Aug 24, 2019, 4:29 am
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
Sep 10, 2019, 8:51 am
#1261
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: 63,846
I called BA silver the day after the strikes were announced and they wouldn't let me move my flight (Amex 241 voucher in business, booked Aug 7). That's pretty annoying to see the above as it looks like we should have been able to, I guess they were still faffing all over the place and I called too soon 
Sep 10, 2019, 8:53 am
#1262
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 4
Thanks for the reply, very true
Tempted to give them a ring then. I assume there would be no cost involved in moving the flight, given the circumstances? (I know they could tell me that on the phone but anything to avoid speaking to them unnecessarily is a good thing :P)
Tempted to give them a ring then. I assume there would be no cost involved in moving the flight, given the circumstances? (I know they could tell me that on the phone but anything to avoid speaking to them unnecessarily is a good thing :P)
Sep 10, 2019, 9:05 am
#1264
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 756
We’ve just had the limited food and beverage email for our flight tomorrow. Whilst I wouldn’t have a big meal on that earlier flight, I would want need a cup of coffee.
Im going to struggle to carry coffee from terminal shop and my hand baggage, so I’m basically left with the option of chancing I’ll get one on board.
Why do BA do this? They’ve had 2 weeks to figure all this out and now it seems they can’t cater a domestic service!
Im going to struggle to carry coffee from terminal shop and my hand baggage, so I’m basically left with the option of chancing I’ll get one on board.
Why do BA do this? They’ve had 2 weeks to figure all this out and now it seems they can’t cater a domestic service!
Sep 10, 2019, 9:06 am
#1265
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: 63,846
If one or more of the flights in question is highlighted in red in Manage My Booking - using the main website, not the App - then it should be possible to shift it to another BA service and a limited number of other services depending on the precise details. Because of the 2-4-1 I don't think you can do it self service (which is possible for straightforward revenue bookings), so you would have to call up.
Sep 10, 2019, 9:11 am
#1266
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 4
If one or more of the flights in question is highlighted in red in Manage My Booking - using the main website, not the App - then it should be possible to shift it to another BA service and a limited number of other services depending on the precise details. Because of the 2-4-1 I don't think you can do it self service (which is possible for straightforward revenue bookings), so you would have to call up.
I'll give them a call and see what they say...
Sep 10, 2019, 11:16 am
#1267
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: London Stratford, E7
Programs: BAEC Gold! Thanks to FT
Posts: 3,382
BA have announced 14 shorthaul cancellation for Wed 11 Sep. It’s one rotation to a number of usual suspects Dublin, Copenhagen, Barcelona Toulouse, Prague, Newcastle, Milan and Zurich whilst Geneva, Paris and Brussels have 2 rotations cancelled. Hope it doesn’t impact too many and who knows there could be more announced later.
Sep 10, 2019, 11:21 am
#1268
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: BA Gold, VS Gold, IHG Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hertz Presidents Circle.
Posts: 1,448
I was able to move a flight scheduled for tomorrow out into October so it seems there is scope beyond a couple of days.
Sep 10, 2019, 11:24 am
#1269
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: BA Gold, VS Gold, IHG Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hertz Presidents Circle.
Posts: 1,448
Well would this cunning plan work for some? When I booked my upcoming flight for the Thursday 26th September (the day before a strike), that day was ridiculously cheap at £49 one way but the Sunday 29th and Monday 30th were very expensive at around £280 and £320 respectively. So I chose the Thursday one as am fairly flexible on this trip
What would stop someone booking on a very cheap day near to a strike, no doubt priced cheap by BA because of the risk of knock-on disruption and then taking advantage of the BA offer to switch to another close-by date at no charge? Thus getting a circa £300 flight for £49?
What would stop someone booking on a very cheap day near to a strike, no doubt priced cheap by BA because of the risk of knock-on disruption and then taking advantage of the BA offer to switch to another close-by date at no charge? Thus getting a circa £300 flight for £49?
