Air passengers who are travelling over the Christmas period should know their rights in case their flight is delayed or cancelled by strikes.
Yesterday the PCS Union announced their Border Force, passport and visa staff members would be walking out on eight days over Christmas.
The industrial action will take place on December 23, 24, 25 and 26, as well as 28, 29, 30 and 31 at Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester airports, as well as Newhaven port.
The impact is likely to be significant, with Home Secretary Suella Braverman today saying that people planning to travel abroad need to "think carefully" about their plans.
Have your Christmas plans been impacted by the Border Force strikes? Email webtravel@reachplc.com
If you're flying this Christmas and need to get back to your loved ones for the festive period, and do end up getting caught up in the travel chaos, there are some options available to you.
Your first point of call should be the airline or your tour operator who can advise you as to whether your trip is likely to be affected.
Unfortunately, if you face delays or cancellations it's unlikely you'll get compensation because the airlines will be able to claim 'extraordinary circumstances', ie events outside of their control.
It's worth checking your travel insurance policy too, in case you can claim on your policy to get some money back if your plans are scuppered.
The primary test of whether you are entitled to compensation is whether the strike is considered to be outside of the airline's control to prevent.
In the case of the Border Force industrial action, it is unlikely that those impacted will be able to claim any cash, as the striking workers are employed by the Home Office and not the airline.
However it's worth noting that if the airline cancels your flight for a different reason - such as staff shortages - that they can directly impact, then you may be able to claim a refund.
You can find out more on the Civil Aviation Authority's website.
The silver lining is that your airline has an obligation to offer you assistance if the delay is expected to go beyond a certain point.
That can come in the form of food, drink and overnight accommodation, if required, and can also include booking you onto an alternative flight or refunding you.
Most airlines will likely offer you the option to rebook to a different date.
Amid concerns that a fifth of flights could be cancelled, the rush for a seat on those services which are going is likely to be intense.
In a normal year, it may have been easier to forgo the airport altogether and find alternative means of transport.
This year the rails aren't a particularly enticing prospect, with industrial action due to take place on 13, 14, 16 and 17 December across the network, as well as from 6pm on 24 December until 7am on 27 December; and on 3, 4, 6 and 7 January.
The PCS union is seeking a 10% pay rise, and a block on job cuts and reductions on pensions.
The union is one of the biggest in Whitehall with 100,000 members across 214 government departments.
