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 12, 2019, 5:42 pm
#1366
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 11
They said when it is cancelled, I can call back and get routed to any airport in 300 miles of EWR. But for now I'm playing the waiting game.
But given how few seats oneworld has remaining out of NYC that night, moving 4 passengers to Philly would help them out as much as it would me. Unless they didnt resell those seats...
Sep 12, 2019, 5:47 pm
#1367
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 275
A datapoint. I got through to You First very quickly after my ex-CPT on the 27th popped up on expertflyer as cancelled, mid afternoon. The agent couldn't see the cancellation nor could MMB in ba.com; however, a supervisor could!
Initially got offered the next day's BA flight which is no use time wise, was then offered a Oneworld re-route and QR worked for me. I end up losing half a day in Cape Town but fine in the overall scheme of things. Was very very quickly sorted. The re-booking e-mail confirmation was through in 15 minutes …. followed two hours later by the original cancellation e-mail!!
Very limited F options from CPT, more so as EK are not on the re-book list. BA were not keen to go with LH at this time, but I didn't press it as the QR option is overall pretty decent. The flights do seem to be filling up fast looking in 8 hours later.
Overall, the You First encounter exceeded my expectations today. Shame about the circumstances.
Initially got offered the next day's BA flight which is no use time wise, was then offered a Oneworld re-route and QR worked for me. I end up losing half a day in Cape Town but fine in the overall scheme of things. Was very very quickly sorted. The re-booking e-mail confirmation was through in 15 minutes …. followed two hours later by the original cancellation e-mail!!
Very limited F options from CPT, more so as EK are not on the re-book list. BA were not keen to go with LH at this time, but I didn't press it as the QR option is overall pretty decent. The flights do seem to be filling up fast looking in 8 hours later.
Overall, the You First encounter exceeded my expectations today. Shame about the circumstances.
BA can now rebook onto LH, so long it is rebooked by BA direct. You may see if space is available for LH options
Sep 12, 2019, 9:34 pm
#1368
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 13
Had a one stop flight to LHR via CDG on CX/BA cancelled and rebooked to LGW direct the day before. Used Asia Miles. Does anyone know if I am able to claim compensation for the extra night of hotel I need to now pay for? CX has already said no.
Sep 12, 2019, 9:56 pm
#1369
Join Date: Aug 2008
Programs: QF
Posts: 20
I am in a similar position. Flying SIN-LHR and then LHR-TLV on the 27th. The BA LHR-TLV flight was cancelled. Flight are a QF redemption. QF have rebooked us a day later LHR-HEL HEL-TLV. QF said they would not pay for a hotel in London, and we should try our insurance.
Sep 12, 2019, 11:13 pm
#1370
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,965
Sep 12, 2019, 11:17 pm
#1371
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: BA Gold, AA Lifetime Gold 1.8mm, IC Spire Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold et al
Posts: 4,350
Can someone clarify how this cancellation opportunity works? I had an ex LGW flight on 26 September which ba.com indicated I could rebook or have refunded. I decided on the latter and went through the online cancellation process, eventually receiving a message that the refund would be processed with 4 weeks but no email confirming. However, it appears that the booking is still 'live' on ba.com and I even appear to still have the option to rebook. Can I be confident that the refund process is actually in progress or should I take some further action?
Sep 12, 2019, 11:44 pm
#1372
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 13
In that case, does that mean we can go to BA for compensation since now we incur one night of hotel cost? Do we just submit our expenses as if we booked through BA? A bit confused how this works it was partner redemption.
Kind regards
Grace
Kind regards
Grace
Sep 12, 2019, 11:53 pm
#1373
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 275
Keep any relevant receipts and submit them to BA Customer Relations to initiate the claim after the trip. See EC261 threads for details.
Sep 12, 2019, 11:53 pm
#1374
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,965
You don’t get compensation per se. If you have hotel costs then submit them directly with BA and ask for these to be covered according to the duty of care provisions under the EC261 Regulation.
