Aug 1, 2019, 2:54 am
Last edit by: corporate-wage-slave
This thread is about the now deferredindustrial action (strikes) by Heathrow Airport Limited staff. Click here for the official and detailed BA advice, particularly for departing and connecting passengers.
The strikes planned for Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 August have now both been cancelled and normal services can be expected, with the possible exception of some catering changes on shorthaul services. A revised pay offer is being put to the workforce and in the meantime strike action has been postponed.
This is a different and unrelated dispute to the possible BA strike (there is a separate thread for this). It only affects LHR but all airlines, all terminals
As things stand the next strike days are Friday 23 - Saturday 24 August, there may be further dates announced. The impact is on departing and connecting passengers, with restrictions on hand baggage (one small item only), no First Wing or Fast Track security, and changed catering arrangements on some shorter services. See links above for details, there are no changes noted for passengers arriving into Heathrow, other than the catering changes. On Sunday BA will announce any service changes, usually this comes around 17:00 hrs London time. BA is offering a Twilight Check-In service from 18:00 hrs the night before travel to allow passengers to get their bags into the system before the day of travel.
BA is allowing short haul bookings from LHR on 5-6 August to be rebooked to either LCY or LGW - or to other dates from Heathrow on or before 12 August so long as they avoid 5-6 August. This include redemptions. Tickets need to be booked on or before 31 July. It would appear that currently flights TO Heathrow are not in scope.
The strikes planned for Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 August have now both been cancelled and normal services can be expected, with the possible exception of some catering changes on shorthaul services. A revised pay offer is being put to the workforce and in the meantime strike action has been postponed.
This is a different and unrelated dispute to the possible BA strike (there is a separate thread for this). It only affects LHR but all airlines, all terminals
As things stand the next strike days are Friday 23 - Saturday 24 August, there may be further dates announced. The impact is on departing and connecting passengers, with restrictions on hand baggage (one small item only), no First Wing or Fast Track security, and changed catering arrangements on some shorter services. See links above for details, there are no changes noted for passengers arriving into Heathrow, other than the catering changes. On Sunday BA will announce any service changes, usually this comes around 17:00 hrs London time. BA is offering a Twilight Check-In service from 18:00 hrs the night before travel to allow passengers to get their bags into the system before the day of travel.
BA is allowing short haul bookings from LHR on 5-6 August to be rebooked to either LCY or LGW - or to other dates from Heathrow on or before 12 August so long as they avoid 5-6 August. This include redemptions. Tickets need to be booked on or before 31 July. It would appear that currently flights TO Heathrow are not in scope.
LHR strikes (HAL employees) - 23/24 Aug 2019 [called off for now]
Aug 3, 2019, 2:17 am
#211
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 5,596
Probably not because if they show up at the gate with the usual hand baggage denied to all other passengers there may well be problems. I would expect the hand baggage regulations to be enforced on domestic connections.
Aug 3, 2019, 2:27 am
#212
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Tees Valley, UK
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 68
Hi guys looking for some advice... on the 1337 Tuesday last one from NCL south and then doing LHR-ZRH-PRG-LHR on Wednesday (non strike day) to try Sichuan Airlines out. Not particularly bothered when I travel to LHR but note there has been mention that you are unable to transfer flights on the same day(s)... I’d be willing to travel any time on Mon or Tue but I am guessing this is not possible and if I were to change my flight it would have to be to Sunday?
Aug 3, 2019, 2:29 am
#213
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: London
Programs: BA GGL (for now) and Lifetime Gold, Marriott fan thanks to Bonvoy Moments
Posts: 5,115
Complicated and painful regardless. Maybe it’s better having a few irate passengers at an out station though!
(ETA - dang, if I want my free food voucher I’ll have to go to check-in. It’s a trap!!!!!)
Aug 3, 2019, 2:30 am
#214
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,779
and if you buy a bag of food airside in LHR then I doubt that would be problematic.
Aug 3, 2019, 2:31 am
#215
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 5,596
wouldn’t that risk delays to domestic departures to LHR when someone arrives at gate with “legal” hand baggage? Staff would be treating direct vs connecting passenger on same flight differently, depending on volumes does it delay loading etc? And absolutely not thinking of myself here, will I show as a connecting passenger when I have an overnight and be asked to check carry on bag in Dublin?
