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STRIKE TO GO AHEAD: British Airways issues strike guidance for Heathrow Terminal 5

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British Airways has, finally, issued some guidance to passengers using Heathrow Terminal 5 between tomorrow and 9th April.

Services through the terminal are expected to be hugely disrupted due to a strike by security staff.

Apart from cancelling 5% of flights (with many passengers rebooked on other Terminal 5 services!) and stopping last minute ticket sales, the airline has done little to reassure passengers. Most other major airlines – operating from terminals which will not be as badly hit – are offering travel waivers.

BA has confirmed that First Wing security will be closed for ten days and Fast Track will be ‘reduced’. It isn’t clear if First Wing check-in desks will remain open.

What happens to my flight?

The crux is that if you are disrupted during the strike you cannot fall back on EC261 for compensation.

The view via the comments below is that BA is still liable for EC261 rules on rerouting due to strike cancellations. This is a relatively moot point, however, as you will struggle to find empty seats over the Easter period on key leisure routes. It does not apply if you miss your flight due to security delays.

Covid experience shows that BA is likely to refuse to rebook on other carriers irrespective of the rules. If you wish to travel in the short term you would need to buy new tickets for cash – and probably from another airport, given the cap on Heathrow ticket sales – and look for a refund via a legal route.

British Airways retains a ‘duty of care’ to you if your flight is cancelled or delayed. I’m not sure if ‘duty of care’ rules apply if your aircraft departs and you are not on it due to security delays – it would seem unlikely.

Remember that there are no BA ticketing facilities at Heathrow (IIRC) if your flight is cancelled.

What is the official BA passenger guidance for strike days?

The British Airways passenger guidance is here (updated at 9am on Thursday).

Here are the key points:

  • anyone on a ‘Hand Baggage Only’ ticket can check in luggage free of charge
  • First Wing is closed
  • Fast Track will be ‘reduced’

At the time of writing, this is what it says:

Due to the industrial action being taken by Heathrow Airport staff, the number of security lanes in operation will be reduced. Our First Wing will be closed and Fast Track will be reduced. We expect that it will take longer than usual to pass through security and we will have additional BA colleagues available to support customers. 

Helping you to travel as normal

Check-in will open 3 hours before departure for long-haul flights and 2 hours before departure for short-haul flights. Please do not arrive at the airport before these times.

To keep everyone moving through security and keep queues to a minimum, please minimise the number of hand baggage items you travel with. To help ensure your journey through the airport is as smooth as possible, you can check-in your hand baggage allowance free of charge by visiting one of our airport check-in desks or self-service bag drops.  

Please also ensure you only take permitted items through with you.

As we are expecting more customers to check in their bags than usual, please ensure all baggage stays within the permitted weight allowance.

Your kind co-operation will help us provide everyone travelling with us as smooth a journey as possible. If you’ve made a booking on behalf of someone else or if it includes other travellers, please ensure everyone travelling is aware.

Customers can check Heathrow’s website and the airport’s social media channels for the latest updates on the potential strike, and ba.com for the latest flight information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any restrictions on what items I can travel with in my hand baggage? 

Please ensure you aren’t carrying any restricted items in your hand baggage. For example, you can take liquids in your checked baggage but there are restrictions on the types and quantity you may carry in your hand baggage. 

I need extra assistance. How does this affect my journey?

If you’re travelling with medicines, wheelchairs or mobility aids these can be taken through security as normal. 

I’m travelling with children. Can I still take a pushchair?

Yes. You can still take a pushchair through security.

What if I’m travelling on a Basic Fare?

We’re asking all customers to minimise the amount of hand baggage they take through security on strike dates. This applies to all ticket types and cabins of travel. If you are travelling on a ticket that does not normally allow a checked bag, to help ease queues at security, we will still ask if you are able to check in your hand baggage, free of charge. Please ensure your hand baggage meets the correct weight allowance.

What if my flight is cancelled?

If your flight has been cancelled, we encourage you to view your options in Manage My Booking. You can request a full refund or opt to rebook your flight. If you still require assistance you can contact us on:

0800 727 800 (from with the UK) +44 (0)203 250 0145 (from outside the UK)

If you have booked via a travel agent, please contact them directly to discuss arrangements for your booking.

We’ll continue to update this page ba.com/heathrow-strike with the latest information.

Category

British Airways and Avios

Comments (217)

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

  • JDB says:
    30 Mar30 March 11:33

    @Colin MacKinnon the other thing in relation to this strike is that the judge decided that EasyJet had contributed to the failures which I don’t think could necessarily be applied to BA in this instance.

