British Airways strike - update 12/3/10 - March strike dates named

Mr_Lahey

lolarosegem wrote: »

where on earth do you get the 60k figure Mr Lahey? Do you believe everything the daily mail tells you...?:rotfl:

I read the Times actually and that figure was one plucked from the air to illustrate a point.

Can i just ask though and it is a serious question - If you are unhappy with conditions set down by your employer who is obviously suffering massive and unprecedented losses, why would you effect millions of passengers, why not just get another job?

Rolandtheroadie

Stay strong brothers and sisters. Fight the good fight.

worldtraveller

As the OP, could I request that posters, on this travel forum, please keep this thread about, principally, the strike's timeline and affect on people with bookings, rather than the politics. DT is probably a better forum for the latter. Thanks!!

jackieblack

:silenced:

worldtraveller wrote: »

As the OP, could I request that posters, on this travel forum, please keep this thread about, principally, the strike's timeline and affect on people with bookings, rather than the politics. DT is probably a better forum for the latter. Thanks!!

Well said!

The attitude of certain posters lately seem to show quite clearly why this strike is happening and it's obvious how out of touch with the views of ordinary travellers/holidaymakers some people have become!

I have about as much sympathy for the BA strikers as I do for the politicians whingeing that the expenses they claimed were fair because they fell within the (dubious) rules at the time!

edda

We have annual travel insurance that expires next month. We're flying out with BA later this year - holiday already booked.

How can we get travel insurance that will cover us for later this year when the renewal date is due? I think we may have problems.

Mr_Lahey wrote: »

I'm not sure you would have a problem. As yet no strike dates have been planned and the whole point of insurance is to cover you for something that may or may not happen.

Our current insurance says we are not covered for "any delay which is due to strike or industrial action which has started or was announced before you took out the policy"

Industrial action has been anounced - just not all the specific (future) dates.

Any travel insurance gurus out there please?

spurs_nut

Just to clear up why some CC are striking.....

These are called the "serious perks of the job" they a fighting to save.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/7488942/Late-night-revelry-of-the-BA-cabin-crews.html

telegraph wrote: »

The local South African sauvignon is renowned for its fine and flinty quality, and flowing copiously. There are two swimming pools to choose from, multiple sun decks and seven acres of manicured lawns should one opt for a midnight stroll.
And long after the chic St Andrews golf-themed bar officially closes at 2am to guests holidaying in the luxurious, ranch-style Lord Charles hotel, overlooking sunny Somerset West near Cape Town, our party of work colleagues are assured of nightlong attentive service, ensuring their flamboyant, poolside frolics remain undisturbed.


