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Really pi**ed off with the news that BA cabin crew are striking next week!!! 😥
We've saved all year to take our 2 little girls to Orlando nnly to hear on the news they are striking on May 18th for 5 days!!
We are due to fly out on the 19th 👿
Anyone have experience of flying to USA during last round of strikes????
priced alternative flights and there's no way we can afford to change airlines now!!!
as opposed to BA wrecking the lives of its staff
**** that if they get paid anything like my mate a virgin they are doing alright. In fact the two lasses I knew who worked at BA were doing well enough.
"as opposed to BA wrecking the lives of its staff "
By not making redundancies and asking them to accept crewing levels that are still way above the threshold maintained by BA's rivals - who also pay their staff about 50% less?
as opposed to BA wrecking the lives of its staff
Oh perlease!
Chances are all flights will be grounded for volcanic ash any way.
surely if BA goes under due to strikes what happens to the staff then???
Don't say it won't happen - with the gov't in turmoil it may well do!!!
I have nothing against the staff and their desires for better pay, conditions etc but i'm still pi**ed!!!
We're all being squeezed by employers to take pay cuts etc but a lot of us don't have a union to make decisions for us.
heres hoping the volcanic ash/strikes are still around on the 19th june 😉 could do with not going to houston and racing the puffer lite my self !
jsut spoke to BA they said they are 99% all flights out of Gatwick will fly.
Timetable announced tomorrow so fingers crossed
Fingers crossed for you, Orlando is special magic for kids. I booked my holiday flights with "anyone but BA" this year as they are frankly shooting themselves in the collective foot & I didn't want to risk it.
cheers pedalhead
we thought the same but hoped this would've been sorted out by now!!
still time I guess and response from BA was reassuring some what
One of the dates is on the date we are/were flying to Canada for a 3 week RV tour of BC. All booked.
The mrs will be heartbroken.
I had something important planned too. 🙁
I think you will find they are striking to protect their terms and conditions not make them better! Bullyboy Management team are in full affect @ the moment suspending union officals for pleasure.Mangement dont like it up and at em all they think of are the shareholders not a decent service and looking after their staff.
I think you will find BA will transfer you to another airline
As the dinosaur for the union said,there are other airlines.
Right ok, then there are other unions and other jobs the ungrateful Ba staff could work for.
There are possibly thousands who could drive a trolley down an aisle handing out pre packaged food,it happens on the railwys every day.
Its going to ruin peoples holidays that they have saved for for a long time,a\nd have a negative effect on BA finances as well,resulting in more cutbacks and sackings.
There are possibly thousands who could drive a trolley down an aisle handing out pre packaged food,it happens on the railwys every day.
Its not as simple as that claim. You have to be able to work the door as well...
Most modern trains are passenger operated,just realeased by the driver.
Most modern trains are passenger operated,just realeased by the driver.
I meant the planes mate... 🙂
They do seem to be shooting themselves in the foot. We flew to Geneva last year with BA and were perfectly happy with the service and how the bikes travelled. We were going to book with them again but once all this strike business kicked off, we decided is wasn't worth the agro and booked with sleazyjet.
There's two less passengers they've got this year.
trail_rat - Member
heres hoping the volcanic ash/strikes are still around on the 19th june could do with not going to houston and racing the puffer lite my self !
Keep it shut.... i fly to orlando on the 22nd with Virgin.! 😮
My neighbour is BA cabin crew. BA have historically payed their staff a LOT more than other airlines (due to old terms there are still some BA crew earning ~£70K apparently), because the public would pay a premium to fly with BA. Then the world happened, other airlines improved their service and cheap flights became available. The problem with BA is that, with their current wage bill, they're not competitive and therefore not really viable.
They have tried to cut the wage bill by way of redundancies and new contracts. Staff obviously don't want this. Problem is, if BA go under, those who will suffer most will be the staff as they'll have to go work for X airline earning a fraction of what BA would have been paying them even under the new contracts.
The biggest threat that unions get from management is 'we could go under'
Unions never take it seriously; think it's a ploy. Then the workers are out on their ear and the unions sit back and congratulate themselves on how they 'showed them'
It has a grim fascination as it unfolds.
