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British Airways pilots vote heavily in favour of industrial action

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After four weeks of voting BALPA, the British Airline Pilots Association has announced that British Airways pilots have voted in favour of strike action.

This follows a four week ballot that closed at midday on Monday.  The vote is over a pay dispute with British Airways, which offered an 11.5% pay rise over three years that was rejected by the union.

93% voted in favour of industrial action on a 90% turnout.

For comparison, the 2017 vote organised for Thomas Cook pilots by BALPA had an 88% turnout with 91% of pilots voting in favour.

BALPA represents 90% of the 4500 British Airways pilots, suggesting that around 4000 were eligible to vote.  Emails sent to members, seen by HFP, advised them not to vote in favour of industrial action unless they were 100% committed to walking out, so we have to assume that (93% of 90% of 90%) 75% of all BA pilots are willing to strike.

BALPA said:

“This strong result demonstrates the resolve of BA pilots, and shows BA that it must table a sensible improved offer if a strike is to be averted. Sadly three days of ACAS talks have not moved the company’s position one iota. Settlement of this dispute is in BA’s hands.
 
“We do not wish to inconvenience our customers which is why we have tried to resolve this matter through negotiation starting last November – it is BA who has regrettably chosen to drag this out into the summer months.”

“We currently do not have dates for any potential strike action and will issue an update on this in due course. We remain hopeful that this dispute can be resolved before strike action, but we remain committed to action if necessary.”

British Airways is heading to the High Court

British Airways is seeking a High Court injunction on Tuesday against any strike action, based on potential weaknesses in the balloting process.  This is par for the course in industrial disputes these days, however, and is not always successful. 

In 2017 a similar legal challenge by Thomas Cook against the BALPA strike ballot was thrown out with the judge awarding BALPA all costs and refusing any right to appeal.

Even if the ballot is deemed unlawful, BALPA will simply re-run it after making the required changes to the wording or process so the ball is simply kicked down the road.

The union must give British Airways two weeks notice before commencing any action, which puts Tuesday 6th August as the first possible day of disruption. 

It is not clear what will happen next.  Irrespective of what British Airways would like to do, it will be virtually impossible to offer alternative flights to more than a small percentage of impacted customers.

Others airlines will already have full flights and there are few alternative aircraft available to charter at peak season.  The idea that one million passengers per week can be accommodated elsewhere is ludicrous.

It is more likely that passengers booked onto affected services will receive an email notifying them that their flight is cancelled and offering a refund.

Your travel insurance may prove inadequate if you have pre-paid accommodation or car hire.  The only positive news is that the CAA’s ruling against Ryanair last year means that EU261 compensation should be payable on top of your refund.

The difficult question is whether you should book a refundable back-up ticket on another airline now before the strike dates are announced and availability disappears.  You would be paying the high premium of a flexible ticket, but at least you can be sure you will be travelling.

There is a risk that back-up tickets booked ahead of any strike announcement will not be reimbursed by your travel insurance.  However, this is not guaranteed to cover industrial action in any event.  Even if it does, there is likely to be a clause restricting payment if you booked after the media first started reporting potential strike action.

In terms of Executive Club credit, British Airways policy during previous industrial action is that you WILL receive Avios and tier points for your flight, even if it is cancelled and you choose not to travel or are re-routed on a non-oneworld carrier.

We will keep you updated as we receive more information.

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Comments (242)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Bill says:
    22 Jul22 July 19:48

    Good luck to the pilots

    • Shoestring says:
      22 Jul22 July 19:53

      Bill – from this can we infer you wish much misery on anybody wishing to fly out for holidays on BA this summer, ie the other side of the cake?

      • Anna says:
        22 Jul22 July 20:02

        But if there were no industrial rights (the importance of which is recognised in the ECHR), most people would be completely at the mercy of their employers and we’d be back in Victorian times. So while I certainly don’t want the misery of a disrupted holiday, there is a bigger picture here.

