BA cabin crew hold crunch talks today
British Airways’ cabin crew union Unite is talking of further industrial action with walkouts over the Christmas peak travel period thought to be a possibility.
Union leaders have called a meeting of cabin crew at London’s Kempton Park racecourse today to discuss a further strike ballot.
However, Unite joint general secretaries Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson say they are still looking for a peaceful resolution to the long-running dispute, which the union claims is continuing to hit BA’s traffic.
Overall, BA’s traffic was down 2.9% in August, compared with the same month last year, and premium traffic fell 3.1%.
BA blamed the year-on-year drop in first- and business-class passengers on the fact that it did not repeat last year’s promotional activity in premium cabins this year.
A spokesman for Unite said: "Today’s figures show that a worrying number of passengers, in the key premium sector particularly, continue to book away from BA.
"Willie Walsh has failed to recapture those passengers he lost last year, and has in fact lost even more.
"Passengers pay for service and stability and while Willie Walsh continues to wage war on his workforce he can offer customers neither."
By Linsey McNeill
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026