Sep 13, 2019, 12:16 am
#1376
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 30
I'm supposed to be flying MEX-LHR on 27th but the flight hasn't been cancelled.
I can see the MEX-LHR on 26th has been cancelled and the LHR-MEX on 27th has been cancelled so am I right in assuming the plane will sit there for a day longer than it normally does (parking issues at LHR?) and the flight will operate?
Need to travel on that day and not sure call centre can do anything as it hasn't been cancelled, but other carriers have been filling up.
I can see the MEX-LHR on 26th has been cancelled and the LHR-MEX on 27th has been cancelled so am I right in assuming the plane will sit there for a day longer than it normally does (parking issues at LHR?) and the flight will operate?
Need to travel on that day and not sure call centre can do anything as it hasn't been cancelled, but other carriers have been filling up.
Sep 13, 2019, 12:30 am
#1377
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 275
I'm supposed to be flying MEX-LHR on 27th but the flight hasn't been cancelled.
I can see the MEX-LHR on 26th has been cancelled and the LHR-MEX on 27th has been cancelled so am I right in assuming the plane will sit there for a day longer than it normally does (parking issues at LHR?) and the flight will operate?
Need to travel on that day and not sure call centre can do anything as it hasn't been cancelled, but other carriers have been filling up.
I can see the MEX-LHR on 26th has been cancelled and the LHR-MEX on 27th has been cancelled so am I right in assuming the plane will sit there for a day longer than it normally does (parking issues at LHR?) and the flight will operate?
Need to travel on that day and not sure call centre can do anything as it hasn't been cancelled, but other carriers have been filling up.
Although 27 Sep is the strike day, crews at outstation will not be at strike as they are on the rotation; LHR/LGW will be hit hard on the 27th though as very few flights will be able to operate.
In addition, unlike the 1st round, some flights do still operate on the 27th by cancelling flights on the 26th and keep aircrafts (and crews) at outstations. Very much likely due to the capacity issue at LHR/LGW.
Sep 13, 2019, 12:44 am
#1378
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 538
I'm supposed to be flying MEX-LHR on 27th but the flight hasn't been cancelled.
I can see the MEX-LHR on 26th has been cancelled and the LHR-MEX on 27th has been cancelled so am I right in assuming the plane will sit there for a day longer than it normally does (parking issues at LHR?) and the flight will operate?
Need to travel on that day and not sure call centre can do anything as it hasn't been cancelled, but other carriers have been filling up.
I can see the MEX-LHR on 26th has been cancelled and the LHR-MEX on 27th has been cancelled so am I right in assuming the plane will sit there for a day longer than it normally does (parking issues at LHR?) and the flight will operate?
Need to travel on that day and not sure call centre can do anything as it hasn't been cancelled, but other carriers have been filling up.
BA 242 from Mexico on 26Sep has a scheduled departure time of 2300 local , which is 0500 bst Sep 27.
Therefore the flight that will be affected by the strike is the one scheduled to depart on 26 Sept.
Sep 13, 2019, 5:12 am
#1379
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: Mucci, BAEC Silver, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 1,038
BA Holidays Data point - incase it helps someone.
Due to be flying back on 27th.
BA Holidays have extended the holiday, now flying back 4 days later, with them (just confirmed in MMB) extending the 4* hotel (all inclusive) at no cost to me. Just got to run it by the boss at work... wait, that's me. Happy now, after a few stressful hours.
Due to be flying back on 27th.
BA Holidays have extended the holiday, now flying back 4 days later, with them (just confirmed in MMB) extending the 4* hotel (all inclusive) at no cost to me. Just got to run it by the boss at work... wait, that's me. Happy now, after a few stressful hours.
Sep 13, 2019, 7:03 am
#1380
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Wembley, Middx, England
Programs: BA Gold, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 775
I just wanted to say thank you to this thread for all of the great advice. My LHR to Budapest flight on the 28th was cancelled this morning, and after an epic 5-minute wait on the Silver line, I'm now booked on the Finnair A350 flight … a longer trip to Budapest, but at least part of it in comfort!