Jul 20, 2019, 3:27 am
Last edit by: corporate-wage-slave
Quick answers to FAQ:
Help! What do I do now?
Most importantly, don't panic and don't do anything in haste. Read these FAQ. Read the thread, particularly the posts starting from the time that the strike dates were announced. Identify your options. Think about what works for you. Then take action. If you do anything in haste, you may have thrown away good options, or you may have thrown away money that you needn't have spent.
NOTE: Some emails have been sent out by mistake notifying the cancellation of flights on 8 September and other dates. If your booking still looks OK in MMB then you don't need to take further action. A cancelled flight should be shown in MMB with struck-through text. If your flight details are not struck through, then it probably hasn't actually been cancelled. You could check ba.com to see whether BA is still taking reservations for the flight in question. If so, then the flight has not been cancelled. You may also try checking on ExpertFlyer, if you have access, to see whether your flight appears still to be operating and whether BA is still taking reservations. However, some afternoon/evening flights on 8 September have genuinely been cancelled. See main thread for details.
Has a strike been called yet?
Yes. BALPA, the pilots' union, has voted in favour of strike action, and the Court of Appeal has rejected BA's submission to have the poll set aside, so the legal process is now over. The two parties went back into talks after the legal proceedings and those talks were expected to continue into the week of 5 August.
BALPA on 23 Aug announced strikes on Monday 9 September Tuesday 10 September and Friday 27 September.
Any further strikes normally require 2 weeks notice under UK legislation.
What flights may be affected?
LHR and LGW based flights. Not LCY or STN flights. Both cabin and flight crew are in dispute with BA, but the pilots (captains, senior first officers, first officers) are closest to strike action.
How long would a strike last?
The initial strikes are for two days the a single day, with normal working in between. Any other strikes could be of any length. It would be rare in the UK for there to be a full time strike.
What would happen to my flights if it is a strike day?
A range of options have been announced, see post 1551 below for more information: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...l#post31451055
and BA Trade Site guidance here: https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...kba?faqid=7594
Rebooking is now allowed on Iberia, AA, Finnair, JAL and Qatar. Within Europe EI and Vueling are also allowed. This is for both revenue and redemption flights.
and the FAQ on BA.com here (this includes information on BA Holidays bookings which are substantially different): https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...st-information
Can I do anything with an existing booking now?
Yes. Your options are different depending on whether your flights are currently showing as cancelled or not. See the links above.
What about Heathrow staff - aren't their strikes planned there too?
Yes there is a separate dispute at the moment between Heathrow Airport (HAL) and their staff such as those who operate the security checkpoints. See the separate thread on the issue.
Am I protected by EC261 if there is a problem?
You are always covered by the Right to Care provisions of Regulation EC261. You could potentially be able to claim compensation for delays, cancellations and downgrades caused by BA staff action too, but not for HAL strikes (for cancellations only if there is flight is less than 14 day’s notice). See the main EC261 thread in the BA Forum Dashboard.
Help! What do I do now?
Most importantly, don't panic and don't do anything in haste. Read these FAQ. Read the thread, particularly the posts starting from the time that the strike dates were announced. Identify your options. Think about what works for you. Then take action. If you do anything in haste, you may have thrown away good options, or you may have thrown away money that you needn't have spent.
NOTE: Some emails have been sent out by mistake notifying the cancellation of flights on 8 September and other dates. If your booking still looks OK in MMB then you don't need to take further action. A cancelled flight should be shown in MMB with struck-through text. If your flight details are not struck through, then it probably hasn't actually been cancelled. You could check ba.com to see whether BA is still taking reservations for the flight in question. If so, then the flight has not been cancelled. You may also try checking on ExpertFlyer, if you have access, to see whether your flight appears still to be operating and whether BA is still taking reservations. However, some afternoon/evening flights on 8 September have genuinely been cancelled. See main thread for details.
Has a strike been called yet?
Yes. BALPA, the pilots' union, has voted in favour of strike action, and the Court of Appeal has rejected BA's submission to have the poll set aside, so the legal process is now over. The two parties went back into talks after the legal proceedings and those talks were expected to continue into the week of 5 August.
BALPA on 23 Aug announced strikes on Monday 9 September Tuesday 10 September and Friday 27 September.
Any further strikes normally require 2 weeks notice under UK legislation.
What flights may be affected?
LHR and LGW based flights. Not LCY or STN flights. Both cabin and flight crew are in dispute with BA, but the pilots (captains, senior first officers, first officers) are closest to strike action.
How long would a strike last?
The initial strikes are for two days the a single day, with normal working in between. Any other strikes could be of any length. It would be rare in the UK for there to be a full time strike.
What would happen to my flights if it is a strike day?
A range of options have been announced, see post 1551 below for more information: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...l#post31451055
and BA Trade Site guidance here: https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...kba?faqid=7594
Rebooking is now allowed on Iberia, AA, Finnair, JAL and Qatar. Within Europe EI and Vueling are also allowed. This is for both revenue and redemption flights.
and the FAQ on BA.com here (this includes information on BA Holidays bookings which are substantially different): https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...st-information
Can I do anything with an existing booking now?
Yes. Your options are different depending on whether your flights are currently showing as cancelled or not. See the links above.