        • Shoestring says:
          22 Jul22 July 20:09

          OK – I can’t get everything right

        • AJA says:
          22 Jul22 July 20:25

          Anna which would you prefer: your holiday to GCM cancelled and your money refunded, no holiday but you’ve supported the pilots

          Or

          BA raises pay by 25% to meet BA pilot demands. In return airfares increase 10% and Avios suffer a 15% devaluation to pay for the salaries.

          I am more with Shoestring than Bill on the striking pilots. If you are a pilot and that annoyed with the offer go look for another job at a competing airline. Ryanair pay £100k to senior pilots. That is not to be sniffed at.

          • marcw says:
            22 Jul22 July 20:43

            Airlines are price takers, not price makers. And Avios devaluation and increases in taxes and SURCHARGES happen regardless.

          • AJA says:
            22 Jul22 July 21:14

            Marc I’m not so sure that’s true. You’re implying that the pilots can demand whatever they like and BA will just pay it and can’t recoup the increased expense in any way from customers.

            We customers already have the option not to fly BA but some still choose to because it’s the most suitable. But if prices did rise all customers would abandon BA.

            If that’s the case then BA should stick to it’s offer as the option is for the airline to fold and everyone loses their jobs.

          • Rob says:
            22 Jul22 July 22:05

            Airlines don’t work like that. They are price takers, not price setters. As indeed are most businesses these days. BA is welcome to stick another £10 on its short-haul fares whenever it wants but the price sensitive customers will be off in a shot.

            I promise you, the revenue management people (who set the fares) have nothing to do with the cost teams.

          • AJA says:
            22 Jul22 July 22:31

            Thanks Rob, thats enlightening.

            My apologies to you Marcw, I was plainly wrong. Disregard my reply to you. Thanks for your original reply to me.

            I really enjoy this website. It really is informative and find the articles interesting and the discussions helpful and polite.

        • marcw says:
          22 Jul22 July 20:27

          BTW Anna, how is your current BA issue with your delayed flight due to AC issues and missed connection? Any new info? (I hope you I am not mixing up people)

          • Anna says:
            23 Jul23 July 02:59

            Hi marcw, it’s at CEDR, BA have until August 2nd to respond.

  • Me says:
    22 Jul22 July 20:21

    11% over 3 years…..right to strike and ruin people’s plans …..try working in a area of the public sector with pay freezes for years…. no striking…oh and now a whopping 2.5% is coming my way……trouble is we just get on with it unlike the snowflakes in the private sector. It affect my flights don’t know yet I’ll find out more in the near future. All I do know is BA is a total pile of steaming turd that I’m glad to see the back of. I hope more for note competition so that donut Cruz is finally kicked out

    • Anna says:
      22 Jul22 July 20:26

      OH and I both work in the public sector. Our pay rise last year was 0.85%, as the government simultaneously stripped away other benefits from us. No striking – that puts you in one of two possible professions – we knew when we joined, as they say!

    • Chris says:
      22 Jul22 July 20:51

      I know how you feel but it shouldn’t be a race to the bottom.

      The BA pilots do a complex, risky job for which they have required a lot of training. The whole business depends on their skills. They deserve a decent pay rise when the company they work for has profited so well from their hard work.

      Now, none of that is to say in the slightest that you don’t deserve a better pay rise than what you were given or that you don’t deal with complexity and risk or require lots of high-level education too. But my point is that the real ‘fat-cats’ WANT you to feel envious as dividing the workers and playing envy politics reduces scrutiny of those in power.

    • Fc99 says:
      23 Jul23 July 06:54

      If you think BA are a pile of turd why did you book with them? There’s plenty of other airlines around

  • Freddy says:
    22 Jul22 July 20:41

    Is the staycation making a comeback now?

  • Chris says:
    22 Jul22 July 20:46

    Hi Rob/Rhys, long time reader and FTer. Love the site and thank you so much for all you do.
    OT: Is there a best call centre to use nowadays for adding on the return leg of an amex companion voucher booking? Not much seems to be open at 0100h BST- I think US line closes at 2000h EST.
    Many thanks for your help.

