Eve of disruption for BA passengers

Simon Calder blog for 21 February
 

Let’s start with the way the programme ended – and a particularly brilliant heckle from Tom in Wickford about cheap places to stay around New York: “The Country Inn and Suites - Long Island City. In March and April, when you stay for 5 nights, you get the 5th night free. It is costing me about £35 per night including breakfast. The hotel is new and less than 5 minutes walk from the subway station. From there, Manhattan (Lex Avenue) is one stop away.” Certainly looking at the website http://www.countryinns.com/hotels/nynyquee it looks an excellent prospect, not least because it’s fairly close to JFK airport.

A long way south from there, Guyana was my destination of the week. Britain's only bit of the South American mainland is the focus of a tour to be led in September by Chris Parrott, founder of Journey Latin America. The  20-day 'Trail-blazing Through the Guyanas' trip departs on 18 September, priced £2,998. For more information call 020-8747 8315, or see journeylatinamerica.co.uk

Finally, the latest twist in the BA cabin crew dispute takes place on Monday; British Airways passengers will find out if their travel plans are likely to be disrupted by another strike by cabin crew. Industrial action that would have threatened Christmas and New Year travel was called off in December when a High Court judge ruled the ballot was flawed. The union, Unite, will announce the result of a second ballot at the Holborn HQ at 2pm on Monday; if it is in favour of strike action, then dates for a stoppage could also be revealed. Three key Q&As:

1. If a strike is called, when will it take place? The earliest any industrial action could begin is 1 March; after public anger about the prospect of a Christmas/New Year strike, Unite has said it will not call a strike over Easter. So effectively the "target zone" is the month of March.

2 Would the whole airline be grounded? No; most London City flights are unaffected; and the airline has been training up ground staff, pilots and managers to act as temporary cabin crew - the union calls these people "scab labour", but BA believes it can operate a respectable schedule to key destinations, possibly by also chartering other airlines to operate flights.

3 What rights do passengers have? Initially very few - BA will offer the option to change dates if a strike is called when you are due to travel, but if you decide to buy a flight on a different airline and your original departure is unaffected, then you will be out of pocket. And the airline is warning that if you buy its own insurance after a strike has been called, the cancellation compensation will not be valid.

Good luck, everyone.

Simon