I would be grateful if someone could explain to me what BA cabin crew are thinking with regard to their planned strike action. I am a bemused and concerned member of the public who (thankfully) booked my Christmas flights with Virgin, so I will not be directly affected by a strike, but I am worried about BA's future. If you really needed to strike, why on earth do it over Christmas and risk losing the goodwill of the public? Are you trying to destroy the company? Why not defer the strike until after the New Year?
As I understand it BA cabin crew are among the best paid in the industry, many are paid above the Uk average wage, but you are working for an airline that appears to be in serious financial trouble. Surely you understand that in such a situation an airline has no option but to cut costs and can only really do this by cutting staff costs, or at least by limiting the increase of such costs. My employer imposed a pay freeze this year - we were not happy but when the company half-year figures were published we realised why the decision had been taken. Had a pay rise been granted, the company would have ended up millions of pounds in the red, which would have been no good for anybody. Surely, with BA in the position it is in, the cabin crew understand the need for a financial reality check?
By the way, I must add that my personal experience of BA cabin crew over the years has been excellent, and most recently I was looked after extremely well when I cut my hand getting baggage out of the overhead locker in Paris CDG. A very lovely stewardess got the fist aid kit and patched me up while her colleague teased her about being "florence nightingale". All good fun.
But if by your strike action you wreck the airline and cause it to fail, what will you have gained?
I would love some answers.
WF