Poor BA Long Haul Pax tonight :-)

VA have put up a brief news item advising passengers their flights are not affected and no need to bring a packed lunch.

Phil (Buffy)

I feel for BA - of course they could lay off hundreds of staff for being in breach of contract and the law. But their problem is that they need to get operations back to normal asap, and that means effectively forgiving the staff otherwise they'll have days, weeks or months of understaffing and a considerable knock-on. What a situation to be in!

If we were individually affected by this situation I think we'd find it easy to criticise communication and action from BA, but to be fair to them it was a rapidly changing situation, with massive and complex consequencies that must be almost impossible to manage perfectly from every angle to everyone's satisfaction.

While the roots may be blamed on GG's ineffective management - this BA staff action is simply inexcusable.

I'd guess BA will be trying to move their high value customers onto competitor flights, inc. Virgin - does that mean BA will pay into Virgin's coffers for those?

Originally posted by Decker
I may be naive but I would like to think that VS staff would not do this as they actually care about their customers, not just viewing them as pawns in an argument with management.

Guess all of this will be sending VS loads through the roof - any BA travellers care to submit some TRs?[}:)]

Thats what I find quite amazing about this whole situation. The bag handlers and bus drivers walked out, leaving all their other colleagues to deal with the aftermath or end up stranded at the wrong airports etc. If I worked for BA at any level I would feel quite angry and have little sympathy for their cause.

To some extent its narrow mindedness on the strikers part, not understanding or simple not caring, about the full cost implications this has on the airline and then potentially their jobs.

I'm tempted to echo the comments heard of "sack the lot of them". Its illegal plain and simple and BA cant be held to ransome like this.

I forgot to add, my partners dad was supposed to be flying out with 5 others to Berlin today for a business meeting on BA.

He rang late last night just after the announcement that all flights up to 6pm today were cancelled asking for some help finding alternatives.

I had already done my travel agent thing and looked at the options. Needless to say availability was dissapearing before my very eyes and the cost was very very expensive.

We have booked them onto Air Berlin from stanstead on a later one way flights. The question this raises is will BA cancel the return leg of the journey as is normal when you dont take an outbound leg on a return flight. Of course they are going to try and ring BA to confirm this but getting through is likely to be pretty impossible!

I think Gate Gourmet appear to have a legitimate dispute ( I say that meaning either side could be right or wrong )

However people going on strike in so called sympathy is a bit lame in my opinion, and hypocrytical, if BA broke the employment legislation or individual terms of contract there would be uproar amongst staff, so why should the staff do it.

Not Posted for ages, had nothing to offer of late, as I have not been with VS for ages.

But I was due to be on a BA long haul this morning, and it has been cancelled as expected.

This is what I was told re re booking etc (I was on an A class so full fexibility) I was given two alternative flights, via LGW with connections and a refund of any difference of fair, plus a wedge of miles.

I decided that I would not fly, as I was due back on Monday, and I usupect this is going to run and run. So I have been given a full refund, and a wedge of miles as a gesture of good faith!

It will not be as good for all, I fully appreciate, but it was very professionally dealt with, but to be fair the main terminal (away from the exec check) is a very different story.

Why do I think this may run - I know..... Gate is fully justified in its actions, the numbers being quoted are not of 600, but 350 who took unofficial, un apporved industrial action on Tuesday I think. It is even said bu GG that an offer was made, but the union refused to pass it to their members.

Oh and when you here them on the radio about low pay.............. The bulk of the staff at GG excluding Management - earn way more than Nurses, Teachers, and nearly all Food service staff in the country............. More than many of use, if you look at the figures on the GG site you can work it out quite easily....... Shocking.

Well I am off to do some work now, but I am giving VS it's last chance in my book next week, so I will keep you updated.
Cheers
Bluefish

[fozzyo]

I would imagine Gate Gourmet will now have a rather significant problem ... how to keep one of your biggest clients after loosing then oodles of cash and good-will form the PR disaster. Not a situation they want to be in with their current financial crisis.

The whole thing has been a complete disaster for everyone involved.

Edit: Link to Gate Gourmet Press Release

Foz xx

Does anyone know whether the BA staff have returned to work today or are they still striking?

Maybe BA haven't helped this by putting all their eggs in one basket (excuse the pun), I don't know how easy it would be to have 2 caterers working for an airline, but certainly in other businesses it is not wise to take this kind of stance.

Paul

I guess you could have different caterers for different terminals - GG have three different kitchens serving Heathrow, so that in a sense is pretty similar. I guess you'd get a worse deal from both caterers financially, though.

In a sense, I agree with the sentiment of firing the strikers - it's just BA need to come out of all this with an operational airline. Maybe they could reach a middle ground of docking wages of strikers to help offset the damage that they've caused. But that might result in further strike action. Which they don't need at the moment.

Understandably, Rod Eddington looked livid last night on the news.

[preiffer]

Latest update from BBC indicates 70,000 affected now.

