This doesn't sound like a company quaking in its boots:
BA 'examining all strike options'
British Airways says it is exploring "all options" to help it cope with the impact of a planned 12-day strike by cabin crew over the Christmas period.
Up to one million passengers face the prospect of having journeys cancelled during the action by Unite members.
BA is trying to rework flight schedules but is also pondering legal action such as an injunction to stop the walkout.
Cabin crew voted nine to one in favour of strikes from 22 December over job cuts and staffing levels.
'Immense cost'
BA is insisting it will not climb down on its decision to reduce cabin crew numbers, which is at the heart of the dispute.
Unite is also adopting a tough stand, calling for talks to resolve the dispute but threatening another round of strikes unless BA backs down.
BBC employment correspondent Martin Shankleman says if BA was to offer refunds to passengers grounded by the strike - as it has done in the past - the cost to the company would be immense.
The strikes are set to begin on 22 December and run until 2 January following the union ballot, which had an 80% turnout.
British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh called the strike "senseless".
"It is very sad that [the union] are seeking to use the Christmas holiday plans and family reunions of hundreds of thousands of people to try to pursue their case," he said.
He said the company would be doing everything it could to limit the effect of the strike action.
"We are going to look at all our options - operational, legal and industrial relations options," he said.
Unite said that BA's cuts involved imposing "significant contractual changes" on cabin crew employees, resulting in extended working hours, and reduced wages for new starters.
Unite assistant general secretary Len McCluskey said staff wanted to be treated with "dignity and respect".
"We have taken this decision to disrupt passengers with a heavy heart and we are hoping that the company can still avoid it happening," he said.
Pay freeze
The result of the ballot was announced at a mass union meeting at Sandown Park racecourse in Esher, Surrey, on Monday.
BA has offered passengers who are booked to travel during the strike period - and 48 hours either side of it - the chance to rebook their flights at no extra cost.
Otherwise it said it would inform customers of changes to schedules by e-mail or mobile phone text.
BA has reduced the number of cabin crew from 15 to 14 on all long-haul flights and has frozen pay for two years.
The airline says it urgently needs to cut costs to ride out its dire financial situation.
Last month it revealed it had lost £292m in the first half of the year - the worst period in its history - and said it would have to cut a further 1,200 staff.