BALPA, a union representing pilots in the UK, has voted in favor of a strike against British Airways over negotiations regarding compensation.
According to a statement by BALPA, 93 percent of members voted in favor of a strike, with 90 percent turnout. No dates for a strike have been set yet.
On Tuesday, July 23, British Airways lost a bid for a court injunction against the strike. Reuters UK reports that the UK High Court found that the union had issued the ballot for the strike vote correctly, and that therefore the result could stand. BALPA, the union representing the British Airways pilots, said that it has not yet set any dates for the strike.
“Although legally clear to do so, we have still not set any strike dates to give BA one last chance to commit to negotiating on pilots’ pay and rewards with us,” BALPA General Secretary Brian Strutton told Reuters UK.
What does this mean for travelers? Since no strike dates have been set yet, there is no word on what any potential flight disruptions could be. Both BALPA and British Airways have said that they will continue to issue updates as the situation evolves.
British Airways has set up a website with the latest information on the strike here.
“We’re very sorry for the disruption this potential strike action will cause,” the airline said in a written statement. “Please continue to check this page for the latest updates.”
British Airways also noted that passengers should ensure that their contact details are up to date in the Manage My Booking section of the airline’s website, in case British Airways needs to contact them with further information.
While British Airways has not yet issued specific information on how cancellations and delays due to the strike will be handled, according to its general cancellation policy, it will attempt to rebook passengers on cancelled flights automatically. Passengers can changed a rebooked flight if it isn’t suitable, or opt for a refund if they no longer want to travel or if the airline is unable to rebook them.