Valleydaddy, when BA go on strike they tend to cancel all the local flights and continue to run the long haul flights as normal. We flew back from Denver, CO when strikes were on in March. Not much changed, gave us a $9 food voucher at check in as said food on the flight would be limited, as they don't serve hot food due to maybe 1 or 2 less staff per flight. We weren't harassed with collecting for charity, duty free etc (they don't do it).
We literally got on the plane, they did a drink run, giving everyone 2 or 3 bottles of wine or whatever you ordered and said "we won't be down again but if you want any drinks we are at the back, come and ask for them". we then got some food, all cold stuff, so like chicken salad etc, but it was edible and better than the rank wet and cold bacon and cheese bap we'd had on the way out.
Oh and when we arrived in Heathrow it was the quickest bag collection as there was NO-ONE around, no other travellers nothing!
Fingers crossed they still fly everyone's long haul flights, as I'd be well pe** off.
As the dinosaur for the union said,there are other airlines.
Well at least some people in this country still have a backbone.
And perhaps a rod for it?
cheers Munqe-chick hoping we have a smooth ride like you did.
just frustrating all round
" backhander - Member
My neighbour is BA cabin crew. BA have historically payed their staff a LOT more than other airlines (due to old terms there are still some BA crew earning ~£70K apparently), because the public would pay a premium to fly with BA. Then the world happened, other airlines improved their service and cheap flights became available. The problem with BA is that, with their current wage bill, they're not competitive and therefore not really viable."
You can't put all of BA's problems down to their wage bill, the cuts planned alone aren't going to be enough to make them profitable so to present it as a breaker for the company is a bit daft IMO. Especially since the counteroffer, combined with the cost of the last strike, is already presenting roughly the same saving as the original BA demand.
OTOH BA have been absolutely pissing money away through mismanagement- failure to adequately hedge fuel, being caught out pricefixing... The cost of the pricefixing fiasco alone is about 5 years savings from these proposed cuts, but apparently that's fine...
Poor pay and conditions my ****ING arse...man up you bunch of trolley pushers....[url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/3642265/Pay-soldiers-more-and-equip-them-properly.html ]Try serving in Afgan[/url]
Really grips my sh*t. Sorry if they ruin your holiday. I'd take your kids to the nearest BA centre and show the lazy shits what they've done.
Actually, I'm surprised that anyone is planing to fly anywhere - at least until that volcano has gone back to sleep.
Don't worry, the Railway will be on strike soon as well!
Yeah, I make my choice of airline based on the BA strikes. Shame I didn't know about the volcano. Anyone know if it'll still be causing trouble in August????
I just found out they are striking on the days I am supposed to be on holiday to Cyprus at half term. Apartment was my in laws, flights on airmiles so any alternative will be costing money.
Looks like I can go to Fort William instead with my son to watch the DH racing 🙂
valleydaddy - Member........................
We're all being squeezed by employers to take pay cuts etc but a lot of us don't have a union to make decisions for us.
Anyone can join a union - except the police and GCHQ operatives.
The union does not make decisions for the workforce - the workforce decide then the union implements the decision
The cost of the pricefixing fiasco alone is about 5 years savings from these proposed cuts, but apparently that's fine
Who said it was fine? When have I said that all of their problems are down to wages? Oh, that's right, I didn't.
The truth of the matter is BA are in a position where person-for-person, their staff costs them more than it does their competitors. Under the new scheme, they would still all be getting paid more than their peers.
Perhaps they didn't buy their fuel wisely but they can't really just buy less can they?
so to present it as a breaker for the company is a bit daft IMO
Why? Are you some kind of tycoon who can spot all of the inefficiencies that they can't?
I'm not for or against any party here, I understand that the staff don't want to lose money and that they have commitments. I also understand that the unions have to show value for money to their members.
It's just shit and there won't be a winner, I fear.
"Why? Are you some kind of tycoon who can spot all of the inefficiencies that they can't?"
No, I think Willie Walsh is perfectly aware of his inefficiencies, that's why he's trying so hard to make it someone else's fault. But it's simple maths, the alternative package would have offered most of the savings. The cost of the strikes will mean that accepting the alternative package would have been the more cost effective option. So, QED, this isn't just about saving money.
