Travellers booked on Cathay Pacific’s Hong Kong–Brussels services received welcome flexibility after the airline issued special ticketing guidelines on 24 February. In response to a potential airport workers’ strike in Brussels scheduled for 12 March, Cathay will waive rebooking and rerouting charges for tickets issued on or before 24 February, provided changes are made prior to 12 March and travel is completed by 31 March.(cathaypacific.com)
Affected passengers may shift travel dates online or via their travel agent; fare differences still apply, but administrative penalties are removed. The policy also covers mileage-redemption tickets—an important consideration for frequent-flyer programme members.
Travellers who need to alter routings should also confirm that their Schengen documentation remains valid. If a new Belgium or wider Schengen visa is required on short notice, VisaHQ’s Hong Kong team can expedite the process, track the application in real time and return passports by secure courier. More information is available at https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/
![Cathay Pacific waives change fees for Brussels flights amid strike threat]()
Corporate mobility managers should note that the waiver applies only to Cathay-operated flights, not to on-carriage sectors on oneworld partners. Companies with assignees transiting Brussels for EU meetings are advised to build itinerary buffers or consider alternative gateways such as Amsterdam or Paris in case the labour action proceeds.
The episode underscores how industrial action at European hubs continues to disrupt long-haul itineraries. Over the past year, Cathay has issued similar waivers for Heathrow fuel-tank strikes and JFK snowstorms, gradually codifying a more customer-friendly disruption playbook.
For Hong Kong-based firms, the operational risk reinforces the value of maintaining multiple Schengen entry points and monitoring EU labour calendars—especially during peak convention months of March and April.
Affected passengers may shift travel dates online or via their travel agent; fare differences still apply, but administrative penalties are removed. The policy also covers mileage-redemption tickets—an important consideration for frequent-flyer programme members.
Travellers who need to alter routings should also confirm that their Schengen documentation remains valid. If a new Belgium or wider Schengen visa is required on short notice, VisaHQ’s Hong Kong team can expedite the process, track the application in real time and return passports by secure courier. More information is available at https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/
Corporate mobility managers should note that the waiver applies only to Cathay-operated flights, not to on-carriage sectors on oneworld partners. Companies with assignees transiting Brussels for EU meetings are advised to build itinerary buffers or consider alternative gateways such as Amsterdam or Paris in case the labour action proceeds.
The episode underscores how industrial action at European hubs continues to disrupt long-haul itineraries. Over the past year, Cathay has issued similar waivers for Heathrow fuel-tank strikes and JFK snowstorms, gradually codifying a more customer-friendly disruption playbook.
For Hong Kong-based firms, the operational risk reinforces the value of maintaining multiple Schengen entry points and monitoring EU labour calendars—especially during peak convention months of March and April.