Sep 10, 2019, 12:06 pm
#1270
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Dorset
Programs: BAEC Blue, VS Red, IHG Platinum
Posts: 597
Evening all, I'm now trying to sort a contingency plan for my Heathrow to Bologna I've got booked for the 27th (returning 30th Sep, 2 pax)
If the flight gets cancelled I will try and move both flights to the London City - Florence route.
If I manage to snag seats, will BA cover transport from Heathrow to City and back? I've got hotel and parking booked at Heathrow the night before.
I can sort myself out at other end but want to get my ducks lines up.
Second option is LGW-FLR on Veuling but would rather not...!
If the flight gets cancelled I will try and move both flights to the London City - Florence route.
If I manage to snag seats, will BA cover transport from Heathrow to City and back? I've got hotel and parking booked at Heathrow the night before.
I can sort myself out at other end but want to get my ducks lines up.
Second option is LGW-FLR on Veuling but would rather not...!
Sep 10, 2019, 12:12 pm
#1271
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: UK
Programs: IC Hotels Spire, BA Gold
Posts: 8,669
Evening all, I'm now trying to sort a contingency plan for my Heathrow to Bologna I've got booked for the 27th (returning 30th Sep, 2 pax)
If the flight gets cancelled I will try and move both flights to the London City - Florence route.
If I manage to snag seats, will BA cover transport from Heathrow to City and back? I've got hotel and parking booked at Heathrow the night before.
I can sort myself out at other end but want to get my ducks lines up.
Second option is LGW-FLR on Veuling but would rather not...!
If the flight gets cancelled I will try and move both flights to the London City - Florence route.
If I manage to snag seats, will BA cover transport from Heathrow to City and back? I've got hotel and parking booked at Heathrow the night before.
I can sort myself out at other end but want to get my ducks lines up.
Second option is LGW-FLR on Veuling but would rather not...!
Sep 10, 2019, 12:45 pm
#1272
Join Date: Feb 2011
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 256
Advice sought -I need to be in TLV on Monday 30th September, on the Saturday 28th there is a a very reasonably priced CW for £598, the next day it’s £1127. Considering the cheaper flight is the day after the planned strike is it folly to book that one? I’d like the TPs and an extra day (no accom costs) but perhaps I am tempting fate. If they cancelled me due to the knock on would I then definitely be able to get the flight the next day or is that all impossible to predict currently. Should I just bite the bullet and book Virgin ��? Thanks for any thoughts.
Sep 10, 2019, 1:35 pm
#1273
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Flatland
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold 1MM, BA Gold, UA Peon
Posts: 6,111
The Saturday cheap CW is probably because of the Saturday night stay rules on the fare.
Personally I expect that BA will operate fine the day after the strike - after all, most of their pilots will be rested and able to be scheduled as BA wishes. Meanwhile, BALPA won't be wanting to look like there's any unofficial or un-balloted strike action going on. Discipline is the key, and I expect strike action only when announced.
Personally I expect that BA will operate fine the day after the strike - after all, most of their pilots will be rested and able to be scheduled as BA wishes. Meanwhile, BALPA won't be wanting to look like there's any unofficial or un-balloted strike action going on. Discipline is the key, and I expect strike action only when announced.
Sep 10, 2019, 1:39 pm
#1274
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 2,345
If one or more of the flights in question is highlighted in red in Manage My Booking - using the main website, not the App - then it should be possible to shift it to another BA service and a limited number of other services depending on the precise details. Because of the 2-4-1 I don't think you can do it self service (which is possible for straightforward revenue bookings), so you would have to call up.
Sep 10, 2019, 1:41 pm
#1275
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: YVR, HNL
Programs: AS 75k, UA peon, BA Bronze, AC E50k, Marriott Plat, HH Diamond, Fairmont Plat (RIP)
Posts: 7,834
We are out at LHR tonight and just had a wander around T5. It is an absolute ghost town. We were amongst literally maybe 10 other people in the entire departures and arrivals areas combined. Other than staff that is, who all looked bored to tears. Shockingly, everything is open, all of the shops and restaurants. It was quite a sight to see it absolutely deserted. And quite fun, and a bit surreal, to wander around freely wherever we wanted.