The strike of British Airways pilots, as we went to press on Tuesday have affected over 200,000 passengers. The strike that started from Monday 9 September, will take place till September 27 with a possibility to extend till Christmas.
Passengers are fearing that their holiday plans will be affected and if they are forced to rebook their flights with other airlines, they may have to pay more, as the prices would fluctuate, and eventually go up.
Surath Uthayakumar along with wife Nandini and their 17 months old son Ram flew to Seattle for summer holiday in August. They were meant to return back on Sunday 8th September, so that Surath could return to work on Monday 9th, but their tickets had to be rescheduled. Though they were informed early, it eventually caused him problems. He told Asian Voice, “BA informed us early our flights were being cancelled about 2 weeks ago. With a one year old in tow it did cause a few anxious moments.
“But we were able to re-book for Tuesday the 10th on the BA website without too much hassle. Just hope there are not anymore cancellations."
However Renee Ghosh told the newspaper, “I was meant to fly to Delhi by BA for work. But I had to reschedule it because I wasn't sure I would make it back on time due to this strike. It has cost me so much money and time.”
Gopal Rangaswamy said, “I am flying with my parents-in-law, wife and young family to Prague on Christmas. We bought BA tickets from City Airport. I hope the pilots dont strike till then. It will mean I will lose more than £1000 just on tickets. Rescheduling and buying new tickets will cost me more money. And if we cancel now, we will lose hotel and all other booking fees. This is really worrying.”
However Salman Haqqi, personal finance expert at money.co.uk discussing if you can claim compensation if you're at the airport and your flight is delayed, said, "If you experience a significant delay when you're at the airport on Wednesday or Thursday, BA is required to make your wait a comfortable one, including providing food and drink, phone calls, and even accommodation, if necessary.
"If your flight is delayed by three hours or more, you are entitled to a cash payment of 250 Euros for short flights and 400 Euros for a flight distance of 1,500 to 3,500km.
"If you are delayed by more than five hours, you have the right to cancel your journey and have the cost of your flight reimbursed - which won't be much of a consolation to those people who have already paid for accommodation and other costs at their holiday destination.”
But he added, that, "You can't claim for your cancelled flight on your holiday or travel insurance as the airline will offer a refund or alternative booking. However, your insurance should cover any other losses, such as missed hotel stays, car hire or train tickets. This will depend on your travel insurance provider's policy on cancellation due to strike action and the level of cover you have in place.”