    • Lady London says:
      30 Mar30 March 13:00

      If BA or anyone sends you an instruction telling you not to turn up at the airport before a specific time ahead of your flight then you are not processed in time without it being more than 50% your fault then I would say first whoever told you not to come earlier is responsible for all your losses.

      If no one told you not to come earlier and you came at a reasonable time and weren’t processed in time then I’d view the airport, particularly as it was their own staff striking, as responsible. Even if that was in a chain of services paid for or subcontracted by the airline (ie the airline being responsible first then recovering losses down its services paid for or subcontracted chain).

      To make this fairer for everybody I’d disallow comoensation but reimbursements of out of pocket expenses and reroutings where EU261 applies, should be paid.

      The rest is up to passengers’ own insurance or own loss and it would be nice if insurance was not allowed to get out of covering this or overcharging for this but we can’t have everything.

      The Scottish judgment seems to have got natural justice right.

  • JDB says:
    30 Mar30 March 11:38

    The passenger was very lucky to get a judge who was a QC. Not sure how common that is for Sheriffs, but it would be very unusual to find one amongst (Deputy) District Judges who usually hear small claims.

    • JDB says:
      30 Mar30 March 12:17

      That’s good for the Scottish system. District Judges in England get £118k and while they will have lengthy experience it’s more commonly as a solicitor. If you are a QC, now KC you would expect to be a circuit judge or higher.

  • Numpty says:
    30 Mar30 March 11:55

    That Sheriff would be a good guest at a dinner party. He’d get a seat in the middle (Curb My Enthusiasm reference).

    • Bagoly says:
      30 Mar30 March 16:10

      I’d be happy to see him or her promoted up the judicial ranks too!

  • vlcnc says:
    30 Mar30 March 12:00

    I get what people are saying about UK/EU261, but seems rather moot as having that enforced is harder than you realise especially as our CAA or government basically do nothing to enforce it and its basically a wild-west where airlines can do what they want and not meet their legal obligations. BA are well known not to pay out and ignore claims.

    • BA Flyer IHG Stayer says:
      30 Mar30 March 12:23

      As the regulator the CAA can only regulate as far as the powers given to it by the Government & Parliament permits.

      I used to work for a regulator and there were swathes of the sector I was in that we couldn’t touch because we simply didn’t have the powers.

      • vlcnc says:
        30 Mar30 March 15:48

        This is true and I do note the CAA had asked for more powers after the debacles during covid and putting areas into tier 4 and airlines not refunding people when they couldn’t fly, but nothing seems to have come of it.

    • JDB says:
      30 Mar30 March 12:23

      @vlcnc It’s not just our government/regulator! It’s not properly enforced in most European countries as the provisions have become ridiculously generous. Spain is particularly bad and Iberia even has no arbitration scheme.

    • NorthernLass says:
      30 Mar30 March 14:26

      There are several cases documented on here where people have used CEDR/MCOL/small claims court and won against BA so remedies are possible, just difficult to come by unless you’re well-informed and tenacious. I took BA to CEDR a few years ago when they refused to pay delay compensation, it was actually quite straightforward and BA paid up as soon as they realised I was serious.

      • NorthernLass says:
        30 Mar30 March 14:28

        @JDB, that doesn’t surprise me about Spain, among other things the EU commission had to threaten their government with sanctions for refusing to honour the EHIC agreement and provide free emergency health care to visitors!

        • His Holyness says:
          30 Mar30 March 15:49

          Yes, context. It’s hardly a surprise that some Member States don’t enforce laws, some are very compliant (like the UK was), others in the middle and others literally CBA.

      • vlcnc says:
        30 Mar30 March 15:47

        It shouldn’t be that hard though. There is no point in legislation if it isn’t properly enforced. A lot of people don’t have the time to pursue this and it is often the most poorest and less well off people who suffer the most because of this.

    • dougzz99 says:
      30 Mar30 March 16:03

      Always amused at how every government always wants to create new laws, but is never interested in enforcement of existing ones.

  • masaccio says:
    30 Mar30 March 17:47

    Well closing the First Wing is just the last straw. It’s bad enough I have to mingle with riffraff on the train to B/C (yes I know you can walk ‘cross country”).

  • Stu287 says:
    30 Mar30 March 18:27

    Any news from todays talks?

  • Ian says:
    30 Mar30 March 18:54

    I assume this applies to T5 only and not T3?

  • Matt says:
    30 Mar30 March 19:43

    Just checked MMB. My flight tomorrow has been cancelled. Thankfully managed to rebook to an earlier one.

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

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