAdvisor, Anton Radchenko, adds: “Many travellers don’t realise that, in the case of lost or delayed baggage, airlines are still responsible, even during a strike.
“This is clearly established by the Montreal Convention: unless the airline can prove it took all reasonable measures to prevent the damage, it is liable for compensation.
Anton says: “Our tool lets you know within seconds whether you can claim compensation for lost, delayed, or damaged luggage. To date, no other service offers anything this simple in the UK. The goal is to empower passengers. Too often, they give up in the face of airline bureaucracy. This simplifies everything.”
Radchenko further adds: “Since the end of July, the situation at Portuguese airports has been extremely chaotic. Baggage handling systems are paralysed, suitcases are piling up in the terminals, and many passengers, especially Brits, are arriving at their destination without their personal belongings.
“The issue isn’t just flight cancellations or delays; the real problem is baggage handling. Thousands of passengers are without their belongings for several days.
“That means clothing, medication, and sometimes essential items are left behind with no immediate assistance. On social media, the images speak for themselves: abandoned luggage, distressed families, endless queues at airline service counters. But behind the chaos, passengers do have rights.”