These, however, are not merely a band of well-heeled British tourists, as one might assume.
They are, instead, a group of British Airways cabin crew enjoying their 48-hour stop over in the four-star South African hotel.
As they partied into the night last week, savouring what they called the "serious perks of our job", British Airways was making last-ditch attempts to mollify Unite, the cabin crews' union, and stave off a strike.
And as our merry band staggered off to bed after a "tired and emotional" day, their union brothers and sisters back home in Britain were rejecting BA's latest offer and planning the picket lines.
Cabin crew are, of course, entitled to and need rest and recuperation after working a busy long-haul flight like the 10-hour trip from London to Cape Town. No-one would suggest otherwise.
Indeed, passengers rely upon these highly-qualified professionals for their safety and, increasingly, their security from the threat of terrorist attacks. It is in all our interests that cabin crew are allowed adequate rest time between flights.
But as thousands of flights were cancelled at Heathrow airport yesterday, leaving the airline in chaos and travellers in despair, doubtless many of those whose plans were disrupted or ruined by BA's striking staff will be infuriated at such flagrant displays of just exactly what it is the Unite trade union is protecting.
Hundreds of BA workers are put up each week in the Lord Charles, where they are renowned for their hard drinking and wild antics.
"Cape Town is a good route to be allocated because you get a decent stopover," one explained to an undercover reporter as he poured yet another bottle of wine.
"Sometimes we go wine tasting or to the beach. The allowances are good for South Africa, but we also do pretty well in places like Singapore and the US stop overs.
"Obviously the hotel is paid for and we get an allowance on top for food and drink. Where else do you get paid to do this?"
Before long the crew were joined by what they laughingly called "cling ons" – their relatives and friends who accompany them, paying a fraction of the flight's cost.
"It's nice for them because they pay hardly anything, sometimes 10 per cent of the usual price, and they get to see what we get up to."
The night before had been "carnage", he confided. "Some of the women collapsed on the stairs. Because you never know who you'll be working with, every trip is different and it feels like a holiday sometimes.
"There are 13,000 crew so you never know who you will encounter and that makes stopovers a scream."
The cabin crew insisted they acted responsibly while on duty.
"Obviously then we work to high standards and are very sensible. But we're lucky we have time over here to let our hair down." Long-haul crews in particular, said another, had a reputation for late-night revelry.
"Tonight is calm because we are working tomorrow, and the pilots, especially, are very careful not to have alcohol in their blood when they fly. But yesterday was wild. I don't know what time I went to bed.
"Sometimes people go on wine-tasting trips but most of us are too hung over to move. We just lie by the pool.
"Tonight we went out for dinner and now we're getting stuck in again. It's not just Cape Town where this happens, it's usually the same scene everywhere."
As the conversation turned to the strike, it was clear the crew were proud to belong to BA.
Employed by the national carrier, they consider themselves to be the elite of the industry. Several admitted sidestepping a decision by ensuring they were not on rota to work during the strike.
Others said they supported the industrial action but did fear for BA's future. "BA is trying to take away our perks," one woman in her forties moaned.
"This is our life. We work hard but we also get to play hard and now they want to take that away from us. This new management don't care about us.
"This strike is as much about what their future proposals, although no one can say so. They want to remove all our privileges.
"Nobody really wants to strike but many of us are reluctantly supporting the union because we worry what will happen if we don't. We know it will make the public angry but we've been backed into a corner."
As the attentive waiters replenished the bottle, some became extremely indiscreet.
"Willie Walsh is a ....," the woman shouted. "He destroys airlines. He drove Aer Lingus into the ground and now it seems he is going to do the same to us."
By dawn, after most had drifted off to bed, some in pairs, the diehard drinkers contemplated rounding off the evening in the jacuzzi.
At breakfast next day which, at the elite Lord Charles lavish buffet, includes complimentary champagne, few of the cabin crew had appeared.
"The BA crews always make themselves heard," one staff member said. "After dinner they get stuck into the wine and beers. And usually it goes on very, very late. Long after the bar has officially closed." l

ziggyman99

I worked for BA for 13 years and saw every department squeezed on costs and staffing whilst the cabin crew were left untouched because of the management fears of tackling their powerful unions. BA concentrated on premium traffic to improve the revenue per seat mile rather than lowering crew costs. I considered that a seriously flawed move, just waiting for a serious recession to spoil BA's day.
I travelled as part of my job function and spent many hours (until I got bored of the whining) talking to crew in crew hotel bars, on the planes and even in crew room parties. All they seemed to do was moan about how hard done by they were. I know how much they earned, I got some of the same perks as they did, and believe me when I say that generally they got very good expenses. Just sit outside the crew car park at heathrow and see what cars the BA cabin crew drive. There will be more than a fair share of BMW's, Porsches etc.
I took voluntary severance after the 3rd offering because I could see the writing on the wall. Apart from my environmental concerns about airlines and their long term viability, I saw a crew/management clash as inevitable.

Christina_BA

Murphy_The_Cat wrote: »

possibly yes, possibly not. She may simply be being very open.

Or maybe she is infact WW;)

I'm not CC nor am I WW,:) just someone who works for BA's digital team who is trying to help concerned travelers through this time!

katiecoughdrop

Thanks Christina
I'm sorry that there's a lot of angry people out there at the moment. Can you give us any information about this weekend's flights by any chance? When will we hear? I haven't had my text or email yet about our Sunday departure although yesterday's flight to Paphos was cancelled from Gatwick I believe.

pws52

Information about my flight on the 27th was on the BA website last Friday.

I will not breathe a sigh of relief until the plane has taken off!