Comments on: British Airways strikes advice and updates

By: Darren Cronian

Darren Cronian — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 03:13:13 +0000

Thanks for the comments everyone.

What is interesting is that this post has received thousands of visitors,but I have not yet received one email from consumers regarding the strike. I am putting this down to the fact that most passengers think it will be resolved, and strikes won’t take place.

Let’s hope so. Watch this space.

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By: Jan Peeters

Jan Peeters — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:19:44 +0000

The travel industry has gone through a tough year in 2009, and the airline industry’s accumulated loss (IATA data) amounts to 9.4 Bilion Dollars. In these extreme circumstances, I do not think that industry professionals should even consider going on strike.

When the boat is in rough weather, the crew does not organize a meeting over tomorrow’s menu:they try to save the ship.

The BA cabin crew members should take care of their clients and hold their wish list till the economy has rebounced.

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By: Johan

Johan — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:22:42 +0000

I’m not happy with this strikes! It affect my safari business in Tanzania in a very bad way. I’m so angry and I can do nothing.

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By: Murray Harrold

Murray Harrold — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:45:15 +0000

I wouldn’t worry about BA going bust – they have a few bob. In any event, they would be gone today and back tomorrow as BA British Airways (a la SABENA, Swiss Air and a few others) or perhaps as two divisons, British European Airways and the British Overseas Airways Corporation… Now, I am no Socialist but this “breaking the Union” thing worries more than anything else. Maggie “broke” the Unions a while back and there was a change in the industrial scene – the UK has become more aware and I believe, more hard-working. What has happened is that we have lost our manufacturing base, however. Arguably the two are not related. The loss thereof, however, is a dire situation. Where this country ever to be attacked we would not have the resources (and I don’t mean money) to build a ship or a tank or a plane – to defend ourselves. We cannot get the coal or the raw materials – we may have these resources, but the skills to get at them have disappeared and that is the single most worrying thing. So, “breaking” Unions is not always a good thing. There has to be a middle way. If the Union is “broken” what will be the consequence? As Bevan said “If you open that Pandora’s box, you don’t know what Trojan horses will jump out”.

On a more practical level, advice is “if you can at all put off your travel, do so” British Airways have done something which Lufthansa did not – they have said right away that you can cancel and get your money back – Lufthansa made you wait (I know this first hand) and sometimes cancelled flights very shortly before departure – so British Airways have done “the right thing”.

Interestingly, you can get some very good deals on BA at the moment and given the money some of their rivals want at present – for the money one can save, a bit of hassle would be well worth putting up with!

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By: Lee Harrison

Lee Harrison — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 12:52:01 +0000

@Nigel, Travel Insurance is unlikely to cover you for any strike action and no Insurer will cover when a Strike action has been declared and dates set . If you took out Insurance before i.e. no announcement had been made at the time of your booking then your insurer may cover you.Another reason why people should also take out an Insurance at the same time as their booking, and not wait till it’s too late to get cover.

Once again a clear reason why People should book with a Travel Agent and Tour Operator as we will re-protect our clients flights for them. Book a Flight on your own and then add Hotel, Car Hire etc as a DIY Package, then be prepared for the consequences of Loss and having to sort it out yourself.

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