Complicated and painful regardless. Maybe it’s better having a few irate passengers at an out station though!
(ETA - dang, if I want my free food voucher I’ll have to go to check-in. It’s a trap!!!!!)
Aug 3, 2019, 2:36 am
#216
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,779
Hi guys looking for some advice... on the 1337 Tuesday last one from NCL south and then doing LHR-ZRH-PRG-LHR on Wednesday (non strike day) to try Sichuan Airlines out. Not particularly bothered when I travel to LHR but note there has been mention that you are unable to transfer flights on the same day(s)... I’d be willing to travel any time on Mon or Tue but I am guessing this is not possible and if I were to change my flight it would have to be to Sunday?
Aug 3, 2019, 2:50 am
#217
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 5,596
No the Advisory is all about reducing total departing traffic on the two days, and certainly not about shuffling arriving traffic within those days. So I think that's unrealistic unless there is a cancellation or long delays. I would watch the NCL flights on Sunday evening, and perhaps again Monday evening. If there is a cancellation then try to shift but unless you are moving TO the late NCL departure then usually this will be difficult, they struggle with staff standbys at this time of year. Plan C is LBA, plan D is DAR.
Aug 3, 2019, 3:19 am
#218
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2003
Location: SW18, UK
Programs: Mucci Diamond Hairbrush. And Nouveau Bronze
Posts: 1,393
i understand that. But both of those airlines have longhaul codeshares on BA metal out of LHR. I’m not asking this because I know the answer: if you hold an IB-issued ticket for LH travel on BA metal out of Heathrow, is IB really going to say to you “sorry, you can’t change your ticket because your aircraft has a BA tail fin”?
Aug 3, 2019, 3:32 am
#219
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,779
BA will be offering a Twilight Check-in service, for those who are staying or live near Heathrow. So from 18:00 hrs you can check in bags for the next day, presumably up to 24 hours hours before departure. This is worth considering since Heathrow check-in tends to be fairly quiet in the evenings.
Aug 3, 2019, 3:41 am
#220
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: London
Programs: BA GGL (for now) and Lifetime Gold, Marriott fan thanks to Bonvoy Moments
Posts: 5,115
BBC now saying 177 flights and 91 airlines - so logically* maximum number of BA flights impacted would be 87...
* logic probably has nothing to do with it, they could be including codeshares, counting every airline that could be impacted etc.
* logic probably has nothing to do with it, they could be including codeshares, counting every airline that could be impacted etc.
Aug 3, 2019, 4:00 am
#222
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,779
I would expect a pretty swift return to normal service. When BA have had bad irrops they tend to get back to normal quite quickly. There may be a few aircraft and crew out of position, but my working assumption for Wednesday is business pretty much as usual. The pre-emptive cancellations must help a lot with making that happen, in terms of resource planning.
Aug 3, 2019, 4:08 am
#223
Join Date: May 2006
Programs: AAdvatage Executive Platinum / Cathay Pacific Marco Polo Club - Green
Posts: 169
I’m flying from Amsterdam to Hong Kong via Heathrow on the 6th of August. Do you think British Airways will protect passengers on other airlines if their flights between Amsterdam and Heathrow are cancelled on that day? I could potentially be moved to the cathay non-stop flight, or Qatar airways to Doha and then Hong Kong or Finnair Via Helsinki to Hong Kong as Oneworld options.
Aug 3, 2019, 4:27 am
#224
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Cheshire
Programs: HH Diamond, IHG Diamond Am Elite, Best Western Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Gold, Radisson Rewards Gold
Posts: 1,712
The pattern that we have seen in the past is that domestics do get the hit, yes, and sometimes it is the same service twice over. Because your flight is a night stop you get a slightly clearer view than some, since on Sunday they would announce if the Monday northbound would be running. If it was, then there would be every chance of the Tuesday morning service running. Also night stops are perhaps slightly less likely to go since that ends up with crews out of position for the next day's rota.
Aug 3, 2019, 4:33 am
#225
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,779
I’m flying from Amsterdam to Hong Kong via Heathrow on the 6th of August. Do you think British Airways will protect passengers on other airlines if their flights between Amsterdam and Heathrow are cancelled on that day? I could potentially be moved to the cathay non-stop flight, or Qatar airways to Doha and then Hong Kong or Finnair Via Helsinki to Hong Kong as Oneworld options.