British Airways pilots are preparing to strike for three dates in September, threatening to disrupt the travel plans of thousands of passengers.
Strike action comes after the airline lost its Court of Appeal bid earlier this month to block pilots from walking out in a dispute over pay.
The British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA), which represents about 90 per cent of British Airways pilots, said 93% of its members voted in favour of industrial action.
Earlier this week, British Airways were forced to apologise after incorrectly notifying customers that their flights had been cancelled as a result of the strikes.
Customers scrambled to book alternative flights only to later be told that the email was sent in error and their original travel plans were not affected.
A spokesperson for the airline said: “We’re extremely sorry that some of our customers are having difficulties trying to rearrange their flights. Our teams have been working tirelessly to help as many of our customers as possible in these unprecedented circumstances.
“Our teams have been providing our customers with as many options as possible, as quickly as possible, including a full refund or rebooking to a different date of travel or airline.”
With the first round of walkouts set to go ahead next week, here’s everything you need about the British Airways strikes and what to do if your flight has been affected:
Why are pilots striking?
Pilots are planning to walk out in a long-running dispute over pay, after failing to reach an agreement with its pay rise offer of 11.5 percent, spread over three years.
The union commented: “BA is making massive profits as the result of the hard work and dedication of staff, including because of sacrifices made during hard times. Thankfully, BA is no longer in a fight for survival so, like the airline’s senior managers and directors, pilots deserve a small fraction of that profit via, for instance, a profit share scheme.”
British Airways responded saying their pay offer over three years is “fair” and “the Unite and GMB trade unions, which represent nearly 90 per cent of British Airways staff, have already recommended this offer to their members.”
When will the strikes take place?
BA pilots are due to strike on 9, 10 and 27 September.
Which flights will be affected?
Strikes are expected to affect the flights of around 450,000 travellers as the result of 850 flight cancellations.
The union told the Daily Telegraph: “If BA confirms it will improve its offer, Balpa will consider that carefully and respond.
“But so far BA has neither asked to meet nor confirmed it can improve on its offer; if it does so senior Balpa officials are available to take part in talks.
“By cancelling flights so early, to avoid compensating customers, the airline has got its focus wrong and is compounding the mess it has created. BA should stop cancelling flights and get back to the negotiating table.
“Last week, to avert a strike, BA pilots only asked for BA to return a small amount of what they gave up when the company was losing money. That is not reasonable but management refuses to listen.”
How can I check if my flight has been cancelled?
BA have emailed customers travelling on impacted flights.
In a statement, the airline said: “If you have a flight booked with us on those dates, it is likely that you will not be able to travel as planned due to BALPA’s strike action.”
Can I claim compensation for a cancelled flight?
BA are offering affected customers full refunds or the option to re-book to another date of travel or alternative airline.
The airline has also said that customers affected by the email error would be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
