Some years ago I was holidaying with a FWB,first week were in uk but away from home,2nd week we were booked on Alitalia to fly down to visit her sister in Sicily.
Anyway we get home the night before the flight (LGW) to 3 messages on my home ansafone (pre mobile days eh
) - all from our village travel agent (pre internet days eh
)
(1) Alitalia will be on strike - I can get you booked with BA for an extra £400 (I think)
(2) Alitalia on strike - I can get you booked with somebody else for (say) £300.
(3) msg left the day before - report to the Alitalia Station Manager and he will get you out there
So we turned up at Gatwick - finds the station manager and he puts us on a Lauda Cessna Citation out to Bologna (nice flight,nice food real crockery
)
Overnight in hotel in Bologna (free) and then flew down to sicily next morning on Aermediterranea.