BA pilots’ strike may send festive flight prices soaring

AN UNPRECEDENTED walkout by British Airways pilots will push up the price of a Christmas getaway, passengers have been warned, as hundreds more flights are set to be cancelled today.

More than 1,700 flights were grounded yesterday after pilots refused to work in a long-running row over pay. Last night, the Balpa pilots’ union promised a “lengthy” campaign of industrial action until the row is resolved.

Rival airlines have recently raised their fares substantially for journeys on strike days as British Airways passengers scrambled to rebook their flights. An easyjet flight from Glasgow to Amsterdam tomorrow costs £284, while the same flight a week later is just £57.

Steve Double, an MP who sits on the transport committee, said the price of a Christmas getaway was likely to rise in the coming weeks amid the threat of disruption over the festive period. “If you have an important trip over Christmas, I’d book it now. If it’s already with British Airways, I’d consider rebooking it,” he told The Daily Telegraph.

Nearly 200,000 people are thought to have been affected by yesterday’s disruption, which is due to last until Wednesday at the earliest.

Further action is set for Sept 27 and passengers could face strikes over Christmas. Many learnt yesterday that they will not be entitled to compensation under EU law because their flight was cancelled with two weeks’ notice.

The strike came after months of dispute between BA executives and around 4,000 pilots.

BA has offered a pay rise of 11.5 per cent over three years, but Balpa says its members want a bigger share of the company’s profits.

Balpa said: “BA needs to realise its pilots are determined to be heard. They’ve previously taken big pay cuts to help the company through hard times. Now BA is making billions.”