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Dare I book some BA short-haul tickets for October, or are we likely to see their cabin crew strikes kick-off again soon? Would you trust BA after the past few months of misery?
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It would be a calculated risk. Why not use one of the many other short haul airlines - just to be on the safe side?
Where are you planning to go to and from?
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>> Where are you planning to go to and from?
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Are they connecting flights or just separate trips?
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No they are not over their strikes.
I have booked flights to San Francisco in October, normally I would book BA, I didnt I booked Virgin. Not prepared to take the risk.
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I've returned to using BA for long haul of late, IIRC it was their short haul and domestic flights which were badly impacted by the strikes. whilst in Greece recently a fellow holidaymaker said that he'd been treated very well by BA and generously rewarded for his loyalty when booking flights during the strike.
It's a calculated risk which I'd (on balance) take although I have to admit that I haven't used them for short haul or domestic since last December due to the risk of strikes.
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IIRC only Heathrow flights were affected before.
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Are their ground staff about to ballot as well? I'd switch airlines just in case.
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IMHO the cabin Staff & their unions are pressing to keep their benefits from yesteryear in today's economic climate. They might hold on to their benefits on paper but the airline could go bust.
Book AN Other airline and play safe.
In 1971 I paid £220 to fly Middle East to London non-stop, ended up 2.5 days and 4/5 legs, due to Cabin Staff of BOAC striking. Never paid personally for another BA flight although flew them on company tickets when no other airline flew the route.
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>> IMHO the cabin Staff & their unions are pressing to keep their benefits from yesteryear
>> in today's economic climate. They might hold on to their benefits on paper but the
>> airline could go bust.
The "benefits" cost the airline nothing, and indeed is instrumental in allowing BA to hire cabin crew around the world.
Their pay, however, is well out of line with the other airlines. Removing benefits from those who were on strike is a weapon and reprisal.
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>>Are their ground staff about to ballot as well? I'd switch airlines just in case.
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No they are not. BA will fly if the airport is open
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>>IMHO the cabin Staff & their unions are pressing to keep their benefits from yesteryear in today's economic climate. They might hold on to their benefits on paper but the airline could go bust.
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Easy there. It is the BAA ( who own most big UK airports except Gatwick) who are threatened with strike action so that would screw many airlines.
www.unitetheunion.org/news__events/latest_news/baa_strike_ballot_opens.aspx
BA will not go bust but the BASSA union might. BA are well sorted hence the share price rising.
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Yes BAA. Which includes the Fire Service at Heathrow and Gatwick. Which if there is no cover, immediately closes the airport.
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>> Yes BAA. Which includes the Fire Service at Heathrow and Gatwick. Which if there is
>> no cover, immediately closes the airport.
Dont say their Ryan Air will add an "airport fire service" charge.
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>>Dont say their Ryan Air will add an "airport fire service" charge.
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Ryanair are not alone in making a song and dance about it
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAg0lUYHHFc
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>> Ryanair are not alone in making a song and dance about it
>> www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAg0lUYHHFc
>>
Henry - that is brilliant! With several very large portions of truth.
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Staff travel is/was a non-contractural 'perk'. Management told cabin crew that if they went on strike they would lose it, those who struck lost it. The incompetent UNITE/BASSA union said that the removal was illegal but have not yet tried the matter in the courts. They have had 10 weeks to think about it and legal action has not been taken. A compromise may be worked out in which staff travel will be reinstated but with seniority reduced to zero which affects the number of trips that can be taken per annum.
Last edited by: Perky Penguin on Sat 7 Aug 10 at 14:44
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I'm grudgingly sticking with BA for my rather regular T5 - Stockholm flights due to price, and the convenience of flying from T5. Luckily I only had I flight badly cancelled last time.
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What's that volcano doing nowadays?
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>> What's that volcano doing nowadays?
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The flipping thing finally stopped erupting a couple of weeks ago !
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We said smoking was bad for its health
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As long as the Unite union is led by dinosaurs such as Woodley and Simpson, keen to maintain their lifestyle and media attention it would seem, then the BA staff involved will permanently put their jobs at risk.
As far as I'm aware, W and S have made extremely verbose challenges to every factory or business close down or potential redundancies over the past few years, yet their grandiose posturing has achieved precisely nothing.
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They seem determined to become public enemy number 1. They would kill BA if they had their way, BAA is currently in their sights and they're making noises about public services when cuts start to hit. Are they on a different planet to the rest of us or just in a different century?
JH
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Yet for many workers in the Unite union with a genuine grievance their problems are ignored.
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What genuine grievances do these people have? They have already lost at least a month's pay and allowances and their staff travel by protesting/striking? It must be a very big grievance!
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Sorry, Perky - should have been clearer. These are people outside BA who have a crap deal in comparison, and are ignored despite petitioning the union. It seems they're focussed on dragging BA down at the moment in almost a personal grudge at the cost to many other members.
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I am still confused Alfa! If these people are outside BA what is the deal they are unhappy about and how are they concerned with the BA strike?
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Unite are not a BA union, they have other members in other airlines. He is saying that Unite ignore members grievences with pay, practices or conditions in other companies.
In short Unite is not trying to bring other airlines members in line with BA terms, but merely protect those at BA - Or pick a fight with BA,.
I, and a large number of others, joined Unite when our pension plan was axed. They were useless, merely issuing press statements, but not actually doing anything or getting involved. They missed a good chance to get a toe hold in a certain employer.
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It's a pleasing fact that there is a very low level of public sympathy for the BA strikers, although even this doesn't seem to alter their attitude.
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Lovely link Henry. Have stored that for future reference.
Regards............Martin
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Zero,
Too late I know but when I visit my colonial friends who live near Tahoe I now fly KLM ex LBA via Shipoil. Previously I flew Bmi ex Mtr via Chicago until terminated, then BA until discovering the cheaper (and better) KLM conection.
Regards
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British Airways - over their strikes? - Duncan
