If you’re scheduled to fly British Airways in the next two days we have some bad news for you. The pilots have gone on a two day strike over pay and conditions and the airline has asked customers not to go to the airports if their flight has been cancelled.
Reuters reports that most of the airline’s flights have been grounded and have disrupted thousands of travellers’ plans over a pay dispute.
The strike would be the company’s first involving pilots since the 1970s, according to Bloomberg.
In a tweet, British Airways has made the following statement to all its passengers affected by the strike.
There is Industrial Action planned by the pilots’ union, BALPA on 9 and 10 September 2019. We apologise for the significant impact this will have on our flights. If your flight is cancelled, please don’t go to the airport. For the latest info, visit https://t.co/rPEgyOeVyh.
— British Airways (@British_Airways) September 7, 2019
Here’s what aviation reporters have to say on this matter:
Every day, almost a thousand British Airways flights are airborne across the globe, carrying hundreds of thousands of passengers to/from/via London.
…today: just four BA flights will depart. #BAstrike pic.twitter.com/COeaScXdZ2
— Alex Macheras (@AlexInAir) September 9, 2019
Good Morning — It’s ‘Day One’ of British Airways pilot strike action. Today, the UK flag carrier airline is essentiallygrounded
•Over 4,000 pilots are on strike, the first time BA pilots have taken strike action in over 40 years #BAstrike
— Alex Macheras (@AlexInAir) September 9, 2019
However, there will be severe consequenses for the pilots talking part in the strike action over the next two days. Daily Mail reports that staff who have been at the airline for more than six months can buy tickets for themselves and up to three family members for ten per cent of the full fare plus taxes.
However in a email to all staff, Angela Williams, BA’s director of people, said: ‘Any existing bookings for travel post the date when you took strike action will be cancelled.’
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So what if you’re a few of the passengers affected? Well, according to BA, passengers can request a full refund, rebook your flight for another time within the next 355 days, or use the price of your ticket to book a flight to another destination.
