British Airways Cabin Crew to Strike Again This Month
Some British Airways crew members are currently in the middle of a 16-day strike period, from July 1 through July 16, with approximately 1,400 "mixed fleet" cabin crew walking out on the airline. This is a result of the continued row over pay between mixed fleet cabin crew (who, as the name of contract suggests, operate both short and long-haul routes) and their employer, British Airways.
In order to minimize disruption to passengers during this current strike period, BA has wet-leased nine Qatar Airways aircraft, and these Qatar planes are now flying on behalf of British Airways across the short-haul network. They feature a full Qatar Airways cabin crew and flight crew, and maintain their two-class cabins to destinations including Nice (NCE), Oslo (OSL), Brussels (BRU) and Lisbon (LIS).
Well, now in the middle of an already costly and disruptive strike period for BA, the union for BA mixed fleet cabin crew "Unite" has just announced a new strike, from Wednesday, July 19, 2017 until Tuesday, August 1, 2017. This is in addition to the 16-day strike currently underway.
As part of the ongoing dispute, the union representing mixed fleet cabin crew has also launched legal action against the government’s decision to give the go-ahead for BA to wet-lease the nine Qatar Airways aircraft, as they say that BA using Qatar Airways aircraft, flight crew and cabin crew is a breach European regulations.
Unite, the union representing BA mixed fleet cabin crew, says “We are seeing strong support for the ongoing strike action. The time and money British Airways is spending on wet leasing aircraft and bullying striking cabin crew are resources which could easily settle this dispute. It’s high time British Airways stopped spending millions defending low pay and its bullying approach by negotiating a settlement to this long running dispute.”
Flying BA During the Strike
As with all the strike periods BA has faced in the last few months, the key 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.
What's different about this strike is that the Qatar Airways A320s that British Airways has wet-leased for the current strike period may end up staying with BA for the next strike. When BA applied to the Civil Aviation Authority to use Qatar Airways aircraft, it applied for the use of the aircraft for two months. With this in mind, BA will still legally have the authority by the CAA to use these aircraft for the next strike period, which of course is welcome news to passengers, who have been enjoying Qatar Airways' far superior service, better cabins and an upgraded business class, on standard BA short-haul routes.
Bottom Line
British Airways strikes are nothing new, and it's a shame mixed fleet cabin crew members are clearly not feeling respected by the company and so now will strike again — just 72 hours after the current strike period ends. For passengers, making sure your correct contact details are inserted into your BA bookings is key. Many passengers are being rebooked onto partner airline flights, or being offered alternative travel dates — so it's vital that the airline can get ahold of you.
Have you been impacted by BA's current strike?
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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
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- 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.