BA CC have done it again
 

Another large strike vote, 8-1 of those who voted.

The old BA company is so riddled with spanish practices that I do not believe that it can be changed in a satisfactory way. A company is not just the management, but the employees too and 8,000 voting to take IA is very unhealthy. The 'Heathrow' disease is terminal, I fear.

Needs to reduced to ashes and then a phoenix may emerge IMHO, maybe BA (2010) plc.

What I fear will happen is some unsatisfactory compromise and another unhealthy period of 'peace.' I believea credible person may have said a similar thing a while ago.

Ultimately, such an outcome will just take the company further downards.

Let me also soften my words by recognising that BA has a lot of very good employees, who are dragged down by the others.

Answered my question nicely , thanks for the support :ok:

Dinosaurs/Evolution?
Turkeys/Christmas?
Lemmings/Cliffs?

Don't tar all BA CC with the same brush. It's a massively complex outfit with legacy agreements for BOAC and BEA, and a staffing arrangement that defies common sense. But that's the way it is.

With respect to TightSlot [who must have worn-out fingers by now!] I would try to summarise for the SLF who haven't been following the mega-pages.

Unite has a strike vote, BA has plans in place. I'm infinitely less worried about making my pre-booked Long-Haul flight in April than I was.

Lets not try to have another thread discussing this, eh? We will fly.

Exactly. Which is why I went ahead and booked my summer holiday a couple weeks ago. I somehow doubt the effect to us mere pax will be anywhere near as devastating as the unions like to make out. And if they try to disrupt our jollys again boy will they hear about it from us!

That's my point exactly and having worked in the company for nearly a year, I know the history pretty well.

I do not think this is sustainable any longer and it needs to die and be reborn in a new shape or be replaced, since it appears beyond the capacity of management to change the existing company.

Good luck with your flight, I hope your travel is not disrupted.

Not stamping and venting, but postulating about the future of a major carrier.

To a frequent traveller, this is an interesting subject which has an impact on our daily lives.

I have not felt able to book with BA for some months now, due to the uncertainty of the IR.

Although there are plenty of alternatives, it would be much better to have a well managed company providing reliable services, thus creating competition and broadening the choices.

That's my angle on this.

While it's probably too early to say, I'd like to know what the likely effects are going to be on flights out of LGW. The CC forum thread gives the impression that plans are for a long haul service out of LHR but little else.

This is purely for personal reasons as I've got bookings to go to the caribbean, but I'm wondering if I should look at booking alternatives instead as a fallback.

I suspect this is a little too early to be asking but does anyone have a feel for how likely a complete shutdown of services from LGW is?

PeterI

I don't know if Jetset Lady is on the forum, but she would be able to give you a better view than me.

Traditionally LGW has always been a non militant and hard working base, where the crews (flight deck and cabin) pull together to deliver the bst service they can.

It may be prudent to look at fallbacks very quickly, before prices skyrocket, book a refundable ticket and then wait and see what happens.

@ PeterI ... Wait another week.

Not easy, I know, but I've lived with that stress factor since this farce started. I'm booked for April.

There is so much 'information' flying around that, unless you can spend all day deciphering it, it's complete fog.

My estimation you have a 97% chance of having the flight .... when is it?

Why oh why oh why would you ever put yourself in a position to have an airline cause you stress? It's one airline amongst many, what are you thinking???

Digusted of Nottingham

PeterI,

I can't give you any definites but I can give you an opinion going by what's being said around the base and by drawing from past experience, if that's any help.

I am fairly certain that, as before, most cabin crew at LGW will be working. However, as our agreements allow us to work from LHR, (ironically, as previously agreed by BASSA! :rolleyes:), I suspect the company will use us, along with the LHR crew that are working, to protect the majority of the long haul at both bases, plus whatever short haul routes they can also cover. The pilots and ground staff have been trained to operate both the 777 and the airbus fleet, so can do either long or short haul, as can the cabin crew at LGW. I would guess that the frequency of routes that have multiple departures a day will possibly be reduced, with flights being combined if they are not full.

BA have also asked those of us that are willing to work to register and advise whether we can work days off, disrupted rosters etc. so they should have some idea of how many crew they have to work with, what the crew can do and what routes they can cover as a result. I can pretty much guarantee, there's some serious number crunching going on at the moment!

I'd love to say, yes you'll get away, no problem! But I can't do that. That would be unfair as none of us know for sure what will happen. The fact you are flying long haul is an advantage, but the fact you are flying from LGW could, in fact, become a disadvantage. It depends entirely on the route, the load factor and the number of crew available. Hopefully, BA will be able to advise you, one way or the other in good time. But like I say, please understand that this is solely my opinion, as a member of BA cabin crew and there are no guarantees. It will be a gamble, either way.

Reading that back, I appear to have been no help what so ever, but hopefully, having a bit more information even though it is my guesstimates, may help you make your decision.

Whatever you decide, I hope you get to the Caribbean and have a fabulous holiday. I'm just sorry that you now have to worry about how you are going to get there.

@ Scumbag ... don't be wet, there's a good chap.

• Only 2 decent carriers operate LHR>IAD.
• I have a bucket of BA Miles.
• I booked about 4 months ago.

When will I re-book with BA? I'll wait and see. My only issue with BA service quality is LH out of LHR ... which curiously seems to be the hotbed of activism. All my SH and Domestics have been superb in recent years.

@ JSL ... please worry about all of us. ALL the pax that pay the wages [and allowances]. Will you be working?

I am due to travel Bos-Lhr on March 13th, I think I can expect some disruption but as BA code share with AA am pretty sure I will get to the UK sometime. Return journey on the 24th pretty sure it will all be over by then.
As for the longer term Mrs J who is BA gold has deceided that she prefers Virgin now so we will see.

TTB,

I do. I know. I will.

Jsl

@ JSL ....

xxx

@ Jarvy ... The same point we're at. Forget the Miles and start again with a carrier that delivers?

I want to fly BA. I want them to let me!

Thanks for that, it seems fairly honest.

Fingers crossed.
Booked for Sao Paulo for wife's birthday jaunt 12th March. Could have re-booked, but have kept the faith, because we like BA [travelled most Trans Atlantic airlines.]. Look forward to it, and we quite understand if you cannot offer us a full cabin service!!. If it doesn't happen, it won't be BA that lets us down, only some of the people in it.
JSL xxx from me too.

Ground staff is one thing but pilots trained to fly both Boeing and Airbus (I take it that you mean jumping from one to the other); surely not? That might be another good reason to avoid BA then!