Unite/BASSA to Strike 20/3 for 3 Days, 27/3 for 4 Days

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Viewing 15 posts - 31 through 45 (of 63 total)

  • VintageKrug
    Participant

    Some 747s will operate.

    I had to re-book two shorthaul flights, all onto some third world airline. The Trots at Unite have a lot to answer for!!

    Suggest get re-booking if you haven’t already made alternative plans.


    Bunnahabhain
    Participant

    In typical fashion both sides continue to punt that their door is open for talks / negotiation to each other to wake up / pick their toys back up and carry on discussions.

    BT’s news report;
    Willie Walsh – “We remain absolutely determined to search for a sensible settlement and our door remains open to Unite, day or night.

    Sky News online earlier today;
    “Unite is ready to negotiate”

    It’s like both boxers wanting to get into the ring but each saying the other has ring the bell to start the first round.

    The Latin meaning of PR would seem more appropriate than the English one…


    AdrianHenryAsia
    Participant

    I would personally disagree with the comments made about the BA crews which operate out of Gatwick.

    For me, its like flying with a different airline sometimes. I recently flew LHR-JFK in F from LHR and then LHR-BGI in F from LGW. The flights were within days of each other so both experiences very fresh in my memory. There were a number of inconsistencies with the level of onboard service provided and also a huge different in the levels of experience in the cabin crew.

    I’ve also experienced this in J from both LHR and LGW


    continentalclub
    Participant

    In the hope that this may be of use to those who have TA-booked tickets, and for whom ba.com now advises that your flight has been cancelled: please contact your travel agent in the first instance.

    This applies especially to those passengers whose booking cannot, for whatever reason, be amended online at ba.com.

    As availability on alternative flights (BA-operated or otherwise) will probably disappear relatively swiftly, you may be able to expedite matters by providing alternative routings to your TA, perhaps checking availability while you are (inevitably) on hold. Though it would be nice to think that they wouldn’t need it, experience suggests that some TA telephone agents can go a bit snowblind when faced with pressured circumstances such as these.

    Patience and good humour can pay dividends; I’ve just managed to change a TA booking and the agent was prompted to comment, at the end of the 45 minute call, that I was by far the most patient and pleasant customer that he’d dealt with all evening, which I thought was rather nice. I wished him good luck for the rest of his shift!


    NTarrant
    Participant

    It is many years since I travelled long haul in J from LGW so I could not compare against recent J trips from LHR.

    However, as far as Club Europe and Domestic is concerned in the main the LGW crews are some of the best, with the “welcome back on board” greeting given more so from LGW crews than LHR in my experience.


    ddfd322324
    Participant

    Does anyone know what BA’s policy is going to be if the strike is cancelled? Will flights that were cancelled be re-instated?

    I know that in the past flights have either remained cancelled, have been reinstated or have just gone ahead as ‘ferry flights’ to reposition the aircraft with flight and cabin crew but no pax.

    My Sunday flight to Lusaka is one of those to be cancelled! lucky me!


    First-Pax
    Participant

    I agree, consistency with the F and J products between LGW and LHR does need to be improved.

    It doesn’t mean that LHR crews are better than LGW ones though – or visa versa – and it certainly doesn’t mean that the ‘old guard’ cabin crew who think they are better than some of their colleagues actually are. It’s purely a training issue.


    Travellator
    Participant

    Breaking News
    British Airways and Unite union in last-ditch strike talksBA chief executive and joint general secretary of Unite in talks to avert cabin crew walkout on Saturday


    oldchinahand
    Participant

    Anyone traveling LHR – HKG – LHR has a reasonable chance of flying if the strike happens as CX has wet leased ( Cathay crew upfront and in the cabin) at least one 744 to BA commencing this weekend for 14 days.
    Now you can all experience the best first class on the route and not feel bad about deserting your beloved BA !


    VintageKrug
    Participant

    Other oneworld carriers are also leasing aircraft to BA.

    More staff than originally anticipated have decided to come in to work:

    Flights reinstated between 20 and 22 March 2010
    Since we published our flying schedule for 20, 21 and 22 March the number of cabin crew offering to work as normal has increased significantly – and is expected to grow further.

    We are also pleased that the number of other airlines offering their help for the strike period through charters or provision of spare seats has increased from 50 on Monday to more than 60.

    These developments have enabled us to reinstate some previously cancelled flights.

    What has been reinstated?

    We have been able to reinstate a number of flights to the following destinations:

    Paris, Nice, Toulouse and Marseille
    Glasgow, Manchester, Edinburgh and Aberdeen
    Rome, Milan, Genoa, Pisa and Bologna
    Amsterdam
    Brussels
    Dusseldorf
    ————————-

    Seems talks went on until midnight. WW said to be a “very tough negotiator” by BBC just now.

    Tony Woodley of Unite now involved….Union worried this will cost the Labour party votes at the next election. Brown urged to “make a call” to ensure the strike is called off…


    oldchinahand
    Participant

    The cabin crew strike is showing distinct signs of crumbling with almost all reliable sources reporting that over 50% of crew roistered for work yesterday reported for duty making the BASSA claim of 80% strike participation look like another distinctly desperate bid con their members

    According to Sunday Times 1157 of 1700 roistered LHR cabin crew reported for work yesterday. That’s 68% at LHR and at LGW it was 97% !

    In cabin crew forums crew are reporting that 95% of their BASSA reps cannot be contacted by members but are busy spreading misinformation to the media.
    Pilots are confirming reports that after 1700 hrs yesterday ALL BA long haul flights ex LHR took off as scheduled although 5 operated empty in order to pick up paxs at destination ports

    Both BBC and Sky new have been carrying false reports of BA planes ‘parked up’ with 20 BA aircraft at Cardiff airport and a dozen more at Shannon.
    This is not the case with only 2 aircraft parked (NLB and NLF) at Cardiff. (there are three 777s and two 747 undergoing scheduled maintenance in Cardiff ) and 2 ‘parked up’ at Shannon.
    Is it too much to expect that with all its resourses the BBC check before picking up false BASSA propaganda.

    I always had faith (or was it just hope) in the innate good sense of the majority of experienced BA cabin crew and one just hopes that now working crew are in the majority they will have the confidence to with- stand the lies and blatant bullying tactics of their BASSA reps.


    VintageKrug
    Participant

    Well said.

    I think BA is winning the PR war here, with WW’s excellent youtube video style daily update. Another one (now three online) can be seen here:

    https://www.britishairways.com/travel/strike-ballot-ba-response/public/en_gb


    David
    Participant

    Excellent updates oldchinahand and VK; many thanks.

    Do all striking cabin crew now have their travel privileges revoked (as earlier reported)?


    oldchinahand
    Participant

    I am told that yes they will have lost their travel privileges (if they continue to strike) but Willie Welsh and Bill Francis will offer all non striking cabin crew the original contract that was offered to BASSA early March.
    Yesterday according to Flightstats 197 BA flights operated and 114 were cancelled… better today perhaps

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