Will August strikes disrupt our honeymoon in Italy?

Simon Calder talks travel insurance, cold feet during the heatwave and Gatwick strikes

Soaring prices: easyJet will charge £140 to change flights (Getty)

Q My wife and I are due to fly from Gatwick to Italy for our honeymoon on 3 August and return on 7 August. As you have been reporting, that is when 950 staff at Gatwick are expected to be on strike. Should we move our flight home to 9 August? That would mean having to pay an additional two nights at our villa, but more annoyingly we would have to pay to change flights, for which easyJet currently wants £140. Or should we leave it, and let easyJet cancel the flight home? Then we get a refund but would still need to rebook the flights home and still need to pay the additional ticket cost. What would be the best option?

FMC

A Congratulations on your marriage, and for dodging both the bulk easyJet cancellations and the ground handlers’ strike on your outbound flight. And thank you for the opportunity to spell out the reason why you can relax, knowing that in the event of any disruption coming home, it is easyJet’s problem to solve – at the airline’s expense, not yours. European air passengers’ rights rules are strongly on the side of the traveller (which is why airlines tend to loathe them).