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 17, 2019, 2:32 am
#331
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 5,596
I thought your reply was rather good. I was just wondering how jp-mco would have responded. If the BA pilots go out on strike I would imagine there will be chaos at LHR with passengers being told to stay home and police preventing entry to T5.
Jul 17, 2019, 2:37 am
#332
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Lausanne Switzerland
Programs: BA Gold; Swiss Blue
Posts: 1,244
As they should know if their flight is on a possible strike day or not 2 weeks before... and if they are armed with their alternatives they can look at avoiding the date if BA will let them... that would not necessarily be on a day when access to T5 might be restricted.
Jul 17, 2019, 2:38 am
#333
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: London
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 166
That will probably be the case once the strike is in effect but not straight after it's announced which was when I was suggesting I might take a trip to the airport to try sort things out.
Jul 17, 2019, 2:39 am
#334
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: NT Australia
Programs: QF WP
Posts: 4,160
to be fair I think expectation management is important in these situations. Rephrase as “prepare yourself for the possibility that your holiday will most likely not happen”?
Jul 17, 2019, 2:40 am
#335
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Somewhere in the Air
Programs: BA GGL, *A Silver, OW Emerald, HH Diamond, Karahi Express
Posts: 554
https://www.travelsupermarket.com/en...srupt-holiday/
"You’ve found your ideal holiday, bought travel insurance, picked up your currency, and perhaps even started packing your luggage in anticipation of your long-awaited break. Then, you hear news of strike action that could affect your flight. Now what?
"You’ve found your ideal holiday, bought travel insurance, picked up your currency, and perhaps even started packing your luggage in anticipation of your long-awaited break. Then, you hear news of strike action that could affect your flight. Now what?
First, try not to panic. Strike action can be called by individual airlines, groups of airports, air traffic controllers, baggage handlers, airport firefighters… the list goes on and the chances are that you and your travelling companions might not even notice any action.
And that’s if the proposed action even goes ahead – strikes can be called off, often at the last minute, so it's important to stay abreast of the situation in the lead up to your trip. This is not, however, always the case. Sometimes these walkouts can leave travellers facing long delays and the misery of cancelled flights.Whether you sympathise with the workers or not, if a strike is going to disrupt, or is disrupting, your holiday, it helps to know your rights. Here we guide you through this potentially difficult situation." more in the link above ...
Also a point about Travel Insurance from the same link
Also a point about Travel Insurance from the same link
Will my travel insurance pay out?
This will depend on when you bought your flight and what type of policy you have. If a ballot to strike had not been called when you booked your flight and your policy covers against strike action, you will be reimbursed accordingly (for the delay and other additional costs). If industrial action was already in the offing and you booked flights, the insurer might argue that you would have been aware of a strike and are therefore unlikely to cough up. Always check the small print and get in touch with your insurance provider if it’s not clear.
Jul 17, 2019, 2:42 am
#336
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Lausanne Switzerland
Programs: BA Gold; Swiss Blue
Posts: 1,244
To get back on to topic, the only thing any of us can do at the moment is.
Look at options, wait and see, then activate options as necessary. I know it is not very reasuring. But if you we have planned we are ahead of a lot of other who have not.
Look at options, wait and see, then activate options as necessary. I know it is not very reasuring. But if you we have planned we are ahead of a lot of other who have not.
Jul 17, 2019, 2:44 am
#338
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Brighton. UK
Programs: BA Gold / VS /IHG Diamond & Ambassador
Posts: 14,196
NO dates have been announced yet.
I am getting a little fed up of the media and people not recognising that and just assuming that BA will be on strike on the 5th August!
The union have to give 14 days notice of strike dates. I don't see them announcing the dates when they announce the ballot results next week but will leave it a couple of dates. After all BALPA want leverage against BA not to spoil peoples holidays (and pilots have families and go on holiday too!)
A bit of contingency planning is OK but to basically say to a poster worried about their holiday 'you ain't flying' is just wrong and not helpful.
I am getting a little fed up of the media and people not recognising that and just assuming that BA will be on strike on the 5th August!
The union have to give 14 days notice of strike dates. I don't see them announcing the dates when they announce the ballot results next week but will leave it a couple of dates. After all BALPA want leverage against BA not to spoil peoples holidays (and pilots have families and go on holiday too!)
A bit of contingency planning is OK but to basically say to a poster worried about their holiday 'you ain't flying' is just wrong and not helpful.
Jul 17, 2019, 2:46 am
#339
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Somewhere in the Air
Programs: BA GGL, *A Silver, OW Emerald, HH Diamond, Karahi Express
Posts: 554
During the IT meltdown .... Police were there preventing entry. However there was one indirect entry point which had been overlooked. DM me if interested. I was able to get in and .... wow .... it was chaos inside .... people sleeping everywhere. Situation outside was just as bad.
Jul 17, 2019, 2:49 am
#340
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 5,596
Jul 17, 2019, 2:56 am
#342
Join Date: Jan 2018
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 439
Usual scaremongering rife I see. There's also the usual over-panicking.
I've got loads of plans this summer on BA and I'm pretty chilled about it. BA knows the absolute unmitigated disaster a strike would cause and as do the pilots (and their holidays, friends of theirs holidays etc etc). Unless dates are actually set in stone, what are people so frantic about? Just wait and see how it plays out and consider all the hard facts when you do so.
I've got loads of plans this summer on BA and I'm pretty chilled about it. BA knows the absolute unmitigated disaster a strike would cause and as do the pilots (and their holidays, friends of theirs holidays etc etc). Unless dates are actually set in stone, what are people so frantic about? Just wait and see how it plays out and consider all the hard facts when you do so.
Jul 17, 2019, 2:57 am
#343
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: NT Australia
Programs: QF WP
Posts: 4,160
Re the point about travel insurance. For those of us who are not UK residents, any idea what the policy would likely be? (Beyond that insurance avoids paying out whenever possible)
i had booked my BA flights before any whiff of a strike was mentioned, however I suspect some of my non-BA Heathrow flights were booked after the HAL strike was announced. Had I not been looking at FT I doubt I would have heard about either. Most Australian pax would not be following UK news and industrial relations enough to know what was going on with the like
wondering how much you are expected to browse the news for potential holiday disruptions?
ETA just had a scroll through smarttraveller (AU equivalent of fco.gov.uk travel advice) and there is absolutely no mention at all of any strikes or travel disruptions
i had booked my BA flights before any whiff of a strike was mentioned, however I suspect some of my non-BA Heathrow flights were booked after the HAL strike was announced. Had I not been looking at FT I doubt I would have heard about either. Most Australian pax would not be following UK news and industrial relations enough to know what was going on with the like
wondering how much you are expected to browse the news for potential holiday disruptions?
ETA just had a scroll through smarttraveller (AU equivalent of fco.gov.uk travel advice) and there is absolutely no mention at all of any strikes or travel disruptions
Jul 17, 2019, 3:00 am
#344
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Somewhere in the Air
Programs: BA GGL, *A Silver, OW Emerald, HH Diamond, Karahi Express
Posts: 554
Re the Insurance .... I believe the earlier date applies (The date "a ballot to strike" is called) rather than when the strike is announced.
Jul 17, 2019, 3:03 am
#345
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: NT Australia
Programs: QF WP
Posts: 4,160