LeisureFirst

You're the umpteenth person to say something like this. Why are people's memories so short? Last time (in 2007) all mainline flights were cancelled. The strike was called off at the eleventh hour, but not only had the cancellation schedule been announced, but officially one day's worth of flights (IIRC) had been formally cancelled, although many were reinstated.

Yes, this time BA do seem to have more plans to fly planes with replacement crew. That's at least what the rhetoric suggests. But I certainly wouldn't be sure about anything going - and certainly not as much as all longhauls.

HIDDY

It's more of a problem for the long haul pax who are connecting...those are the ones who will have the biggest problems I would have thought and for them it would be wiser to make alternative arrangements.

Gaz

I don't remember this! Can't have had anything booked on BA at the time. Were J/F passengers booked elsewhere? Or was everyone told "your flight's cancelled - make your own arrangements".

xxxxx

Alternative arrangements were made for all customers on other airlines, regardless of class of travel. There will be similar arrangements for this strike also, the difference being that BA aim to operate a decent proportion of longhaul routes (albeit with reduced frequency) with some shorthaul. I think we will see the tactical cancellations made not long after the strike dates are announced.

I fully expect this strike to go ahead which is why I think BA are getting as prepared as is possible for IA.

Sixth Freedom

I am actually quite excited to see what will happen. Will BA or USHITE prevail? We shall have to wait and see...

LeisureFirst

Err, I think you must be referring to a different strike. On another planet maybe.

I was due to fly on a threatened strike day and it was a very important trip. I remember it with crystal clarity. We had BA's usual option to re-book on another BA flight (subject to availability) - as was announced in December. Had the flights actually got as far as being formally cancelled (which only happened to the first day of the strike) there would have been refund options. There was definitely no suggestion that we would be accommodated on other airlines.

xxxxx

I'm talking about the strike in Feb 2007. Arrangements were made with around 15 different airlines for contact centres to rebook on to, with specific booking classes to use. I couldn't say for certain that these options were available from the outset but were made available very soon after all the flights were cancelled. As I remember there were 2 days of cancelled schedule in 2007, which led to flights to BKK with only 2 customers on them.

This was specific to contact centres, as always airports book on any airline that has a seat available.

LeisureFirst

Your original statement "Alternative arrangements were made for all customers on other airlines" I'm afraid really isn't true. When the strikes were first announced, nothing was said about accommodating passengers on other airlines. Pax were scrabbling around re-arranging their plans onto different BA flights where they could. When flights were finally cancelled (just a couple of days before the flights) passengers had the option to get a refund. It seems you're saying that BA then tried to accommodate the remaining pax on alternative flights, but that's quite a different thing.

Similarly, in December, I didn't see any statement from BA about accommodating "all customers on other airlines". If they were in a position to deliver such a promise in the event of a strike I'm sure they would have said so: it would have prevented a lot of frayed nerves with the travelling public and the massive drop in bookings that occurred when the strike was announced.

xxxxx

The devil, as always is in the detail. My comment was in response to a post asking if arrangements would be made for passengers in J/F. Meaning the option to rebook on other airlines was not just restricted to J/F.

My original comment was entirely correct. BA did make arrangements for customers on other airlines. I was there in Feb 2007 taking call after call refering to a cribsheet with booking classes for different airlines. At first it was just oneworld airlines, then agreements were in place with other airlines such as LH and LO to rebook.

BA of course would only offer refunds or rebook on to other airlines when a flight is cancelled, as was mentioned during the December strike uncertainty, to offer refunds on flights that may still be operating would be unwise. You will not find BA offering refunds/rebooking on other airlines in this strike until a schedule for the strike period is established and cancellations announced.