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British Airways pilots strike – what you need to know for Monday, Tuesday and 27th September

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Pilot unit BALPA is staging a number of strikes throughout September.  BALPA represents about 90% of British Airways pilots.

The strike dates are Monday 9th, Tuesday 10th and Friday 27th September.

You can find the latest information on this special strike page of ba.com.

Note that flights from London City Airport are not impacted, except for the New York service which is operated by Gatwick flight crew.

BA 747 retirement

Monday 9th / Tuesday 10th – what is cancelled?

Everything, basically.

Only ONE British Airways flight was operating from Terminal 5 on Monday 9th September.  This was a Tokyo service and was retained due to the Rugby World Cup.  The only other flights operating were to Cairo (operated by Air Belgium at the moment due to a shortage of BA aircraft) and the Iberia flights to Madrid.

From Gatwick, the only flight was a New York JFK service which is currently operated by Evelop Airlines on behalf of BA, again due to a shortage of BA aircraft.

All passengers were contacted over two weeks in advance of travel.  Despite some initial hiccups (which forced The Civil Aviation Authority to publish this statement) British Airways was eventually very proactive in moving passengers to other airlines with over 50 carriers involved.

What about Wednesday 11th?

A normal schedule will operate, although some services are likely to be cancelled due to planes and staff being in the wrong place.  There is no space at Heathrow to store the entire British Airways fleet, and so aircraft have had to be parked at other airports across the world.

What about Friday 27th?

Cancellations have not yet been done for the strike on 27th September.

The cut-off date for British Airways is 13th September, which is the last date they can cancel your flight without offering compensation on top of a reroute.  Note that some flights on 28th and potentially also 26th will also be cancelled for operational reasons.

What can I claim if I am stranded abroad?

For people stranded abroad, British Airways has confirmed that the standard £200 per night per room hotel allowance will be available.  This can be exceeded but only if you have strong evidence that no rooms are available for that price.  You cannot remain in a £500 beach resort and reclaim that if there is an airport hotel available for under £200.

Other subsistence costs (food, taxis etc) can also be claimed.

You are not technically liable for additional costs incurred in the UK before or after travel due to date changes, but it is worth submitting receipts to BA anyway.

Will I receive Avios and tier points for cancelled flights?

Yes.  If you accepted a refund or were moved to a non-oneworld airline, you can ask BA to credit you with the Avios and tier points you would otherwise have earned.

Don’t forget to sign up to earn points from the airline you were moved to, if it is not a BA partner!  Nothing stops you earning twice.

Could the strikes be called off?

BALPA has offered to reopen talks with British Airways, but the airline has stated that no new offer is available.  The airline appears to have decided to push on with strikes rather than accept the pilot demands for profit sharing.

Can more strikes be called?

Yes, but 14 days notice must be given.  Your trip is safe once you are inside the 14 day period.

(And, to be honest, a lot of people have been getting some good results in terms of alternative carriers!  Being moved from British Airways onto Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines etc etc – if you are travelling in Business Class – would be a good result.)

BALPA’s strike ballot, held earlier this summer, is valid until January.  This allows BALPA to continue calling strikes throughout the Autumn without requiring a further member vote.

For the latest information, check out ba.com here.

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Category

British Airways and Avios

Comments (412)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Jdog says:
    24 Aug24 August 16:01

    If booked through a travel agent will BA move you to an earlier flight if you call them. Or do you have to go through the travel agent (flight has been cancelled)?

  • DUNCAN MCNAUL says:
    24 Aug24 August 17:18

    does anyone know if flybe flights are included
    i am flying glasgow to manchester 9th sept 06:35

  • Mike P says:
    24 Aug24 August 17:24

    Was booked to fly ARN to LHR on the 10th and had an email to say the flight had been cancelled. Called the GGL phone line and was on hold for 52 minutes. Very quickly re routed with AY: ARN – HEL – LHR, 80 more tier points and a flat bed on the HEL – LHR sector so actually worked out very well.

