British Airways strike: when is the walkout and will my flight be affected?

Around 100,000 passengers could see their travel plans disrupted by the next planned stoppage on 27 September

Almost all British Airways flights are likely to be cancelled on Friday 27 September. The cause: a two-day strike by the majority of BA’s pilots.

These are the key questions and answers.

What is the dispute about?

Ostensibly, money. The airline is offering pilots a pay increase worth 11.5 per cent over three years, which it describes as “a deal already accepted by members of the Unite and GMB unions, which represent 90 per cent of British Airways’ staff, a deal which we believe is fair.”

The British Airline Pilots’ Association (Balpa) does not think it is good enough, and is demanding captains and first officers should get, on average, an additional £1,000 each year.

The union’s general secretary, Brian Strutton, says: “They’ve previously taken big pay cuts to help the company through hard times. Now BA is making billions of pounds of profit, its pilots have made a fair, reasonable and affordable claim for pay and benefits.”

The union says cadet pilots earn £27,000. It claims the additional cost of meeting its demands is little more than £4m a year, indicating an average increase per pilot of £20 per week.

The previous stoppages on Monday and Tuesday 9 and 10 September cost BA up to £100m in lost revenue and extra costs.

But The Independent has heard from a number of pilots that beneath the pay dispute are concerns over trust and respect.

What is the effect on passengers?

The vast majority of British Airways’ flights to and from Heathrow and Gatwick airports on 27 September may be cancelled. This means up to 850 flights grounded and an estimated 100,000 passengers affected.

Some flights on Thursday 26 and Saturday 28 September will also be affected.

While pilots are unable to strike while away from their bases at Heathrow and Gatwick, some aircraft have to be stored abroad due to lack of parking space, particularly at Heathrow.

During the last strike 15 BA planes were kept on the ground at New York JFK.

What if I am booked on a British Airways flight on 27 September and have not been told it is cancelled?

It is likely to operate as scheduled. BA CityFlyer services to and from London City airport are unaffected (although they will be extremely busy with passengers from cancelled flights).

Flights operated for British Airways by other airlines will continue to operate, notably Heathrow to Cairo (flown by Air Belgium), together with the inbound leg.

In addition “codeshare” flights operated by American Airlines, Japan Airlines, Qatar Airways, etc, will operate normally.

What options and entitlements are there for people whose flights are cancelled?

If affected passengers are told about the cancellations at least two weeks in advance, they are not entitled to cash compensation under the European air passengers’ rights rules. But the regulations provide for three choices for travellers whose flight are cancelled:

1. They can cancel for a full refund (covering both legs if a return has been booked). This may suit some passengers whose plans have changed, or who have found a cheaper alternative route.

2. They can be rebooked either on the same airline or, if no flight is available on the first day, on another flight on a different airline. This is the option that is likely to suit most passengers, with nothing more than mild inconvenience. For example

While BA rebooked tens of thousands of travellers on dozens of other airlines during the first two-day strike, it declined to buy seats on easyJet – which, for many passengers at Gatwick, would be the obvious and appropriate choice.

3. They can travel on a different date. If appropriate – eg someone on holiday in Rome or Barcelona extending their trip by two days to await a BA flight home – the airline must pay for accommodation and meals during the wait.

Is there likely to be more disruption on the day?

British Airways has cancelled so many flights that I imagine it is confident that the few that remain will operate as planned. But as with aviation in any circumstances, disruption from many quarters is always a possibility.

My flight on Saturday 28 September is running, but might I lose my seat to someone stranded on the previous day?

No, passengers on cancelled flights go to the back of the queue. Travellers already booked on flights that are operating always take priority.

Could the strike be called off?

In theory. BA says: “We remain ready and willing to return to talks with Balpa.” The union says: “Balpa urges the airline back to the negotiating table with some meaningful proposals to try to avert the next scheduled strike on 27 September.”

But the conflict between the two sides seems to be intensifying. Normally after an initial strike, things would go quiet for a few days while the parties re-engage. But with both airline and union seemingly entrenched, and BA stripping pilots of their staff travel privileges, there is no sign of an early settlement.

Indeed, the most likely development seems to be that more strike dates will be announced.

What is the effect on other airlines?

Positive. Rival carriers are pickling up business from BA. In addition, operations will be much smoother on 27 September. With at least half the flights at Heathrow being cancelled, and one-fifth of those at Gatwick also grounded, the local air-traffic congestion will be dramatically eased.