Last edit by: corporate-wage-slave
Quick answers to FAQ
Update 18 September 2019: BALPA, the pilots union, has called off their strike for 27 September. We are awaiting a status update from BA on the next steps.
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, see post 540 for an example of a mistake cancellation, see post 818 for a genuinely cancelled flight.
Post 540 (mistake cancellation): https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/31451182-post540.html
Post 818 (real cancellation): https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/31454467-post818.html
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) have announced strike dates.
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 here
and BA Trade Site guidance here
The list of airlines that can be used for rebooking BA flights is now very long, and the list is available here:
https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/traveltrade/bookings-policies/policies/askba?faqid=7594
As of 27 August, this was the old list, and you can track the rollout of OAL via the main thread: Iberia, AA, Aer Lingus (Transatlantic routed limited to 09/10 Sep Only), Finnair, JAL, Malaysia, Qatar, SAS, Brussels, Egyptair, Precision Air, Cathay Pacific and Etihad, Saudia, Gulf, Qantas, Tradewind Aviation, Interjet, LATAM, Air France, KLM, Air New Zealand, Philippine Airlines, EVA Air, Kenya Airways, Aegean Airlines, Air Baltic, Air Atlantic, Croatia and Vueling. Between LHR/MAN and SIN only for Economy passengers, Singapore Airlines is allowed. Between LON and SOF only, Bulgaria is allowed. Between London and Newcastle, Leeds and Edinburgh BA can rebook via the LNER rail company. Suspended then but now allowed: Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian
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): here
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.[/left]
Update 18 September 2019: BALPA, the pilots union, has called off their strike for 27 September. We are awaiting a status update from BA on the next steps.
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, see post 540 for an example of a mistake cancellation, see post 818 for a genuinely cancelled flight.
Post 540 (mistake cancellation): https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/31451182-post540.html
Post 818 (real cancellation): https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/31454467-post818.html
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) have announced strike dates.
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 here
and BA Trade Site guidance here
The list of airlines that can be used for rebooking BA flights is now very long, and the list is available here:
https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/traveltrade/bookings-policies/policies/askba?faqid=7594
As of 27 August, this was the old list, and you can track the rollout of OAL via the main thread: Iberia, AA, Aer Lingus (Transatlantic routed limited to 09/10 Sep Only), Finnair, JAL, Malaysia, Qatar, SAS, Brussels, Egyptair, Precision Air, Cathay Pacific and Etihad, Saudia, Gulf, Qantas, Tradewind Aviation, Interjet, LATAM, Air France, KLM, Air New Zealand, Philippine Airlines, EVA Air, Kenya Airways, Aegean Airlines, Air Baltic, Air Atlantic, Croatia and Vueling. Between LHR/MAN and SIN only for Economy passengers, Singapore Airlines is allowed. Between LON and SOF only, Bulgaria is allowed. Between London and Newcastle, Leeds and Edinburgh BA can rebook via the LNER rail company. Suspended then but now allowed: Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian
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): here
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.[/left]
Help Desk: practical assistance for those affected by strikes on 9, 10, 27 Sep
#631
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 275
Further travel updates from BA Travel Trade at 15:03BST (bold words by mine seem to be newly added)
BALPA strike announcement - Customer Guidelines
Answer Id 7594 Updated 24/08/2019 03.03 PM (BST)
"Operational update on 24 August 2019 at 1345 hours (UK time)
BALPA strike announcement - Customer Guidelines
Answer Id 7594 Updated 24/08/2019 03.03 PM (BST)
"Operational update on 24 August 2019 at 1345 hours (UK time)
- Notification emails are being sent to customers booked on flights during the strike period. This includes some cancellations on 8th, 11th and 12th September due to crew rostering and positioning of aircraft. Please contact customers with rebooking options as we may have not been able to contact everyone impacted.
- All PNRs are now updated with cancelled flights
- Some customers may have been incorrectly notified that they flight has been cancelled, check the PNR, if showing HK status then the flight is scheduled to operate.
- Customers who booked alternatives following incorrect notification that their flight was cancelled, can be rebooked back onto their original flight. If the same booking class is no longer available, please book the lowest available in the same cabin
- UK&I Trade Support will be open between 0800-18:30 on Bank Holiday Monday (26 August)
- We’ll contact customers who may be affected by industrial action on 27 September during the next few weeks."
