British Airways pay dispute: What are my rights if strikes hit the summer

The airline’s Heathrow union members have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action during the peak school summer holidays

British Airways staff at Heathrow

British Airways staff at Heathrow who are members of Unite and the GMB union have voted to go on strike this summer over failed pay negotiations. The dates of the walkout have yet to be approved but are to take place during the peak period of school summer holidays and will affect mostly customer-facing roles, such as check-in.

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UK airline capacity is almost at pre-pandemic levels, with 6.4 million seats scheduled between Friday 1 July and Friday 30 September this summer, compared to 7.4m at the same time in 2019 (up from 4.4m in 2021), according to statistics from international travel data provider OAG.

Facing staff lacks, British Airways decided to reduce its flying schedule by 10 percent between March and October, revoking almost 8,000 trips.

Wait until the unions declare strike dates and British Airways answers to the disruption with a contingency plan. Revoking is likely to be considered a “disinclination to travel”, meaning you wouldn’t be entitled to a refund.

The airline has told that it has another group of Heathrow Customer Service agents who have not been balloted and other members of staff may be drafted in to cover customer-facing roles.

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Strikes by third parties are often considered an “extraordinary circumstance”, for example, if air traffic control or luggage handlers prevent an airline from working, meaning that no compensation is due.

However, strike action by an airline’s staff is not considered an extraordinary circumstance, because it is within its control – compensation will be due.

The threshold for compensation depends on the distance of the flight and the length of the delay.

Up to 1,500km and delayed three hours or more: £220
1,500km-3,500km and delayed three hours or more: £350
Over 3,500km and delayed three to four hours: £260
Over 3,500km and delayed more than four hours: £520

If British Airways revokes your flight, it is obliged to offer you an alternative flight at the earliest opportunity. Re-routing can be with an alternative carrier if its flights are unavailable.

If the alternative is unsuitable, and if the postponement is more than five hours after the scheduled flight time, passengers can revoke and obtain a complete refund.

If your flight goes ahead but is delayed, you may also be entitled to meals and refreshments while you wait, hotel accommodation and transport to it if you have to wait overnight, and two phone calls. If there is no British Airways representative to organize this, pay for it and keep all receipts to file a claim with the airline. Again, there are delay and distance thresholds: