Anyone flying BA in the next few weeks, or months? BA planned strike Christmas 2009.

[225]

So the companies hundreds of millions in debt so what do they vote to do at the busiest time of the year.... create hundreds of millions of more debt which means more job cuts etc.
Does annoy me short sighted militant unions like these.

[HUGE AL]

...subgame perfect equilibria...

...this one's just taking the michael.

Are you two trying to confuse HUGE AL with these big words and strange sayings? jjpb3, weren't you saying something about American English?

I am curious on why do we still need a union in this day and in a developed country as well.
I can understand the value of a union in a 3rd world country where abuse of the workforce can occur but in the UK?

I've said it many times before, the unions are what are ruining the airline industry. And don't you just love it when they have their members vote for a pay cut, they turn around and raise their member dues?

[jhm]

http://www.pprune.org/cabin-crew/379...ml#post5380019

The Xmas decision was also given serious, serious thought. Although this action will cause real heartache amongst the public we have to consider our future employment and terms and conditions as a priority. Ruined Christmases will eventually be forgotten, certainly by next Christmas, but your terms and conditions are something you will have with you for the rest of your working life. BA must be made to see sense and it was reluctantly felt only "audacious" action would have any effect.

Not exactly a great way to win over the general public...

[SQflyergirl]

http://www.pprune.org/cabin-crew/379...ml#post5380019



Not exactly a great way to win over the general public...

Ruined Christmases will be forgotten? Just what planet do these militants live on?

[jambalaya]

I'm not impressed in the slightest. Two days ago I booked a BA flight from ZRH to LCY flying next week only to hear this news. Whilst I understand it's not an easy task for BA to rejig entire schedules, their website provides little to no useful information.

Do I now book a flight on Swiss or LH and assume that my BA flight will be cancelled and a refund offered, risking that the flight does go ahead and presumably not being entitled to a refund. Or do I wait and twiddle my thumbs to see if there is a resolution to the strike, thus risking getting any mode of transport at all?

First and last time I will be flying BA.

[kt74]

I'm not impressed in the slightest. Two days ago I booked a BA flight from ZRH to LCY flying next week only to hear this news.

First and last time I will be flying BA.

Actually, you won't be flying BA, you're flying on CityFlyer

And they're not on strike

Still, it seems a bit foolhardy to book on what-you-thought-was-BA two days ago, given that there was a strike ballot in early November

[MAN Flyer]

I know BASSA are a bunch of complete numpties (who BA need to smash once and for all), but surely they haven't written that, have they ?!.

Not exactly a great way to win over the general public...

I am afraid they have well and truly lost the public sympathy over this. Watching the news and listening to radio talk shows since they announced a 12 day strike over christmas, I would be expecting a rough ride from the UK public over the next few days and weeks if I were BA crew.

[KeithMEL]

I take back my earlier words. After reading that missive the union has certainly lost my support - they're either at best overly naive and optimistic that such an action would stir up public anger towards management and swing their support behind the union, and at worst simply a bunch of arrogant and out of touch militants stuck in a 1960s style 'us vs them' mentality.

I'm rather surprised that full details of any planned strike action were not put to the crew during the ballot? I'd imagine a 12 day action would hurt the crew greatly also in terms of lost allowances. I'd suspect the result would have been a little different had the full extent of the planned action been known.

This post here is rather illuminating:
http://www.pprune.org/cabin-crew/379...ml#post5379998

[Kiwi]

I'm not impressed in the slightest. Two days ago I booked a BA flight from ZRH to LCY flying next week only to hear this news. Whilst I understand it's not an easy task for BA to rejig entire schedules, their website provides little to no useful information.

Do I now book a flight on Swiss or LH and assume that my BA flight will be cancelled and a refund offered, risking that the flight does go ahead and presumably not being entitled to a refund. Or do I wait and twiddle my thumbs to see if there is a resolution to the strike, thus risking getting any mode of transport at all?

First and last time I will be flying BA.

As long as your flight is early next week you'll be fine. If not, need to travel (ie can't change the dates to be outside the strike) and have the means to book a refundable ticket on another airline I'd do that*. BA is not rebooking pax onto other airlines until it has cancelled the booked flight. By which time it may be too late.

* unless of course your ticket is of the kind that can easily be varied (eg a xONEx with BA LHR-SIN can be swapped over to QF as long as there is availability).

[Kiwi]

As for me, I have 3 flights affected in the middle of a trip on tight schedule. So rather difficult to make changes. I'm keeping a close eye open so I can do whatever can be done to protect myself, but it is not looking good (one leg is completely zeroed for days on all airlines including the obvious indirect options).

[First_Flyer]

Will all flights be affected? Or just those departing London/EU.

[Megatop]

Deleted

[Lobster]

As long as your flight is early next week you'll be fine. If not, need to travel (ie can't change the dates to be outside the strike) and have the means to book a refundable ticket on another airline I'd do that*. BA is not rebooking pax onto other airlines until it has cancelled the booked flight. By which time it may be too late.

* unless of course your ticket is of the kind that can easily be varied (eg a xONEx with BA LHR-SIN can be swapped over to QF as long as there is availability).

Good advice apart from as kt74 pointed out his flight to LCY will not be effected as it is on a cityflyer a franchise of BA and their crew are not going on strike

[Guy Betsy]

Will all flights be affected? Or just those departing London/EU.

Everywhere ! Including SIN/BKK-SYD flights. No cabin crew working, no flights can take off.

[Kiwi]

Will all flights be affected? Or just those departing London/EU.

It is unclear. Assuming strike proceeds ...

BA flights to/from LCY use cabin crew with a different union and so should be operating.

Some BA flights to/from LGW (+ tag legs) might operate (same union but these cabin crew are already on the new contract).

BA flights to/from LHR (+ tag legs) are unlikely to operate. However, to the extent they can do some flights (with non union cabin crew or union crew who choose to not strike or management as crew) these will be the most important routes with highest loads & yields.