What about Heathrow staff - aren't their strikes planned there too?
Yes there is a separate dispute at the moment between Heathrow Airport (HAL) and their staff such as those who operate the security checkpoints. See the separate thread on the issue.
Am I protected by EC261 if there is a problem?
You are always covered by the Right to Care provisions of Regulation EC261. You could potentially be able to claim compensation for delays, cancellations and downgrades caused by BA staff action too, but not for HAL strikes (for cancellations only if there is flight is less than 14 day’s notice). See the main EC261 thread in the BA Forum Dashboard.
LHR/LGW pilots (BALPA) industrial action 9 Sep, 10 Sep, and 27 Sep
Jul 23, 2019, 7:46 am
#481
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: living near Malaga
Programs: BA Gold , Mucci recipient. Coffee Drinker, Blue Sky Thinker
Posts: 2,112
Jul 23, 2019, 7:49 am
#482
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Dorset, United Kingdom. Frequently at higher altitudes.
Programs: BAEC Gold and a few others
Posts: 103
We're flying Friday morning at 7am, which hopefully means our aircraft has slept at LHR, and T5 will still be functioning without too much backlog of passengers.. Will report back from the Flounge at around 05:30 with any luck..!
Jul 23, 2019, 7:56 am
#484
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: LON
Programs: BA Gold; LH FTL; IHG Diamond; Marriott Gold; ALL Gold
Posts: 1,758
Jul 23, 2019, 7:59 am
#485
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
I am very aware of that. So say the company get an injunction because for example a few pilots have retired but are still TU members and got sent ballot papers. So what does that achieve? The TU tightens up its membership database, makes sure it is watertight, then re-ballots and the new ballot is solid... strike goes ahead just a few weeks later then originally planned!
Again that why the company should be trying to resolve the issue not messing about with injunctions.
The way BA have been operating in recent years including all the cuts, they are in my opinion completely mad if they think the majority of the publics support will be with the company/management rather than the staff.
The way BA have been operating in recent years including all the cuts, they are in my opinion completely mad if they think the majority of the publics support will be with the company/management rather than the staff.
Those who've read my previous posts on the current industrial action probably have little doubt where my sympathies lie. However, that's got nothing to do with whether BA is entitled to use the legal tools at its disposal to try to secure some advantage in the dispute. And we should not forget that those legal tools are in place in part to protect us, the customers.
Jul 23, 2019, 8:42 am
#486
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: north of heathrow
Posts: 1,109
Jul 23, 2019, 8:49 am
#488
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 47
You could probably argue for the Eligible Flights in that scenario, I think you would be successful though I'm not aware of a formal policy in this area. However this is all hypothetical at this stage, other than that BA are not on the hook for the QR sectors whatever happens.
I've left 36 hours between LHR-ARN and the QR flight because I know they're not on the hook for that, plus (hopefully) a day in Stockholm - FT has taught me well
Jul 23, 2019, 9:00 am
#489
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: LON
Programs: BA Gold; LH FTL; IHG Diamond; Marriott Gold; ALL Gold
Posts: 1,758
Jul 23, 2019, 9:18 am
#490
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Brighton. UK
Programs: BA Gold / VS /IHG Diamond & Ambassador
Posts: 14,203
Some shops may be operated by a franchise bases but that's not the same as HAL operating them. I think HAL just wants to take the rent and share of sales and not have to bother about staff rotas and recruitment.
Franchises are usually run by someone who buys the franchise and the name, stock and support of the main company. Think many branches of starbucks, subway and mcdonalds on the high street for example.
Jul 23, 2019, 9:26 am
#491
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: north of heathrow
Posts: 1,109
Yes they WILL need solid contingency plans for that. Just a case of wait and see really. I don’t think they can rely on the two local London Fire Brigade stations. They do cover the airport but in addition to the HAL fire station, not instead of.
Jul 23, 2019, 9:47 am
#492
Join Date: May 2006
Location: 5 miles from EMA
Programs: BD, BAEC Pleb, VS Pleb, Accor Pleb, HHonors Gold, Big White Season Pass
Posts: 5,904
We’ve had incidents at EMA which have required the fire service to deal with something and if they can’t cover the runways, the airport shuts temporarily.
Jul 23, 2019, 9:47 am
#493
Join Date: May 2003
Location: SW18, UK
Programs: Mucci Diamond Hairbrush. And Nouveau Bronze
Posts: 1,393
It doesn't follow that they really do have such plans, I suspect.
Jul 23, 2019, 9:48 am
#494
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: BA GGL
Posts: 2,447
There will be loads of content like this in The Sun, etc, etc, where those 'normal' people who don't - and rankly shouldn't really need to - think about flight operations will all-out campaign against the airline, its staff, 'well-paid' pilots, etc, blaming them for striking specifically over the holiday periods.
It makes an easy story for the majority of non-travellers to be appalled at such strikes. I don't think the media, by and large, will be on the strikers' side, whether that's right or wrong. BA bashing will commence en masse soon enough...
Jul 23, 2019, 9:50 am
#495
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: north of heathrow
Posts: 1,109
You are correct, but we don’t know what those mysterious ‘contingency plans’ are. When the London Fire Brigade have been on strike, the army have been brought in to cover the stations.