Happy Christmas? Not if you’re flying BA
LONDON – The union representing British Airways cabin crew, who have voted to strike during the Christmas holiday rush, says it “will wait, ready to meet, anytime, anywhere, 24 hours a day, to try to see if we can resolve the disputeâ€.
Cabin crew voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action in a dispute over job cuts and changes to staff contracts.
BA’s chief executive Willie Walsh said the strike decision was “cynical” and betrayed “a lack of concern for our customers, our business and other employees”.
BA estimates up to one million passengers around the world will face travel chaos during one of the year’s busiest travel periods if it is forced to cancel flights due to a lack of staff.
Thousands of passengers booked on BA flights between London and Sydney during Christmas and the New Year are likely to be forced to scramble to find flights with other carriers.
BA, which has already begun rejigging its schedules, runs daily flights between Heathrow and Sydney and has code-sharing arrangements with Qantas on other routes.
BA said customers who are booked to travel between 22 December and 2 January, and 48 hours either side of those dates can change to another BA flight departing in the next 12 months at no charge
But if a passenger decides not to swap flights in advance and their flight ends up being cancelled because of strike action, BA says it will offer the option to refund the ticket, rebook on to a different flight or reroute on another BA flight.
Len McCluskey, assistant general secretary of the Unite union which represents BA staff, said, “What people have to understand … is we are not dealing with a group of militants. We are talking about dedicated men and women who perform a first-class job and are very proud of their company.
“They don’t want to bring British Airways down but they have been forced into a corner by the company.â€
BA wants to cut an extra 1200 jobs from its workforce, reduce the number of cabin crew by one on all flights, freeze the pay of existing staff and hire new staff on lower rates.
It argues the changes are essential if the airline, which recorded a UKP401 million pre-tax loss in the year to March, is to survive.
Bob Atkinson, from travelsupermarket.com said, “This is a double disaster for BA. Its customers are now going to be significantly affected and the airline will take a financial hit from the action.
“It’s an incredibly sad day for the BA brand. It’s 12 years since BA staff members have taken direct action and, while they may believe they have a strong case in their disagreement with BA management, the real losers here are the everyday leisure and business customers who will have their Christmas and new year plans disrupted.â€
Ian Jarrett
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 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
In Italy, the Meloni government congratulates itself for its tourism achievements
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive