Master Thread - Preparation threads - what are you going to do?
May 10, 2010, 9:34 am
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SE1, London
Posts: 23,413
Master Thread - Preparation threads - what are you going to do?
Are you holding bookings on other carriers? By train? By ferry? Or going to a caravan in Bognor Regis instead? What will you do to get around the strike?
May 10, 2010, 9:53 am
#4
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: UA 1MM, Marriot (via SPG) Lifetime Gold
Posts: 632
Regarding what I will do, this is what I would like to do if it's feasible: cancel my ticket.
I have a non-refundable BA flight from PSA-LHR on 24/5 as part of a holiday planned later this month. I have no experience on the strike front and how these things have been handled in the past. Will BA allow me to cancel without a penalty in this situation?
I have a non-refundable BA flight from PSA-LHR on 24/5 as part of a holiday planned later this month. I have no experience on the strike front and how these things have been handled in the past. Will BA allow me to cancel without a penalty in this situation?
May 10, 2010, 10:00 am
#5
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: E14, LON
Programs: Virtuoso TA; SELECT TA; BAEC Gold; Hilton Honors Diamond; IHG Plantinum Amb
Posts: 237
I'll be doing my best to let BA sort things out, looking at their previous performance during the last rounds of strikes, and the fact that VCC are now 747 trained, I have a lot of faith in them.
If my actual flights are actually cancelled I'll try to re-arrange onto another BA flight on the same, or alternative dates.
As an aside does the BA Amex Premium Plus delayed departure coverage include delays due to strike action?
If my actual flights are actually cancelled I'll try to re-arrange onto another BA flight on the same, or alternative dates.
As an aside does the BA Amex Premium Plus delayed departure coverage include delays due to strike action?
May 10, 2010, 10:04 am
#6
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: London, UK
Programs: Not much these days: BA Silver, Bonvoy Lifetime Gold, HH Gold
Posts: 1,326
Booked flexible tickets on SAS to Oslo in case BA don't deliver, but I'm hopeful that the flights will operate since there will be quite a lot of people wanting to go LHR-OSL over the weekend of 29 May...
May 10, 2010, 10:40 am
#7
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: London, ARN, HEL, ..... or MAN
Programs: BA GGL / GFL, Mucci Diamond!, HH Diamond, Radisson Premium, IHG Gold, Hertz Gold
Posts: 5,873
Keeping my fingers crossed that LGW won't be too badly affected and that my TA doesn't panic and put us on Malev instead... 
May 10, 2010, 10:46 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA, VS, HH, IHG, MB, MR
Posts: 26,871
Just booked 3 fully-flex LH tickets - Ł870 for me and the little 'un and Ł500 for Ms Raffles. A bargain for a long weekend in Frankfurt - at least Ms Raffles' ticket will be reimbursed by her employer as she has 1 days work tied in.
May 10, 2010, 10:49 am
#9
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 645
I'll be taking my blackberry, my work pass and a set of work clothes (if we make it back to London but don't have a domestic connection, I can work from our London office).
I will also be making sure I don't spend all of the money before I get to the overseas airport like I usually do, just in case!
I'm wondering whether to book a domestic flight with someone else for the return - but it falls on a non-strike day so might hold out for a bit and see what happens.
I will also be making sure I don't spend all of the money before I get to the overseas airport like I usually do, just in case!
I'm wondering whether to book a domestic flight with someone else for the return - but it falls on a non-strike day so might hold out for a bit and see what happens.
May 10, 2010, 11:31 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,140
Personally, I have no <expletive deleted> option.
I have a 2nd home I can't get to? Should I try to swim TATL?
If it all goes to excreta, I'll just stay here and hope that the next trip later in year works out. Worse things happen to people in Afghanistan.
I have a 2nd home I can't get to? Should I try to swim TATL?
If it all goes to excreta, I'll just stay here and hope that the next trip later in year works out. Worse things happen to people in Afghanistan.
May 10, 2010, 11:40 am
#11
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Oslo, Norway
Programs: BAEC silver
Posts: 174
I am considering buying a refundable ticket from OSL to JFK 25th of May. I was wonderig about the difference in fare though. If BA does cancel the flights will they refund the difference between the tickets as well? As we got really cheap BA tickets and refundable on another airline will cost a lot more.. I want to get there but not at any cost obviously.
May 10, 2010, 11:49 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA, VS, HH, IHG, MB, MR
Posts: 26,871
I am considering buying a refundable ticket from OSL to JFK 25th of May. I was wonderig about the difference in fare though. If BA does cancel the flights will they refund the difference between the tickets as well? As we got really cheap BA tickets and refundable on another airline will cost a lot more.. I want to get there but not at any cost obviously.
May 10, 2010, 1:04 pm
#13
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,885
There really is only one thing to do: if you envisage travelling during the affected periods then you'd be foolhardy to book on BA.
This saddens me. I'm likely to have to do at least one LAX return in that period and - who wouldn't? - would welcome the 360TPs.
So. VS/NZ/UA for me. Probably UA F for the maximum BD miles. Whether I'll get to use the blighters prior to any full anschluss with Miles&Less is another question
I support the rights of my union brothers and sisters to seek redress from their grasping Capitlist overlords. I just wish they'd consult me first so I could tell them in advance which days I'll be requiring guaranteed 2K travel to California.
This saddens me. I'm likely to have to do at least one LAX return in that period and - who wouldn't? - would welcome the 360TPs.
So. VS/NZ/UA for me. Probably UA F for the maximum BD miles. Whether I'll get to use the blighters prior to any full anschluss with Miles&Less is another question
I support the rights of my union brothers and sisters to seek redress from their grasping Capitlist overlords. I just wish they'd consult me first so I could tell them in advance which days I'll be requiring guaranteed 2K travel to California.
May 10, 2010, 1:18 pm
#14
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 2
I am going to stick with my flights and hope for the best. The cost for a flight with an alternative airline is more than double what I paid so I just dont think its worth it to cancel as there is a good chance my flight will go as planned / get rescheduled for later in the day (next day latest hopefully) or get moved to another airline.
May 11, 2010, 2:33 am
#15
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Blue
Posts: 32
I'm due to fly back from YYZ on the early departure on 25 May. Can't afford to book 2 fully flex tickets (me and wife) on say Air Canada as a contingency so will be taking my chances.
Might pack an extra pair of socks etc. just in case we get bumped by a day. I suppose there are worse places to be stuck than Toronto.
Robin
Might pack an extra pair of socks etc. just in case we get bumped by a day. I suppose there are worse places to be stuck than Toronto.
Robin
