Tarkak9

...if this was a US domestic carrier - who cares.
Its not like they give you edible food and serve drinks anymore, really. As long as there's a pilot, I have sandwiches, shooters and I already know how to put a damn life vest on....

Burn1911

I really feel for everyone travelling over the holidays, the uncertainty must be awful.

I am actually "Pleased" not to be going back to the UK for the festive season as we would have booked BA!!

I hope this ends well for all the travellers

keira-2007

I've been looking forward to hubbie's family coming over for Xmas for months.. and now this. Yup, they were scheduled on BA coming over on 23rd and going back on the 2nd.

We've bought theatre tickets, booked restaurants, made day-trip plans, not to mention bought enough Xmas food to feed a blinkin' army.

Please, please, please someone tell me that they think this strike will be called off. My daughter is devastated that her cousins won't be coming over to help celebrate Xmas AND her 10th birthday!

This sucks.

Juswus

Your post sums up why it's so bloody mean of them to do it at this time of year.

The Horticulturalist

I hope they get to come over.....hopefully the courts will rule that the unions ballot was invalid. If not I really hope that people stick to their guns and avoid BA in the future as they are threatening to do.

pejpm1

I usually fly on a deeply discounted standby ticket as my sister is a member of cabin crew for BA at Gatwick, so back in August I bought a full price ticket for my gf for when we go back to London on the 22nd, and I was planning on flying standby hopefully on the same flight or at least one close to it. As soon as I heard about possible strikes I booked with Virgin. I called BA on Monday as soon as the strike vote was announced ( i was monitoring Reuters and Bloomberg like a hawk!) and managed to get my gf on a BA flight leaving on Sunday morning (2 days before the intended strike date) so I think we should be OK. We're coming back on the 3rd Jan so that might cause problems but I'm hoping it'll be OK and to be honest I dont really care as much about how I'm going to get back to NY. If I have to take a couple of days, so be it.

For the record, my sister voted 'no' and intends on breaking the strike. She said that many, many people at Gatwick feel the same way and that the vast majority of militant unionists are at Heathrow.

The Horticulturalist

It's hard to know the details as we can only go on what's reported in the press, but the Heathrow staff do seem to have delusions of grandeur. It may prove to be the final nail in the coffin for BA unfortunately...

The Horticulturalist

According to this story BA and the Union are meeting as I write:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8415370.stm

Lets hope they come to their senses.

cindyabs

It IS, BUT how much uproar and public pressure would there be IF they did it say on the 17th of November, or February 10th, awkward, but not as much of an effect as the holiday time frame. They are making their point. I don't know how valid it is, not being privy to all the facts and figures.

Conventional wisdom says you don't necessarily get back what you've gambled for.

It's a pisser.

Brit3964

While I agree Christmas is probably not the time to make their point but take a look at their work schedules too. Would you like it? Out and back across the Atlantic 2 or 3 times a week? Timezone changes etc.

BA seem to be moving towards similar work schedules as the regional airlines here (in other words crap!). How about in and out of New York metro area 6 times a day for $20k a year? Cabin crew start off on that, same as First Officers. It's junk.

Working the legal minimum rest periods might be legal but it's not safe. A 9hr rest period can easily end up being as little as 6hrs by the time the crew has disembarked, got the van to the hotel etc. then back out again at 5am. Over here, you can be legally scheduled for that 6 days in a row. UK may be similar.

scrubbedexpat099

It may bad news for BA and those looking to travel with it, but surely it is good news for the climate?

PS You have to have one cabin crew per 50 passengers.

Burn1911

Little consolation to those who have booked and paid $'s for a trip to see loved ones, especially when they have saved long and hard to go, and have been looking forward to it for a long time.

Englishtart

Have to agree, if I were one of them, the last thing I would be thinking is, oh well, it's good for the climate!

chartreuse

If I was in that position and someone tried to console me with climate bollocks, I'd probably go out and burn a few trees, just on principle.

Burn1911

don't take it out on the trees just go to your nearest international airport and burn some BA workers!!! (OK I am just kidding, I don't condone burning of people!)