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 15, 2019, 2:01 pm
#1426
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 2,345
If my flight is cancelled back home from Paphos to LGW will BA rebook me onto a Lufthansa connecting flight back home even though from Larnaca Cyprus but back to LHR still in Business class if CE booked? Just times etc and baggage allowance suit me. Will they pay or do I and then claim it back, just seems quite pricey that's all. Thanks
Sep 15, 2019, 2:03 pm
#1427
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,871
If my flight is cancelled back home from Paphos to LGW will BA rebook me onto a Lufthansa connecting flight back home even though from Larnaca Cyprus but back to LHR still in Business class if CE booked? Just times etc and baggage allowance suit me. Will they pay or do I and then claim it back, just seems quite pricey that's all. Thanks
Sep 15, 2019, 2:11 pm
#1428
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: London
Programs: BA GGL (for now) and Lifetime Gold, Marriott fan thanks to Bonvoy Moments
Posts: 5,114
What does “trade rebookings not permitted” mean for LH/LX? Does this mean it’s case by case rather than blanker ok?
Sep 15, 2019, 2:34 pm
#1429
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 2,345
Thanks didn't fully understand the list so is Lufthansa ok? And their Business is the same as BA CE? Thanks
Sep 15, 2019, 3:52 pm
#1430
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,871
Sep 16, 2019, 3:11 am
#1432
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 45
What instructions did you get for claiming the extra hotel night? My 9 p.m. LAX-LHR-Tel Aviv flight on 9/27 was cancelled and I rebooked on an earlier flight that same day. I'll get into Tel Aviv a night earlier than originally and need to find out how to submit the hotel expense to BA.
c-w-s explained it further up which I didn't see.
Sep 16, 2019, 4:54 am
#1433
Join Date: Apr 2008
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 151
Not always, I was rebooked on Aer Lingus in lowest Economy bucket even though i was originally in Business. No lounge access now
Sep 16, 2019, 4:58 am
#1434
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,871
If this is a DUB-LHR or LHR-DUB route you will get lounge access to the EI lounge by virtue of your BA silver card - there is an agreement in place for that route with BA and EI.
Sep 16, 2019, 6:50 am
#1435
Join Date: Sep 2017
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 68
Does anyone have experience of a rebook onto LNER?
I was flying CE to NCL on the 27th, managed to get rebooked by BA, over the phone, onto the KGX - NCL train. Phone agent said I would be booked into 1st class on LNER however on MMB it says economy as the class of travel?
Is this a glitch?
Any idea how you actually get your(I assume) e-ticket?
As an aside - having done my homework already I had identified the direct NCL train I was looking for. The agent firstly tried to send me via Leeds then, when I asked about the direct train- had to get supervisor approval for the direct train.
I was flying CE to NCL on the 27th, managed to get rebooked by BA, over the phone, onto the KGX - NCL train. Phone agent said I would be booked into 1st class on LNER however on MMB it says economy as the class of travel?
Is this a glitch?
Any idea how you actually get your(I assume) e-ticket?
As an aside - having done my homework already I had identified the direct NCL train I was looking for. The agent firstly tried to send me via Leeds then, when I asked about the direct train- had to get supervisor approval for the direct train.
Sep 16, 2019, 6:51 am
#1436
Join Date: Sep 2017
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 68
Does anyone have experience of a rebook onto LNER?
I was flying CE to NCL on the 27th, managed to get rebooked by BA, over the phone, onto the KGX - NCL train. Phone agent said I would be booked into 1st class on LNER however on MMB it says economy as the class of travel?
Is this a glitch?
Any idea how you actually get your(I assume) e-ticket?
As an aside - having done my homework already I had identified the direct NCL train I was looking for. The agent firstly tried to send me via Leeds then, when I asked about the direct train- had to get supervisor approval for the direct train.
I was flying CE to NCL on the 27th, managed to get rebooked by BA, over the phone, onto the KGX - NCL train. Phone agent said I would be booked into 1st class on LNER however on MMB it says economy as the class of travel?
Is this a glitch?
Any idea how you actually get your(I assume) e-ticket?
As an aside - having done my homework already I had identified the direct NCL train I was looking for. The agent firstly tried to send me via Leeds then, when I asked about the direct train- had to get supervisor approval for the direct train.
I definitely dont have a link in MMB that I can see for my ticket.
Sep 16, 2019, 6:57 am
#1437
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 5,596
If you have your LNER code you could try the automated ticket machines or as a last resort the travel centre under the departures board by the Harry Potter wall.
If BA have put you in economy just pay on the train and send the bill to BA.
If BA have put you in economy just pay on the train and send the bill to BA.
Sep 16, 2019, 7:08 am
#1438
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: 63,699
From what I can make out, it is built on an existing relationship that BA has with First Great Western. It has long been possible to book services from (e.g.) Exeter to Shanghai with a train sector on BA. So FGW appears to be used as a mechanism already in place, only drawing on National Rail sectors. Online check in for the flights is the normal process, but for the train (and coach) components OLCI starts at 72 hours. Incidentally train sectors do not normally award Avios or TPs so this will be an ORC, and we are now told that you do the ORC by claiming using the usual link in BA.com for missing credits on BAEC.
Does this link help? Use your surname and BA PNR.
https://check-in.accesrail.com/#/step1
Maybe one day BA can expand this a bit more for wider train + plane use UK wide.
Sep 16, 2019, 7:20 am
#1439
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 5,596
Judging from an earlier post from Geordie_Flyer, there should be some sort of check-in link. Now it wasn't totally clear but it seems that was in MMB, and/or there may have been something in the email.
From what I can make out, it is built on an existing relationship that BA has with First Great Western. It has long been possible to book services from (e.g.) Exeter to Shanghai with a train sector on BA. So FGW appears to be used as a mechanism already in place, only drawing on National Rail sectors. Online check in for the flights is the normal process, but for the train (and coach) components OLCI starts at 72 hours. Incidentally train sectors do not normally award Avios or TPs so this will be an ORC, and we are now told that you do the ORC by claiming using the usual link in BA.com for missing credits on BAEC.
Does this link help? Use your surname and BA PNR.
https://check-in.accesrail.com/#/step1
Maybe one day BA can expand this a bit more for wider train + plane use UK wide.
From what I can make out, it is built on an existing relationship that BA has with First Great Western. It has long been possible to book services from (e.g.) Exeter to Shanghai with a train sector on BA. So FGW appears to be used as a mechanism already in place, only drawing on National Rail sectors. Online check in for the flights is the normal process, but for the train (and coach) components OLCI starts at 72 hours. Incidentally train sectors do not normally award Avios or TPs so this will be an ORC, and we are now told that you do the ORC by claiming using the usual link in BA.com for missing credits on BAEC.
Does this link help? Use your surname and BA PNR.
https://check-in.accesrail.com/#/step1
Maybe one day BA can expand this a bit more for wider train + plane use UK wide.
Sep 16, 2019, 7:35 am
#1440
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: LON
Programs: Mucci, BAEC, Eurostar
Posts: 3,277
From what I can make out, it is built on an existing relationship that BA has with First Great Western. It has long been possible to book services from (e.g.) Exeter to Shanghai with a train sector on BA. So FGW appears to be used as a mechanism already in place, only drawing on National Rail sectors. Online check in for the flights is the normal process, but for the train (and coach) components
(...)
Maybe one day BA can expand this a bit more for wider train + plane use UK wide.
(...)
Maybe one day BA can expand this a bit more for wider train + plane use UK wide.
If only HS2 had an extension to LHR...
(Sorry, a bit O/T)
