BA's Twelve Days of Christmas

On the twelve days of striking BA air crew gave to me

Twelve families sulking
Eleven babies screaming
Ten iPods blasting
Nine laddettes bitchin'
Eight bags a falling
Seven stewards all hiding
Six boards delaying
Five onion rings*
Four hours of sleep
Three fisty cuffs
Two smelly socks
And one million people delayed

Willie Walsh BA's Chief Executive has said:

"We are absolutely determined to do whatever we can to protect our customers from this appalling, unjustified decision from Unite. We do not want to see a million Christmases ruined."

The Union Unite say:

"Ruined Christmases will eventually be forgotten, certainly by next Christmas, but your terms and conditions are something you will have with you for the rest of your working life. BA must be made to see sense and it was reluctantly felt only 'audacious’ action would have any effect."

How they can determine that ruined Christmases will be forgotten that quickly is hard to understand. I'm sure that many people who actually have their Christmas ruined by not being able to go on the flight they have booked, and to find or avoid an alternative means of getting home will be far from pleased with the company that lets them down. In making future plans that customer experience is bound to be something they take into consideration when making a booking.

*After all they ran out of Turkey dinners days ago.

BA Staff Wish You a Misery Christmas Possibly

When I used to work for H. Samuels in London my December routine was easy. I worked along the Piccadilly line so on the 24th I would trundle my suitcase or carry my rucksack into work with me, then after the post drink work it would be on the tube to Heathrow to catch the flight I had booked. Normally this was the last flight just to be sure I would get to it on time; 8pm was pushing the drinking time a little too much. I would be returning on the first flight of the 27th and often straight back into work.

The range of flights from Heathrow was limited either British Midland or British Airways. I did fly both on occasion depending on price, but if I was doing that again this year and had a BA flight booked I would be well and truly depressed. I would be working all sorts of overtime hours, not getting out much outside of store opening hours, so to actually get around to finding an alternative I'd be stuck. The threat of a BA strike starting on 22nd December will be affecting a lot of people and potentially ruining a lot of Christmases. Of course they are timing this action to have the maximum impact, they want people to sit up and take notice and this is one of their busiest times of the year: therefore big impact.

I remember one particular Christmas Eve the weather was exceptionally bad. I arrived at Heathrow and the previous two Belfast flights were still on the ground and all three of us were delayed. Eventually we got off at about 11:30pm. But as we touched down in Belfast there was an announcement for customers waiting for the flight from East Midlands to go the info desk. As I trudged past they were being told that the flight they were expected loved ones off had been cancelled. It was bad enough for one flight load let alone an entire Airline's flight worth.