Will travel insurance cover the strike?
I have not booked BA again after all the strikes and fears for the last few yrs.
Ended up using Easy Jet for Europe or Air France.
Ring or email BA and ask what will happen/alternatives or a refund.
As above, I'll never fly ba again, so that's another customer gone.
On a different note, who pays the wages fir the staff that are on strike. I know that I couldn't go without pay for 20 days and still pay the mortgage
I really don't understand the cabin crew's point of view, they are paid twice as much as Virgin staff, work similar hours, get great perks and seem to think they are the new oppressed?
Anyone can join a union - except the police and GCHQ operatives.The union does not make decisions for the workforce - the workforce decide then the union implements the decision
true but who actually does??
When I was in a union many moons ago it was always the union rep on the shopfloor stirring the pot, making mountains out of mole hills over the smallest things
We are due to fly out on the 19th
It's really weird the way different Education Authorities have different dates for school holidays
Up here in Cumbria, half term doesn't start until 29th May.
Just want to be glad they've still got a ****in job. Come over to the construction industry and then we'll talk about ruthless cutbacks.
We are due to fly out on the 19thIt's really weird the way different Education Authorities have different dates for school holidays
Up here in Cumbria, half term doesn't start until 29th May.
our girls are still little so school holidays are not a barrier
dmiller - MemberThere are possibly thousands who could drive a trolley down an aisle handing out pre packaged food,it happens on the railwys every day.
Its not as simple as that claim. You have to be able to work the door as well...
Posted 15 hours ago # Report-Post
project - Member
Most modern trains are passenger operated,just realeased by the driver.Posted 15 hours ago #
dmiller - MemberMost modern trains are passenger operated,just realeased by the driver.
I meant the planes mate...
Posted 15 hours ago # Report-Post
Do you realy need somebody to actually shut the door, is what i was saying as opposed to somebody pressing a button and the system taking over, and fail safe locking.
as for the trolleys, why not have vending machines.
The truth of the matter is BA are in a position where person-for-person, their staff costs them more than it does their competitors.
Source?
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/transport/article6466748.ece
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6957927.ece
Heathrow cabin crew are 'the best paid in the country by some way' earning £29,900 a year compared with £14,400 at Virgin Atlantic. Senior cabin crew average around £56,000 a year.
I know a fairly experienced cabin crew member for BA. His comment was that the staff don't know a good thing when they're on it and can't see the damage it's going to cause complaining about cutbacks. I'd tend to agree with him.
They could have considered the passengers a bit more by scheduling the strike further in advance
It would have still hurt BA but given passengers more of an opportunity to make other arrangements
They could have considered the passengers a bit more by scheduling the strike further in advance
Unions aren't thinking about passengers. Short notice of strike action means less time for BA to organise replacement staff/planes.
Could be interesting, BA have trained up a lot of volunteers to be cabin crew from other areas in the company. If they flew almost a full schedule of flights then in theory the cabin crew could strike as much as they want. All the cabin crew would be doing then is losing a months pay.
tandemjeremy I fear you have an idealistic view of the unions, rather than the militant megalomaniac reality. After the last round of strike ballots lots of BA crew came forward to say they voted yes to strike, not yes to striking for such a long time over a key holiday period. They suggested that if the ballot had been specific- "do you want to strike for 10 days over Xmas" it would have been voted down.
As with previous strikes its a clash between old-school militant tendencies and capitalists, with the actual workers (and customers) caught in the middle.
Scargill tried to bring a government down (though launching a fuel strike in spring was always going to be a flawed approach) and instead gave the tory government motive and opportunity to destroy a union, and the industry with it. Willie Walsh and BA shareholders have as much to lose and wont let it happen.
On a lighter note the classic ellen degeneres sketch
sums up the attitude to trolley dolleys.
and I still do this on planes
Unions aren't thinking about passengers. Short notice of strike action means less time for BA to organise replacement staff/planes.
They have their contingency plan, they can put it into place in 48hrs, so giving BA less time is not a valid excuse
Hahaha Nice Munge-chick so right about seat comfort!
Hope the OP gets sorted.