Martin Lewis: Flight cancelled in the last few weeks? You're likely due £100s in compensation on top of a refund or new flight

Law firm Bott and Co agrees compensation is likely

Bott and Co – a law firm specialising in flight delay and cancellation claims – said staff sickness, including Covid related sickness, and strikes by the airline crew are NOT reasons for airlines to avoid paying compensation.

Coby Benson, a solicitor at Bott and Co, told us: "Most staffing issues, for instance relating to crew sickness or staff on strike, are not extraordinary circumstances and the airline should therefore pay out for these."

Easyjet itself has also confirmed it will pay compensation for its recent staff illness-related cancellations.

But if you're struggling to get compensation, Benson said affected passengers should cite the cases of Litpon v BA City Flyer (Court of Appeal) or Krüsemann and others v TUIfly GmbH (Court of Justice of the European Union) to back up their claims.

In the Litpon case, it was ruled that "staff illness, and the need to accommodate such illness on a daily basis, is a commonplace for any business. It is a mundane fact of commercial life: it is in no way out of the ordinary".

Meanwhile, the Krüsemann judgement ruled that wildcat strikes – those not officially organised by a trade union – are also subject to compensation: "The spontaneous absence of a significant part of the flight crew staff ('wildcat strikes')... which stems from the surprise announcement by an operating air carrier of a restructuring... following a call echoed not by the staff representatives of the company but spontaneously by the workers themselves who placed themselves on sick leave, is not covered by the concept of 'extraordinary circumstances'."

Note that industrial action by air traffic controllers, airport staff and ground handlers is, however, considered extraordinary, meaning compensation would not be due.

You can make a claim using our free tool or complain directly to your airline

If you believe you're entitled to compensation for a cancelled flight, you can make a claim using the MSE free online reclaim tool, which uses technology from complaints site Resolver. Alternatively, you can complain directly to your airline – this often includes emailing or filling in an online form.

• For British Airways refunds and rebooking, go to Manage My Booking. For BA compensation claims, see make a claim.