BAA strike - is it on?

[wahwahwah]

Bloody typical. First time in years we manage a foreign holiday and the buggers threaten to go on strike!

Not announced yet. We are supposed to be flying from Stansted on 22nd Aug so I am watching news like a hawk.

Tis RUBBISH isn't it?

Oh crap. I thought it was just Heathrow and Gatwick and was calming myself down by thinking we could always go from Luton. Bugger bugger bugger. I think it is over the Bank Holiday week, so the 22nd should be OK. We are due to fly on the 28th.

They haven't announced the dates yet, but were making noises that there would be more than one strike. The earliest (legally) they could strike from is 19th August. It only directly effects BAA airports which are Heathrow, Stansted, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Southampton (may have missed one out there) - but I don't think Luton.

The other airports are likely to have knock on effects though as people change flights, or fimms divert aircraft.

This union very rarely votes against industrial action, to the ballot is likely to be in favour.

Only hope is that they are prepared to re-start talks with management.

Think they have probably mis-read the mood of the nation if they think they will get much support tbh.

useful Q and A

From BBC website 'Workers at six UK airports owned by BAA have voted three-to-one in favour of strike action in a dispute over pay. ' Dates to be announced nest week

Bastaaaaaards!

FFS

Plenty of wage freezes elsewhere.

Airline industry suffering due to volcanic ash etc.

Oh yes plenty of public support, Unite.....

So I just called the airline and they say... 'just wait and see what happens next week then. Check the website. We don't know what's happening. No we don't know if they have called a strike'.

Their customer services bods are obviously not on the ball at all. So they really didn't know that a strike was being balloted on and have information available?

I know it's not exactly end-of-the-world stiff and in the great scheme of things my holiday isn't all that massive... but it is really really annoying.

bastards. Not seen DH for 5 weeks and he is due back in 2 weeks flying into Heathrow. They had better not strike that day.
Some people don't deserve to have jobs, plenty of other people out there who I imagine would gladly do their jobs.

They probably won't (said she hopefully).

but i want to come home to the uk, havent been home in months! Booked to fly on the 26th, trying to change our flights now

If you are booked on the 26th you might slip in - they said on Radio 4 that the first strikes will be anytime from 10 days today.

Will it affect flights from Newcastle do you think?

We're due to go to faro from stansted on the 25th

We are due into Stansted on the 28th, it is one of only two flights back into the UK from where we are going and the other one is over 1000 per ticket, dammit.

Does anyone know the situation re. extra expenses - will we be out of pocket if we have to stay longer in a hotel?

Speak to your airline. They should have a policy for this sort of thing.