British Airways Strike - Are you Covered?

If the BA 12-day strike from 22 December to 2 January 2010 goes ahead it will affect the Christmas and New Year holiday plans of more than a million travellers. 

Unfortunately, passengers are in a state of limbo because BA has not actually cancelled any flights and is currently pursuing a court appeal over irregularities in the UNITE union’s strike ballot. 

At the time of writing a refund from BA is not possible for those who wish to cancel and book an alternate flight (with the exception of those holding certain flexible tickets).  Passengers who are able to find and book an alternate flight risk paying for two flights if the BA strike is called off.  Note that travel insurance will not cover financial losses of this type.

BA has requested that customers check and update their contact details on the BA website so that they can be contacted by e-mail or SMS text as soon as any new information becomes available.

According to the British Airways website, customers who booked travel between 22 December and 2 January (and 48 hrs either side) have the option to change their flight to the same destination at another time within the next 12 months, at no additional charge.   If a flight is ultimately cancelled because of a strike BA will offer to refund the ticket, rebook the passenger or an alternate flight, or re-route travel on another BA flight or different carrier (subject to availability)

If you have booked hotel and car rental yourself, one thing you can do is to check the cancellation policies.  It may be possible to get a full refund for your accommodation if you cancel in time.  If you know the latest date that you can cancel it may be possible to hang on until there is a definite outcome on the strike. Those who booked a package holiday through a tour operator or travel agent, should be entitled to a refund or alternate arrangement through a regulatory body, such as ATOL, for hotel and travel expenses.

Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, which would normally protect purchases over £100, is unlikely to be of much help.  If you paid for your rental car or accommodation with a credit card they are unlikely to provide a refund because there has been no breach of contract by those companies. 

Whether travel insurance policies will cover any resulting financial losses may vary from company to company, but generally losses due to strikes are not covered.  Some companies may compensate for non-refundable costs, such as accommodation, as long as travel arrangements were made prior to announcement of a possible BA strike after the ballot held on 2 November.   Because the possibility of a strike has been on the cards since that time, the problem is not deemed as ’unforseen’ or unavoidable.   

This information is provided as a guide only.  Passengers who are unsure how their individual circumstances may be affected should call the appropriate company and ask.   

Let’s hope this problem gets resolved for the good of its customers - and BA itself!

Flickr Image: spotterjohnsen

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