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Travel Forum / Travel Types / Air Travel / December 2007UK airport strikes in January
Does anybody have a view on whether the planned BAA strikes for 7/Jan (24hrs), 14/Jan (24hrs) and 17/Jan (48hrs) will spill over to the days before or after these days? I'm due to fly out of LHR on 23/January to get some sun... > Does anybody have a view on whether the planned BAA strikes for > 7/Jan (24hrs), 14/Jan (24hrs) and 17/Jan (48hrs) will spill over > to the days before or after these days? As It's unclear what will actually happen on the day, I doubt it will be possible to predict what will happen on the days after. Though I doubt anything will happen on the day before. It would be nice to see an official announcement as to what is expected, but I haven't so far. I'm booked to fly on the 7th and no-one has contacted me to tell me to do anything different to normal. > I'm due to fly out of LHR on 23/January to get some sun... I doubt that you will be affected by a strike on the 17th tim >> Does anybody have a view on whether the planned BAA strikes for >> 7/Jan (24hrs), 14/Jan (24hrs) and 17/Jan (48hrs) will spill over [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >I'm booked to fly on the 7th and no-one has contacted me to tell me to do >anything different to normal. Ooh er! The 7th. I have to assume you will be affected. Last I heard is that on the strike days, BAA might shut the airports due to having no security staff on duty. >> I'm due to fly out of LHR on 23/January to get some sun... > >I doubt that you will be affected by a strike on the 17th I hope..... >>> Does anybody have a view on whether the planned BAA strikes for >>> 7/Jan (24hrs), 14/Jan (24hrs) and 17/Jan (48hrs) will spill over [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Ooh er! The 7th. I have to assume you will be affected. Correct, but how?. > Last I heard is that on the strike days, BAA might shut the airports > due to having no security staff on duty. Then you have heard something that the airlines haven't heard. I think that is unlikely. I feel sure that if BAA were expecting that they would have to shut the airports they would be saying so and airlines would be making contingencies (at the very least they would stop taking bookings for the days in question, which demonstrably, they are still doing). tim >>>> Does anybody have a view on whether the planned BAA strikes for >>>> 7/Jan (24hrs), 14/Jan (24hrs) and 17/Jan (48hrs) will spill over [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >>>but >>>I haven't so far. >>>I'm booked to fly on the 7th and no-one has contacted me to tell me to do >>>anything different to normal. >> >> Ooh er! The 7th. I have to assume you will be affected. > >Correct, but how?. Dunno. Cancelled flight? Delayed flight? >> Last I heard is that on the strike days, BAA might shut the airports >> due to having no security staff on duty. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >(at the very least they would stop taking bookings for the days in question, >which demonstrably, they are still doing). That's odd. IIRC it was a BAA spokesman on BBC TV who explained that all the security staff and other workers who keep the terminals running would be on strike on those days. Thus, he explained they might have to shut the terminals and divert inbound/outbound flights for security reasons. Can you imagine a terminal building being left open with flights arriving/departing without security staff and other workers to control the flow of people? I can't. I think we might get into a situation where public advice to travelers is poor and erratic and they just say "turn up as usual". <SNIP> >>I feel sure that if BAA were expecting that they would have to shut the >>airports they would be saying so and airlines would be making contingencies [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >I think we might get into a situation where public advice to >travelers is poor and erratic and they just say "turn up as usual". Hi I feel sure that the airlines are working on the assumption that the strike may be called off at the last minute. From their point of view, if they stopped taking bookings for the strike days and the strike WAS cancelled at the eleventh hour then potentially they could theoretically be left with an open airport and no passengers which would probably cost them more money than if the strike went ahead. Regards KGB ><SNIP> >>>I feel sure that if BAA were expecting that they would have to shut the [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] >no passengers which would probably cost them more money than if the >strike went ahead. Good point. >>>>> Does anybody have a view on whether the planned BAA strikes for >>>>> 7/Jan (24hrs), 14/Jan (24hrs) and 17/Jan (48hrs) will spill over [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > Dunno. Cancelled flight? Delayed flight? I was thinking more along the lines of checking in at T-2 hours, having to queue for three hours to get through security, missing my flight because it takes off on time and the airline saying "tough". This is how LCCs work. And at STN probably in excess of 80% of flights are LCCs and 50%+ at LGW. >>> Last I heard is that on the strike days, BAA might shut the airports >>> due to having no security staff on duty. [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > That's odd. IIRC it was a BAA spokesman on BBC TV who explained I have been watching N24 most of the day (because theres **** all else on!) and have seen no reports, nor did I see any on the 'normal' news on the main channels (it's all Pakistan). It (the news) is actually on now, not a squeak! > that all the security staff and other workers who keep the terminals > running would be on strike on those days. Thus, he explained they Of the 'necessary' functions, what do BAA do? They don't run the check in desk. They don't run the passport/customs check, they don't man the gate. All that they do is check my bag as it goes through the machine. Is that right? Do they do the baggage handling or do they just maintain the machines? They also clean the floor, toilets, fix the lights etc, but that can look after itself for a day. Oh and they staff the duty free shop, man I'll be really pee-ed off if I can't shop for the day. ISTM that they can do what is done when other transport facilitators go on strike, run the necessary functions using Managers and forget about the rest. I can't see any need to close the airport. The baggage handling could be a problem, but if it is they ought to be advertising this LOUDLY and if necessary saying that pax requiring checked luggage cannot fly that day and telling airlines to re-book pax as appropriate. But they aren't doing this. ISTM that are doing nothing now, and hoping that the problem will go away. > might have to shut the terminals and divert inbound/outbound flights > for security reasons. Can you imagine a terminal building