    • BJ says:
      22 Jul22 July 21:40

      Japan

      • Chris says:
        22 Jul22 July 22:05

        Thanks. I note they are only open Monday to Friday though.

        • BJ says:
          22 Jul22 July 22:10

          USA is other favoured option. However, if you have enough avios to book both tickets book 2 tickets online at 1am and call the UK number later the same day to request them to apply your voucher to the return sectors and refund half your avios. If the flight is from USA back to UK though best you call to avoid higher costs.

          • Chris says:
            23 Jul23 July 00:21

            Thanks. Sadly USA closes at 2000h EST, 0100 BST so i’m not sure if it’ll work….
            Yes, it’s a return from USA.

  • Gary says:
    22 Jul22 July 22:13

    Walsh and Cruz are just reaping what they sow. Hard to feel for the pilots though as they cut their own deal and failed to support cabin crew with an ‘I’m alright Jack’ attitude during the last strike and did everything they could to support management.

  • will says:
    22 Jul22 July 22:37

    If one were to book a ticket and BA cancelled the flight but offered and alternative airline on another flight number, is one obliged to take it or could you choose to cancel and take the avios / TP’s?

    I’m thinking to places where BA has lots of alliance support so Doha, North America etc.

    • Eli Goldberg says:
      23 Jul23 July 07:46

      This has been discussed extensively in the comments already

      • will says:
        23 Jul23 July 14:02

        Has it? I can find reference of being within your rights to demand a re route not a refund but nothing with respect to demanding a refund as opposed to a re route.

        Quite happy to be pointed towards the correct info and take that back if necessary.

  • 3742 says:
    22 Jul22 July 22:43

    Anybody here actually going for the mooted strategy of aiming for free Avios and TPs by booking a fully flexible fare in the hope it gets cancelled?

    I’m mulling a short-term investment of £11k on F to Sydney…approximately 63.5k and 720…

    • Stu says:
      22 Jul22 July 22:45

      Eeeek!

      • AJA says:
        22 Jul22 July 22:48

        +1 Stu. Yikes to the £11k spend. Wish I was wealthy enough to do that. I’m definitely not going down that route…

        • Colin MacKinnon says:
          22 Jul22 July 22:59

          That’s why we’ve built up such large credit limits on our cards!

          • Potol says:
            22 Jul22 July 23:42

            There is a £15 cancellation service fee for a fully flexible ticket if the flight is not cancelled by BA

    • Eli Goldberg says:
      23 Jul23 July 00:08

      I’m so tempted but it seems like a shot in the dark for now

      • Alex M says:
        23 Jul23 July 06:50

        I dont think its decent, but am not surprised that many people would do anything for money. What happened to this country?

    • Rob says:
      23 Jul23 July 01:25

      F is very risky – virtually no-one ever buys F for full fare. You stick out like a sore thumb.

      • 3742 says:
        23 Jul23 July 10:26

        Risky in what way Rob? That BA might find some loophole in their T&Cs on which they could rely to deny the Avios and TPs?

        • Rob says:
          23 Jul23 July 10:45

          Yes – and potentially even close your account. I seriously doubt you could convince arbitration you meant to fly it.

    • Sam G says:
      23 Jul23 July 04:50

      In the past IIRC Sydney has been a route that they try to operate – as the impact in the days after a strike from not having the crew downroute etc last longer. So might not be the best pick

      That said it’s winter in Aus this time, so they may be happier to cancel it

      New York is another route I remember them touting that a full service was in operation

      I guess Qatar is busy preparing their flotilla of A320 ! Otherwise as you say, it’s going to be a total wipeout as there really is no spare wet-lease capacity in the market – e.g. look at the hotpotch of 30yr old 737s LOT have operating in lieu of the MAX and TUI have had some 40+hr delays which I am sure they would have tried to sub out if they could

      Once things get into September things might loosen up with the likes of JET2 (and we even saw Ryanair on the LGW domestics last time) as summer peak schedules start to wind down

      • Sam Wardill says:
        23 Jul23 July 06:20

        I (and my family) am booked on a flight from Sydney to Singapore in mid August. At what point are they likely to allow free changes / cancellations (if at all)

      • Russ says:
        23 Jul23 July 10:32

        Hope so with QR. A peak season RFS in business for 50p would be a bargain for sure.

