British Airways Cabin Crew to Strike for the Next Four Weeks
Update 7/19/17: British Airways has provided the following statement:
As during Unite's previous industrial action, we will ensure all our customers reach their destinations. Instead of calling further completely unnecessary strikes, Unite should allow its members a vote on the pay deal we reached two months ago.
Here we go again: Just after ending a two-week strike that began at the beginning of the month, British Airways' mixed-fleet cabin crew has announced another strike today. The new strike begins today (July 19), and will last for four weeks, rather than the previously-planned two weeks. The extension of the strike means that 1,400 mixed fleet cabin crew will be striking until August 15, meaning further disruption through the middle of August — a very busy time of year for European travel.
Today marks the 46th day of strike action amid a dispute over pay and the sanctioning of striking cabin crew. Unite, the union that represents BA's mixed fleet cabin crew, claims that the carrier has made several attempts to bribe cabin crew into not striking with a £250 offer, rather than negotiate an end to the ongoing problems between airline management and cabin crew. Unite also says that substitute cabin crew are very close to their maximum amount of flying hours, and could ultimately be pushed over the limit of what they're allowed to fly in the next 28 days.
In addition to this, the union has also launched legal action against the UK government’s approval of the decision to wet-lease nine Qatar Airways Airbus A320's to cover for the striking cabin crew. Unite says that the lease of aircraft and cabin crew from Qatar Airways breaches European regulations.
BA flights operated by Qatar Airways
At the beginning of this month, BA was given permission to wet-lease nine Qatar Airways A320 aircraft to help maintain its flight schedule during the strike. Since then, BA has confirmed that these aircraft won't be returning to Doha soon — they're going to continue to fly for BA for the next four weeks. This would explain why BA applied to the UK Civil Aviation Authorities to use the Qatar planes for up to two months instead of just for the duration of the original strike.
As with all the strike periods BA has faced in the last few months, the best advice is to make sure your contact details are up-to-date in your British Airways bookings, so that the airline is able to contact you in case you’re booked on a flight that will be impacted by the disruption. Disruption could occur across both short and long-haul mixed-fleet destinations including Miami (MIA), Sydney (SYD), Singapore (SIN), Helsinki (HEL), Paris (ORY), Warsaw (WAW) and more.
Bottom Line
It's more bad news for passengers flying BA. The airline has seen disruption on an almost-weekly basis for the last couple of months, and there has been no real communication from British Airways to the public about what it's doing to negotiate with the 1,400 striking cabin crew who say that they feel that working for British Airways is "like working for a North Korean airline." With the airline's reputation continuing to decline, it seems BA is more interested in investing into celebrity appearances for its new safety video, rather than bring these strikes to an end by reaching a deal with the 1,400 striking cabin crew.
Unite released a statement today saying "Rather than spending money on crude bribes and millions on ‘wet’ leasing aircraft to defend its low pay and bullying behaviour, it’s time British Airways started talking about resolving this dispute which will further tarnish its brand.” Stay tuned to TPG for more details.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.