  • Ian says:
    24 Aug24 August 17:30

    I know that the ‘world revolves around me’ brigade on Twitter, because BA didn’t respond to their tweet within 30 seconds was inevitable, but still galling all the same. For me, I had an hour wait in the phone queue, but then got to speak to a really cheerful and super efficient agent who sorted me out in no time. An unexpected overnight in MAD on 9th – there are worse places – an assurance that BA will pick up the tab for the hotel and then a direct flight back to MAN with Iberia (express) on 10th. Yes, these things are in pain in the rear (11.5% over three years seems generous to me… having had less than 10% in the last ten years), but my philosophy is that if you don’t act like the world is about to implode because the airline is having a rough time, no one dies.

    • Qwertyknowsbest says:
      24 Aug24 August 18:16

      +1

    • Dale says:
      24 Aug24 August 19:22

      BA contact centre phone just hangs up after a few second

    • ELT says:
      25 Aug25 August 08:02

      It.s unclear from BA about hotel expenses.
      If you.re already abroad now they will pay hotel expenses.
      But if only leaving uk 3 sept.
      and return flight cancelled, what then?
      What is yr sit please if hotel now agreed.

      abroad now.

      .

  • Piers says:
    24 Aug24 August 17:56

    Just got this email from BA:

    “We contacted you yesterday to advise you that your flight on 11 September 2019 was cancelled. We’re pleased to update you that your flight will now be operating as originally planned. We’re sorry for any inconvenience or concern this caused.”

    • Martin Haworth says:
      24 Aug24 August 18:03

      Booked LHR/DXB 07/09 returning DXB/LHR 11/09. Had email this morning cancelling the 11th flight. Rebooked myself through Emirates (with £100 e/w cancel fee = £200) only to find late on 24/08 that BA said flight was cancelled in error and will now go. No way to cancel BA through My Booking. Phone, of course, engaged or ‘busy call back later’. Love to know where I now stand.

      • Martin Haworth says:
        24 Aug24 August 18:18

        *Rebooked – whole return journey – myself through Emirates, on the basis that the surely could not expect me to travel out with no return in place and they were cancelling as part of a single transaction. Therefore, felt whole thing should have been cancelled at their end and then the nuclear ‘it’s not cancelled’ email arrived. . .FFS

      • Lady London says:
        24 Aug24 August 21:18

        It’s their fault and actually they should cover all your costs. But you will probably be able to persuade them to refund you. Could be a fight though.

        Fairness in your perfectly reasonable reaction to their mistakes in informing you incorrectly, has nothing to do with it.

        • Martin Haworth says:
          25 Aug25 August 06:09

          Full refund paid via my travel agent = happy bunny.

          • Lady London says:
            25 Aug25 August 17:10

            Refund of your existing flight is fine. No sweat to BA It’s the easiest solution for them.
            What I was particularly meaning about refund was the extra higher costs of replacement flights, refunds of lost or increased-price hotel bookings etc.

            for those even though I suspect BA was negligent and is liable, I still think short of court it would be a fight to get those new extra costs back off them that they caused.

  • Sandra says:
    24 Aug24 August 18:19

    On reading several articles it would seem there were emails sent out in error stating that flights were cancelled they are infact subject to delays or widespread disruption.

    • Lady London says:
      24 Aug24 August 21:20

      Probably by the same outsourced IT that has caused 2 very serious meltdowns already?

      I would love to find out how much BA is going to get in compensation from that supplier.

  • Bum says:
    24 Aug24 August 19:03

    I’m not affected in the slightest, can I comment

  • Adam says:
    24 Aug24 August 19:04

    Got an email this morning that my flight LGW to SKG on 11 Sept was cancelled.
    I booked an earlier EasyJet flight there as a result .
    Then got this afternoon the BA email advising that the flight is not cancelled after all.

    I’m still within the 24 hours to cancel the easyJet flight. What are the chances that there will be major Delays on BA flights on the 11 Sept given its their first full day back?

    I have a young family so thinking maybe to keep the EasyJet flights in case it will be a chaos with BA that day.

    • Shoestring says:
      24 Aug24 August 19:10

      big BA disruption anticipated

      so you paid for 2 sets of flights

      time to decide if you want a refund

      • Adam says:
        24 Aug24 August 19:31

        Thanks for advising Shoestring. If there is gonna to be big disruption then I will keep my easyJet flights and get a refund on my BA one.

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