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British Airways continues preparations for cabin crew strike | 11:55 AM GMT, March 17, 2010

Unite, the union representing the majority of British Airways (BA) cabin crew, has announced its planned strike dates, March 20- 22, and March 27-30, 2010.

According to the BA website, all flights will continue normally until the first planned strike date. In preparation of a potential strike, BA has announced revised flight schedules for the first set of strike dates, March 20-22. In addition, flights to/from London City Airport and all longhaul fights to/from London Gatwick Airport and all flights operated by franchise, codeshare and alliance partners will operate normally throughout the strike period, and any changes to bookings on these flights are subject to the original fare rules.

For travel between March 20-22, 2010
Not all flights will be cancelled. If the booked flight is operating, it may:

• Be operating normally
• Be operating with a different level of onboard service
• Be operating by a charter company flying on behalf of BA

BA’s Arrival and departure information is current—outlining cancelled flights, operational flights and how these flights will be operated.

CWT passengers with a flight that is still operating but who wish to change travel plans can:

• Rebook on another BA flight on the same route within 355 days of the original date of travel at no extra charge, subject to availability. Refunds are not allowed unless the fare rules allow. If a reservation includes a BA flight outside of the strike dates, or includes a flight from London City or any longhaul flight operating to/from London Gatwick or one operated by BA’s franchise, codeshare or alliance partners, passengers will be able to change these flights at the same time.

In the event of flight cancellations due to the strike, passengers will be able to:

• Rebook on another BA flight on the same route within 355 days of the original date of travel at no extra charge, subject to availability, or
• Rebook on another BA flight to/from the nearest alternative airport (example: if booked to/from Boston, passengers could rebook to/from Philadelphia or New York) at no extra charge, subject to availability. Any additional costs to/from the alternative airport will be at the passenger’s expense, or
• Cancel the booking and obtain a refund to the original form of payment.

For travel between March 23-26, 2010
As posted on the carrier’s website, the majority of flights will be operating normally during this period. However, due to the ripple effects of the first strike period, some flights may continue to be affected. Flights that do operate may:

• Be operating normally
• Be operating with a reduced level of onboard service

Some flights have already been cancelled for March 23. CWT passengers should monitor BA’s Arrival and departure information for the most current flight schedules. Any changes to the flight schedules will be announced several days in advance.

CWT passengers with a flight that is still operating but who wish to change travel plans can:

• Rebook on another BA flight on the same route within 355 days of the original date of travel at no extra charge, subject to availability. Refunds are not allowed unless the fare rules allow. If a reservation includes a BA flight outside of the strike dates, or includes a flight from London City or any longhaul flight operating to/from London Gatwick or one operated by BA’s franchise, codeshare or alliance partners, passengers will be able to change these flights at the same time.

Passengers who wish to rebook on a flight outside of the strike period and then discover the originally booked flight will operate are allowed to rebook back onto the original flight at no extra cost, subject to availability.

In the event of flight cancellations due to the strike, passengers will be able to:

• Rebook on another BA flight on the same route within 355 days of the original date of travel at no extra charge, subject to availability, or
• Rebook on another BA flight to/from the nearest alternative airport (example: if booked to/from Boston, passengers could rebook to/from Philadelphia or New York) at no extra charge, subject to availability. Any additional costs to/from the alternative airport will be at the passenger’s expense, or
• Cancel the booking and obtain a refund to the original form of payment.

For travel between March 27-31, 2010
At this time, all BA flights scheduled for this strike period are operating normally. The final decision on which flights will operate and which will be cancelled due to the two previous strike periods will be announced several days in advance. The anticipated flight operations for this time period are currently posted on the carrier’s website.

Until flight schedules are finalized, passengers with booked travel wishing to change travel plans can:

• Rebook on another BA flight on the same route within 355 days of the original date of travel at no extra charge, subject to availability, or
• Cancel the booking and obtain a refund to the original form of payment. This option will only be available until the finalized flight schedule has been announced. If a reservation includes a BA flight outside of the strike dates, or includes a flight from London City or any longhaul flight operating to/from London Gatwick or one operated by BA’s franchise, codeshare or alliance partners, passengers will be able to change these flights at the same time.

Passengers who claim a full refund and then discover the originally booked flight will operate normally and want to rebook the original flight will be treated as a new passenger and can only purchase the new ticket at the current available fare.

Passengers with flights rebooked outside of the strike period who then discover the originally booked flight will operate will be allowed to rebook back onto the original flight at no extra cost, subject to availability.

Due to the possibility of continued changes to BA’s flight schedules, CWT recommends that passengers monitor the carrier’s website at www.ba.com for the most current information and flight schedules and refer to the carrier’s Frequently Asked Questions link for additional details.

CWT will continue to monitor the situation and provide additional information as appropriate.

If you have any questions about the information contained in this Hot News, please contact your CWT representative.