#632
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Jersey
Programs: BAEC Gold, HH Silver
Posts: 178
Thanks CWS, i'd be happy without any refund and the TP's but appreciate that's unlikely, and whilst I have no real need for that sector alone guess ill bring it forward and do a quick tier point run to Gatwick and back one afternoon next week.
#633
Join Date: Aug 2016
Programs: BAEC - Lowly blue
Posts: 282
#634
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Beijing
Programs: SK EBG, BAEC Gold
Posts: 932
....
Any suggestions on how I should handle this? I rarely book BA flights with someone besides BA, so needing to deal with AA and Propeller across separate tickets may raise some challenges. Note the reason it was booked this way is that it was impossible to book as a single ticket, and BA was unable to price up the ticket with the Croatia Airlines flight in the middle for the VIE-SPU segment.
Any suggestions on how I should handle this? I rarely book BA flights with someone besides BA, so needing to deal with AA and Propeller across separate tickets may raise some challenges. Note the reason it was booked this way is that it was impossible to book as a single ticket, and BA was unable to price up the ticket with the Croatia Airlines flight in the middle for the VIE-SPU segment.
My rebooking though was simply to fix a cancelled flight. I suspect rapidex is correct that BA won't want to do anything more complex with a TA booking than that, but maybe worth a call (I know that Propeller have a lot of customers with affected trips),
#635
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA
Posts: 45
I had a Flight+Car with BA Holidays and my return leg BOS-LHR on BA202 10-Sep was cancelled (red and crossed out). Couldn't get onto phone hold so followed the instructions in the email from BA Holidays (which was my whole trip was being refunded) and rebooked a new trip with same dates with BOS-DUB-LHR replacing my canceled BOS-LHR. As instructed I submitted an email claim for the cost difference of over £5.5k (!). Am I putting too much faith in the system?
Second, my canceled leg was in First (UuA) but the replacement flight is Business (BOS-DUB) and Economy (DUB-LHR). Any way I can get compensation for the downgrade and if so, how?
Second, my canceled leg was in First (UuA) but the replacement flight is Business (BOS-DUB) and Economy (DUB-LHR). Any way I can get compensation for the downgrade and if so, how?
#636
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 275
#637
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: 63,807
EI does not fly to SPU on Sunday the 8th or Monday the 9th so it doesn't seem to be an option.
The September 8th cancellation may be a phantom cancellation where they sent out the email, but MMB only shows it in red with the warning about the strike, but it's not crossed out in MMB. Regardless if I leave that booking alone then my options look pretty limited from DUB.
The September 8th cancellation may be a phantom cancellation where they sent out the email, but MMB only shows it in red with the warning about the strike, but it's not crossed out in MMB. Regardless if I leave that booking alone then my options look pretty limited from DUB.
Your bigger challenge, which I wouldn't relish doing, is to persuade AA to rebook this. It is allowed under BA's advisory but unless you get an agent who vaguely knows how Europe sits together it may be a tricky one to implement. If all else fails the Aer Lingus service is only 88€ so you could keep it simple for AA by asking them to protect the rest of the booking - this should happen automatically anyway - reclaim the DUB-LHR-SPU after the event and you will probably make a profit on the flights. You could even try for the taxi fare too.
#638
Join Date: Aug 2016
Programs: BAEC - Lowly blue
Posts: 282
#639
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: 63,807
#642
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 275
It was shown red to indicate the flights are covered in the Customer Guidelines, allowing you to change the travel date even when flights are still operating.
#643
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: BA Gold, VS Gold, IHG Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hertz Presidents Circle.
Posts: 1,448
Snap on a simple MAN/LHR day return, can't do anything with it in MMB despite it being red for both sectors with 2 emails sat in my inbox telling me both cancelled.
Wants me to call up, that's not happening right now, sure there are people with much more complex rebooking requirements!
Wants me to call up, that's not happening right now, sure there are people with much more complex rebooking requirements!
#644
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Gold, Marriott LT Platinum
Posts: 2,334
#645
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: 63,807
1) Some genuinely cancelled (with MMB strike throughs). And these can be non strike days like 8 September.
2) Some flights vanishing from MMB (seemingly TA bookings which are cancelled)
3) Some fake cancellations (no strike through, typically for 8 or 12 September). No action required, just ignore the email.
4) Some non-fake, non-cancellations, just in case. These seem to be for and around the second lot of strikes due 27 September.
For 1 and 2 you have to take action. For 3 and 4 you could take action and move flights, but for 3 in particular there is no need.