UK air travel chaos threat as Virgin staff strike and airport staff threaten
A Times report says that Virgin Atlantic cabin crew voted today in favour of strike action in January only a day before the results of a strike vote by 5,000 UK airport staff, which could result in flight delays and cancellations from December 27.
About a third of Virgin Atlantic’s cabin crew will participate in two 48-hour strikes on January 9-10 and January 16-17.
The airline has announced that it will cancel 12 flights as a result of the action, with the flights are between London and New York, Chicago, Nairobi and Boston.
Virgin has advised customers who are affected by the cancellations that they can receive a full refund, regardless of ticket restrictions. Alternatively they can rebook flights for another date or route, subject to availability, in the same ticket class.
BAA, the UK airports operator, will learn tomorrow whether members of the union Unite, which represents 5,000 UK airport staff, have voted for a strike that would result in flight delays and cancellations from December 27.
If the strike goes ahead it will affect Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Southampton and a second year of air travel delays over Christmas.
In 2006 thick fog across the UK led to more than 100 flight cancellations and extensive delays.
With 3.5 million Britons heading abroad this Christmas, be warned: December 22 will be the busiest day at UK airports.
Most Britons travelling over Christmas are heading for winter sun destinations, according from the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta), with the Canary islands, Egypt and Goa the most popular destinations.
Other hotspots include Dubai and ski resorts in France, Austria and Italy, following record snow falls.
BAA estimates that about 2.7 million people will use its airports this Christmas, with Heathrow the busiest, then Gatwick and Stansted.
The remaining travellers will be heading abroad by car and train, with 150,000 people travelling by Eurostar.
After December 22, the next busiest day for air travel will be December 30, but rail travellers will fare no better.
Thousands of rail passengers using the West Coast Main Line between Christmas and New Year’s Day face long delays and replacement bus services after Network Rail announced it had miscalculated how long it would take to complete engineering works.
A Report by The Mole from The Times
John Alwyn-Jones
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