It has spread to beyond BA, too:

"Qantas, Sri Lankan, Finnair, GB and British Mediterranean, also serviced by BA ground staff, are affected by the strike which is taking place during the peak holiday season. "

[Decker]

Gosh - what a surprise

VS 1 LHR 1600 EWR 1840 744 0
BUCKET CLASS AVAILABILITY: J0 D0 Z0 W0 S0 K0 Y0 B0 L0 M0 Q0 X0 N0

VS 3 LHR 1400 JFK 1640 744 0
BUCKET CLASS AVAILABILITY: J0 D0 Z0 W0 S0 K0 Y0 B0 L0 M0 Q0 X0 N0

VS 3119 LGW 1030 EWR 1325 777 0
BUCKET CLASS AVAILABILITY: J0 D0 Z0 Y0 B0 L0 M0 Q0 X0 N0

VS 17 LHR 2030 EWR 2310 346 0
BUCKET CLASS AVAILABILITY: J0 D0 Z0 W0 S0 K0 Y0 B0 L0 M0 Q0 X0 N0

VS 45 LHR 0930 JFK 1210 346 0
BUCKET CLASS AVAILABILITY: J0 D0 W0 S0 K0 Y0 B0 M0 Q0 X0 N0

VS 3129 LGW 1230 EWR 1525 777 0
BUCKET CLASS AVAILABILITY: J0 D0 Z0 Y0 B0 L0 M0 Q0 X0 N0

VS 9 LHR 1805 JFK 2100 346 0
BUCKET CLASS AVAILABILITY: J0 D0 Z0 W0 S0 K0 Y0 B0 L0 M0 Q0 X0 N0

Lol, VA rocks, hope there is enough food to go around and lots of booze too.

I think it is tragic that BA's reputation is being dragged down again - I still regard it as our 'national' carrier and as such take pride in it being "the world's favorite airline". I don't believe they have done anything to really deserve this.

My sympathies are with everyone who is stranded - particularly those unable to either arrange or afford alternative transport.

A bad day for the industry.

[preiffer]

Agreed. Although I don't have that much time for BA in general, no airline deserves this (and it does seem genuinely out of their control).

They've published a new policy detailing what will be done for affected passengers. Seems pretty standard, but fair.

Originally posted by daisy
I think it is tragic that BA's reputation is being dragged down again - I still regard it as our 'national' carrier and as such take pride in it being "the world's favorite airline".

Here, here. We may all be a bit flippant here but I think to a man we would wish BA well. Where's the fun in beating the competetion when it's not a fair fight?

BTW - a collegue arrived back from Denver on BA yesterday (lucky) and used her $40 of food vouchers to buy chocolates for the entire office - so thanks BA.

Phil (Buffy)

[Decker]

I lost all pride in our "National" carrier when they banned Salman Rushdie from flying on when the fatwa was decreed. I sent my Executive Club card back then and refuse to fly them except in extremis.

Personal choice I guess Decker

I LOVE to see BA planes at airports abroad - they look great and remind me of home. And I still prefer the BA livery to Virgin - their planes look pretty classy - both inside and out.

I'd always consider them (espcially now they are getting much cheaper in J)

Lets hope the stranded are able to get to their destination soon. The UK could lose valuable tourism from this...

[Decker]

and don't get me started on taking the Union flag off the tail .

Funnily my 2IC and his partner are currently stuck in Cairo - they're meant to fly back tomorrow but BA have cancelled the flight and put them on an Air France flight the following day. Amex were able to sort out a hotel extension in seconds fortunately.

At least TGWU and GG are talking again....

Aaahh - Amex - the Guardian Angels of all travellers (I may forget my St Christopher but never the Amex )

Originally posted by Decker
and don't get me started on taking the Union flag off the tail .

Tell me about it - I'm still incredulous as to why they spent millions painting pwetty pictures on their planes' tails, only to scrub them off again within a couple of years. All whilst they were struggling to make a profit!

Interesting to see where some of the inbound BA flights ended up.

Exotic and untried routes include:
Tokyo to Cardiff
Lusaka to Luton
Tel Aviv to Newcastle
Hong Kong to Newcastle
and..
Bangkok to Manchester (seems approriate somehow)

Check out this link (under flight diversions)for full details.

Phil (Buffy)

Perhaps it was Mrs T and her handkerchief...

More likely they fell victim to clever marketeers (like most companies do at some point) who told them it would be a good idea to have another re-brand.

I like the current Chatham design though - stylish.

Originally posted by BuffyTVS65
Interesting to see where some of the inbound BA flights ended up.

Exotic and untried routes include:
Tokyo to Cardiff
Lusaka to Luton
Tel Aviv to Newcastle
Hong Kong to Newcastle
and..
Bangkok to Manchester (seems approriate somehow)

Check out this link (under flight diversions)for full details.

Phil (Buffy)

So are these flights going to sit at those airports then I presume and do a positional flight to LHR after this is settled (or maybe just do the leg if crew are available).

I see from earlier in this thread that the only effect on VS this is having is that every flight is full now by the look of it, I wonder how over full they are and if they are asking people to step off yet?

[Decker]

Interesting analysis piece.