Which airports are affected?
If the strike goes ahead, BAA would be forced to shut its six airports: Heathrow, Stansted, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Southampton.
When are the strikes?
Members of the Unite union voted today for strike action, but the union must give seven days' notice before going on strike. Its leaders will meet on Monday to decide when the walkout will begin and how long the action will last. The earliest a strike could begin is 23 August. It is thought Unite could target the August bank holiday weekend, which starts on Saturday 28 August, as this is likely to be a very busy period for the airports.
Why is this happening?
The strike action has been called over a pay dispute. BAA is offering staff a 1% pay rise plus another 0.5% linked to changes to the current agreement on sickness. But Unite wants more for its members, partly because staff had a pay freeze last year. There is also disagreement over performance-related bonuses worth £1,150, which staff will not receive this year.
What are the chances of the strikes not happening?
BAA says no previous union action has ever completely shut down its airports. In the last planned walkout in 2002, the strike was cancelled after the company made an improved offer to the union.
What should you do if your flights are cancelled?
When airlines have previously been affected by strike action not carried out by their own employees, they have generally offered passengers a refund or an alternative ticket – unless a flight can be found that is within two hours of the original scheduled time of departure, or within four hours of the original scheduled arrival time.
If your flight is set to be affected, you should contact your airline as soon as possible.
What about people who have booked package holidays?
Your should contact your travel agent or tour operator as soon as possible, as they have a responsibility to provide all the elements of that holiday. Under package holiday regulations, the agent or operator is responsible for repatriation, alternative flights to your original destination, an alternative holiday or a full refund.
Can I claim on my insurance?
If you booked the separate elements of your holiday yourself, the situation is more complicated.
You will need to try to claim back any hotel, hire car or other costs through your travel insurance. However, many providers exclude cover in the event of strike action. For a successful claim, travellers would need to have bought the policy and made their bookings before the strike dates were announced.
If the holiday was booked on a credit card, then under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act you could make a claim through your card provider for costs of over £100.
