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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.

UPDATE 8pm: Talks have collapsed and the strike is on. Click here for the press release.

UPDATE FRIDAY: So far, so good. Click here for a semi-live update of the situation at Heathrow from Flyertalk.

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 (222)

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

  • AJ says:
    30 Mar30 March 20:55

    Looks like talks have broken down so strike will go ahead:

    https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2023/march/heathrow-strikes-go-ahead-as-last-ditch-talks-fail/

    • masaccio says:
      30 Mar30 March 21:57

      Gotta admit I am torn. Will show up at T-3h grumpy as f*** about disruption, but LHR has royally screwed them

  • Jamie says:
    30 Mar30 March 21:44

    Really helpful to read the article and thread, in contrast to BA who have told us nothing. We have a flight at 11.55am on Saturday to Corfu, any advice on the best approach to getting on the flight (if it’s not cancelled)? Ie: time to arrive at the airport etc. Many thanks

    • Rob says:
      30 Mar30 March 22:19

      If you’re in Economy then check-in won’t open until 2 hours before so you’re stuck. If you can’t clear security within, say, 75 minutes then you’re not flying even if you’re the first person at check-in on the dot of 2 hours.

      What we don’t know is BA policy on sending out aircraft empty, to bring back passengers, if the outbound passengers can’t get through.

      I know this sounds unlikely but for various reasons (gates, crew hours, slots) you can’t delay huge numbers of flights.

      We’ll know pretty quickly tomorrow if Heathrow has managed to find enough temporary staff though.

      • ringingup says:
        30 Mar30 March 22:59

        Even if check in won’t open until 2 hours before the flight (or 3 for long haul), if you’re HBO why not arriving earlier to maximise chances of clearing security?

      • Mark says:
        30 Mar30 March 23:01

        Does the 2 hour maximum apply to Club Europe as well or just Euro Traveller?

      • Nugget says:
        30 Mar30 March 23:09

        Does the 2 hour early check-in also apply to the family check-in? I’m fairly certain that I’ve managed to check in more than 2 hours before through the family check-in on short-haul flights.

      • Ian says:
        31 Mar31 March 04:34

        As ba allows you to check-in at any time, I don’t see how this will be policed.

        I can’t see them turning away anyone from being early.

        After all you could check in via the machines.

  • Stephan says:
    30 Mar30 March 23:31

    I assume this doesn’t impact domestic /Ireland flights from T5?

    • Alan says:
      31 Mar31 March 07:39

      It definitely will as it’s security, not Border Force. They’re also more likely to be cancelled.

    • SammyJ says:
      31 Mar31 March 07:41

      On the contrary, I expect more of those will be cancelled than further destinations.

      You still need to go through the same security screening for a domestic flight as you would international, so the chaos will be just as chaotic!

      • jjoohhnn says:
        31 Mar31 March 10:47

        I don’t see the logic in this. Inbound passengers connecting from domestic flights would not necessarily need to re-clear security on arrival at T5 so there wouldn’t be any benefit in wiping domestics off the schedule in this case, as these flights need less security than others, and you’ll just be increasing the number you need to reaccomodate later, and sending out emptier flights long-haul. But then again BA and common-sense don’t usually go hand in hand.

        • sayling says:
          31 Mar31 March 17:18

          Surely that depends on the numbers of passengers on inbound domestic flights that are actually transiting?
          Also, the inbound has to then go outbound before it can become inbound again, and the outbound flight will be full of passengers who need to go through security

  • apbj says:
    30 Mar30 March 23:57

    Your regular reminder that, no matter how long you are going for or the destination, you do not need to check bags if you pack properly. Take carry-ons until airside. Certainly, never check bags in disruption.

    • sayling says:
      31 Mar31 March 17:20

      That’s not going to be helpful, though, is it? The disruption here isn’t with baggage handling, it’s with going through a reduced capacity security. And the more BAGS that go through security, the longer it takes for people to get through security.

  • Firsttotheleft says:
    31 Mar31 March 04:40

    Bastards!

    • David says:
      31 Mar31 March 10:13

      I assumed you’re referring to HAL not the screwed security staff ?

  • John says:
    31 Mar31 March 05:18

    At T5 now…. First class wing open for check in but security closed

    Fast track also closed

    South security is ok

    North has quite a queue already

    • Ryan says:
      31 Mar31 March 08:05

      Thanks for the on the ground update. It will be interesting to see how it changes as the day and days go on.

  • zapato1060 says:
    31 Mar31 March 08:24

    Update from FT.

    Morning all! Cleared T5 north security in about 15 minutes – looked to be 4 lanes open here and everything running smoothly. No fast track available but certainly no major issue as at 0545.

  • zapato1060 says:
    31 Mar31 March 10:01

    CEO Friday morning
    John Holland-Kaye on Sky News at around 07:50 this morning telling us that the airport is “operating as normal”.

    In addition (FT-ers assume) to moving across some security staff from other terminals, he said “…we also have some other agency third-party workers who’ve come in to help us, who are very experienced in this kind of security environment, and they’re keeping the airport running smoothly. So Heathrow is operating as normal, if you’re travelling over the Easter period don’t worry, you’ll have a good journey. Please don’t come too early, three hours is plenty for a long-haul flight, two hours for short-haul flight and we’ll get you to your destination on-time.”

    Asked whether he had any concerns about security and safety during the strike, he added “No not at all, we’ve got very experienced people working here in security – actually many of the security officers who could have chosen to go on strike have chosen to come in… but on top of that we have many of our managers who’ve been promoted up into the business, started off as security officers and have gone into other roles, we have over a thousand people in that situation, many of those have gone back into frontline roles so they’re very experienced security-trained people.”

    Not quite hi-vis Álex, he was dressed in the purple ‘Heathrow Helper’ polo shirt, so assumedly counts as one of the ‘1,000 extra staff drafted into terminals to assist passengers’.

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