being left > open with flights arriving/departing without security staff and > other workers to control the flow of people? I can't. Well obviously not, but as I pointed out in the previous post, I don't see many inbound flights being diverted. If they are not sure that they are going to be allowed back, it makes sense for a carried to cancel their outbound. > I think we might get into a situation where public advice to > travelers is poor and erratic and they just say "turn up as usual". Yep. tim >Thus, he explained they >might have to shut the terminals and divert inbound/outbound flights >for security reasons They will not have to shut totally for security reasons as BAA security do not have any effect on inbound flights. They will have to shut if the airport fire service(s) most of who are union members join the strike. No fire cover no airport. -- Lansbury www.uk-air.net FAQs for the alt.travel.uk.air newsgroup >>Thus, he explained they >>might have to shut the terminals and divert inbound/outbound flights >>for security reasons > >They will not have to shut totally for security reasons as BAA security do not >have any effect on inbound flights. I got the impression that all the security screening staff and concourse security staff are union members. The latter would likely effect incoming passengers indirectly ... so the question becomes whether BAA would wish to allow thousands of people to mill about without security staff on hand in case of accident or any other troubles (eg violence) or perhaps someone trying to get airside etc. >They will have to shut if the airport fire service(s) most of who are union >members join the strike. No fire cover no airport. Indeed, I'd forgotten that. > >>Thus, he explained they > >>might have to shut the terminals and divert inbound/outbound flights [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Indeed, I'd forgotten that. According to this story, Air Malta has already decided to divert on the affected dates. Passengers from GLA are being advised to check in at PIK: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20071229/local/air-malta-an... Not aware of any other airlines' announcements yet. BrianN Expect disruptions to last a couple of days after the strike. Airline may not have crews and aircraft positioned in the right city on the day following the strike and this may cause some cancellations, especially in the morning. Also, remember that the thousands of passengers who were not able to travel on the 7th (and those on the cancelled flights on the 8th) will be on stand-by for any seat on the following days, so you can expect increased crowds at airports. >Does anybody have a view on whether the planned BAA strikes for >7/Jan (24hrs), 14/Jan (24hrs) and 17/Jan (48hrs) will spill over >to the days before or after these days? > >I'm due to fly out of LHR on 23/January to get some sun... Hi (from the UK) I am due to fly out of Heathrow on 9th Jan (2 days after the 7th Jan strike) and the answer from my Travel Agent when I asked that question a couple of days ago was probably yes. They told me that people flying out on the 8th were definitely affected and had already had their flights changed - in my case, 48 hours may be enough time for my flight to be as scheduled. In my particular case, the agents say they are working with the airline and if I do NOT hear from either them or the airline then turn up at the airport as per the ticket; but there is a chance they may contact me beforehand with alternative instructions. My advice would be to contact either your travel agent or the airline - possibly both - and ask them. Certainly in my case, if I do NOT hear anything by the day before my flight, I will phone the airline and double check. Regards KGB >>Does anybody have a view on whether the planned BAA strikes for >>7/Jan (24hrs), 14/Jan (24hrs) and 17/Jan (48hrs) will spill over [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > their flights changed - in my case, 48 hours may be enough time for my > flight to be as scheduled. I think that you've been lucky if you've had this response. As I said, I have received no information and there's nothing on the airline's web site to indicate that they might do anything unusual on these dates. I tried BA and they have no news and they (still) seem quite happy for me to make a booking for the 7th (not that I want to). As did the carrier I am travelling with (still priced at 29.99). and Ryanair (the only one that I could find with any statement at all) says: "We have been advised of possible strike action which may result in the closure of the BAA airports on the 7th Jan 2008. Ryanair flights to / from the following airports may be affected if these strikes go ahead:....." <snip list> followed by some normal Ryanair politicing: "Ryanair is calling on the BAA monopoly and the UK Government to ensure adequate contingency plans are in place to minimise passenger disruption. There are unlikely to be any further developments over the Christmas holidays but we will update passengers on this web page on / before the 2nd January." Which suggest to me that they hope to be able to fly and will expect people to actually turn up at the aiprort and wait until their flight is cancelled, on the day, if they want a FOC flight change (which is a typical FR policy). But apart from this, I can't see that the strike will knock much onto the following day for the UK airlines. People who can't fly on the 7th will be rebooked onto later flights and be expected to turn up as normal on that date (Jan, after the New Year rush is not a busy month so there should be plenty of spare capacity on avaliable flights). If flights are cancelled then the return leg will be as well, so aircraft will still be in the correct place for 'tomorrows' flights. I can see that a foreign airline with a very few flights, that decided to land at an alternative airport will end up with planes in the wrong place, but I can't see any of the UK carriers doing this, there just isn't enough capacity at the non BAA airports (and for London flights, none of the alternatives except Luton makes any sense for bussing pax to/from whilst operating an intensive service). tim >>Does anybody have a view on whether the planned BAA strikes for >>7/Jan (24hrs), 14/Jan (24hrs) and 17/Jan (48hrs) will spill over [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > >KGB Thanks, that sounds like a good plan... I'm due to fly with Thai Airways (booked through eBookers.com), so I guess I'll have to call Thai early-mid January to monitor the situation. > Does anybody have a view on whether the planned BAA strikes for > 7/Jan (24hrs), 14/Jan (24hrs) and 17/Jan (48hrs) will spill over > to the days before or after these days? > > I'm due to fly out of LHR on 23/January to get some sun... If they plan to strike for specific times, it seems they would want to stick to plan and not strike for 6 days at once. |
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