    • david says:
      23 Jul23 July 06:32

      Wow.

    • Mike says:
      23 Jul23 July 07:07

      Yes – I am considering a fully flex J for each day of the strike (one at a time) I see the max downside is £15 cancellation fee

    • James says:
      23 Jul23 July 10:14

      Leaving the morality questions aside, isn’t the only problem with this the fact that if you have to cancel your ticket you might be waiting weeks for BA to process your refund?

      • LewisB says:
        23 Jul23 July 10:19

        I doubt @3742 would be doing this if he needed that 11k anytime soon.

        • 3742 says:
          23 Jul23 July 10:30

          That’s right, although in theory the funds would only be out of my hands for two or three weeks anyway. However, even if it were much longer, say a year, (63.5k Avios and 720 TPs) – £15 has to be a good annual return on £11k, as compared to any conventional interest bearing option in this bankrupt nation.

          • roberto says:
            23 Jul23 July 14:11

            I did something on a similar vein when the old virgin MNBA card stopped last year. A couple of days before my final statement ran I booked two VS fully flex business returns to the US netting 4 miles per pound on just under £9000 per person. I paid my final bill and cancelled the seats about 8 weeks later netting close on 71000 miles.

            The refund turned up about 3 weeks later. The miles paid for a huge chunk of 2 awards seats to vegas in PE (using the voucher I got for spending over £10k with the cancelled booking.)

            This is twice in two days my comments sound a little mercenary as I type.

            Maybe I need help.

    • LewisB says:
      23 Jul23 July 10:18

      Absolutely insane. This is why I love the hfp comments section!

      • Michael says:
        23 Jul23 July 11:08

        So do I – the blog is worth reading as there’s so much knowledge in the comments section.

  • Munchimo says:
    22 Jul22 July 23:24

    Have a family trip to South Africa booked 19-27 August. If my flights are cancelled and BA don’t agree to re-route can I really just buy tickets on another airline and expect them to pay? If the tickets on the other airline are much more expensive is that also acceptable?
    Also, how long before the holiday are they likely to cancel?

    • Rob says:
      23 Jul23 July 01:24

      No, you can’t. BA will probably go to court to argue that the strike is outside the scope of the EU rules. Even the Ryanair case in the article is still being appealed – note that many EU countries have rules that strikes do not trigger compensation claims.

      Given 14 days notice for the strike, it is unlikely you’ll get more than 7-10 days notice of cancellation.

      • Anon says:
        23 Jul23 July 02:54

        The question is not about compensation, it’s essentially about re-routing.

        • Sam Wardill says:
          23 Jul23 July 06:16

          I’m very interested to hear the ultimate ruling on EU261 compensation. Personally I can’t see how an airline can argue that a strike is an extraordinary circumstance that could not be avoided. The airline is making a commercial decision not to meet the demands of the pilots.

          • Charlieface says:
            23 Jul23 July 08:08

            Indeed. And EC261 is an EU directive so only the ECJ really has a say in what the rules are, the local enforcement bodies have a legal opinion equivalent to you or me.

    • Anna says:
      23 Jul23 July 08:53

      You are entitled to re-routing (though not necessary compensation).Shoestring made a good point yesterday that if BA start being unreasonable (e.g. refusing to re-route or saying you have to wait 5 days) you would be justified in making your own arrangements and requesting reimbursement. The difficulty would be in proving what BA’s position was (though I understand they record all calls), and it would probably take many months and involve legal proceedings to get the money back.

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