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LHR/LGW pilots (BALPA) industrial action 9 Sep, 10 Sep, and 27 Sep

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Old Jul 20, 2019, 3:27 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
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.
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LHR/LGW pilots (BALPA) industrial action 9 Sep, 10 Sep, and 27 Sep

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Old Jul 23, 2019, 1:45 pm
  #541  
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Parking is going to be a problem and don’t expect the A350 to be delivered.
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Old Jul 23, 2019, 1:49 pm
  #542  
 
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Originally Posted by Can I help you
Parking is going to be a problem and don’t expect the A350 to be delivered.
Thats going to upset Raffles.
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Old Jul 23, 2019, 1:49 pm
  #543  
 
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Originally Posted by rapidex
Not necessarily, if the pilots are striking BA may not want all the aircraft returning to LHR. They would have no parking places for them.
Long stay car parks? 🤣
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Old Jul 23, 2019, 1:49 pm
  #544  
 
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Originally Posted by Tiger_lily


I’m sure that those of us travelling on the 17th don’t quite share your point of view
True. But if it's dog eats dog and then the victor eats another dog...

Of course, as another poster wrote, the best result for everyone involved would be to avert the strike altogether.
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Old Jul 23, 2019, 1:50 pm
  #545  
 
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Originally Posted by Tiger_lily


Long stay car parks? 🤣
Or staff car park as they will be at home.
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Old Jul 23, 2019, 1:55 pm
  #546  
 
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Originally Posted by Tiger_lily
I’m sure that those of us travelling on the 17th don’t quite share your point of view
No, we don't On the other hand, with at least 4 BA flights every week in August and September I will have my share of fun anyway. My best hope is to get stuck in London and not one of the less glamorous outposts with expensive booze and nothing to do.
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Old Jul 23, 2019, 5:38 pm
  #547  
 
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Originally Posted by Chris9642
Am I right in thinking that if the strike starts the day I’m due to fly back from the US it won’t effect me as the pilots already down route fly back to base as normal ?
Yes the pilots will fly back as usual, as long as the plane comes in....
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Old Jul 23, 2019, 11:52 pm
  #548  
 
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Originally Posted by Mikey Mike Mike
The sad thing in this, is that strike action should be a last resort. (try telling this to the Tube unions
AFIAK there are no Tube unions. Railway Unions (ie RMT, ASLEF and TSSA) represent London Underground Staff however. I also cant remember the last time there was a strike on TFL/underground, so that certainly suggests it is a last resort.
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Old Jul 24, 2019, 12:03 am
  #549  
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Originally Posted by hungry


AFIAK there are no Tube unions. Railway Unions (ie RMT, ASLEF and TSSA) represent London Underground Staff however. I also cant remember the last time there was a strike on TFL/underground, so that certainly suggests it is a last resort.
It was in May, I think? https://www.independent.co.uk/travel...-a8895831.html
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Old Jul 24, 2019, 12:16 am
  #550  
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That article says they will walk out not that they actually did walk out.
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Old Jul 24, 2019, 12:39 am
  #551  
 
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Originally Posted by Deltus
So who does HAL actually employ, that would affect the smooth operation of flights? Security screening staff and baggage handlers, anyone else? If I travel HBO and allow plenty of time for security on Friday, am I likely to be ok?
Coming back to this, HAL employs security staff and obviously the airport fire service. The majority of the other staff working airside are employed by airlines, ground handling companies and the shops. However you have to have the airport security team in place to get these staff airside in the first place.

Originally Posted by Greg66
The thing is that HAL are bound to say that they have contingency plans. Because the alternative is completely unpalatable.

It doesn't follow that they really do have such plans, I suspect.
At this point I'm going to call on my memories of the planning for the strikes, which fortunately never took place, back in early 2008 at Heathrow. The initial sessions showed that it would be almost impossible to operate the airport "normally" if even a proportion of the security staff went on strike. This is due to the need to man security screening for passengers, staff and all the vehicles that go airside. This is a big operation.

Based on the initial sessions, internally plans were then built up to close the airport if the strikes did take place, something almost unthinkable. This in turn created it's own problems, along the lines of "how do you actually 'close' an airport" and then the obvious question of "how do you re-open it?" Fortunately, in this example a settlement was reached and the plans, well advanced at the time the settlement was agreed, were never needed.

If there were sufficient suitably trained security screening staff to provide cover at HAL then the airport would not face the challenges it has recruiting new staff, so I'm not sure whether the statements being made by the airport are anything other than a negotiating tactic.
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Old Jul 24, 2019, 12:53 am
  #552  
 
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Originally Posted by hungry
I also cant remember the last time there was a strike on TFL/underground, so that certainly suggests it is a last resort.
There was a bad one IIRC in January 2017 and I had the bad luck to get stuck in consecutive strikes in summer-ish 2015 when they were complaining about the night tube service.
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Old Jul 24, 2019, 2:39 am
  #553  
 
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Originally Posted by lily23
According to this source:
https://www.independent.co.uk/travel...-a9017816.html

"Mr Strutton confirmed to The Independent that no strike will be announced before next Monday, 29 July. The union must give BA at least two weeks’ notice, so the earliest any industrial could begin is 13 August."
This is good to know, if true. I'm hoping to not get stranded in Hong Kong the day before that.
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Old Jul 24, 2019, 2:41 am
  #554  
 
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Originally Posted by george77300
Well I have flights on the 9th and 11th August. To and from Madrid on the A350.

I guess there is a chance Iberia operate more flights on the route to minimise disruption?
I am probably going out 13th back 15th but return leg likely IB metal anyway, and while the outbound I usually go early and take 456 / 458, I'd probably book those on the assumption that then I am already at the airport and every chance BA get me onto a later IB flight if the worst comes to the worst.

Sounds plausible anyway
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Old Jul 24, 2019, 3:05 am
  #555  
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Germany
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Of course nobody know anything in this moment, but if BA has to cancel flights this friday, they will likely start with short hault flights before they cancel long haults? I've booked a flight from Germany to Inverness, with a connection in Heathrow and I guess at least the domestic flight from LHR to INV could be one of the first flights they cancel, correct?I wouldn't be sad if they cancel our flights, but want to know that soon to make other arrangements and not just before our flight should depart on friday.
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