BA cabin crew publish video threatening flight disruption
Cabin crew union Unite is warning that a row over rosters could lead to a strike that will affect all British Airways’ flights from Gatwick.
The union has published a video in which it claims there is ‘a pretty serious dispute happening at British Airways Gatwick’.
Urging members to share the video, it said the dispute ‘could cause a lot of disruption to customers if it isn’t resolved’.
It went on to say: "As many customers know, British Airways has made many cuts over the years.
"In 2017, they axed free food and drink for customers. Now, when BA is reporting £1.9 billion profit, the airline says its crew must make even more savings. This time, understandably, the cabin crew have said ‘enough’."
Cabin crew are understood to be particularly concerned by a reduction in the number of days off when travelling long-haul. For instance, their stay in Las Vegas has been reduced from two nights to one.
"This means less pay and tired cabin crew who need to be alert in case of emergency," said Unite. "These cuts are simply corporate greed and employee exploitation."
The union claims the airline is refusing to commit to cabin crew rostering rules, saying that staff will have no certainty over how many hours or days in a week they will work.
The video warns ‘if the company goes ahead, all BA flights from Gatwick could be affected’ by a strike.
"The only way for customers to guarantee their journeys won’t be disrupted is to book with another airline until the dispute is settled."
However, the union has not yet proposed to ballot its members on strike action and its head of media and campaigns Alex Flynn told MailOnline: "There’s no strike planned at Gatwick as there hasn’t been a strike ballot of our members at Gatwick.
"We are currently in ongoing discussions with BA about resolving the issue."
BA says the change of rest arrangements at Las Vegas brings Gatwick crews into line with those based at Heathrow, who also fly Vegas.
A BA spokesperson added: "This is normal practice and well within industry and regulatory standards. We continue to discuss the matter."
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 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports