Topic: Strike! BA announces dates...

QUOTE:

Are you sure that RCI have booked you with BA, they usually use an American Carrier for their flights? Did your travel agent arrange the flights not direct with RCI? When we have gone with them it was with Continental via Nerwark for San Juan.

Our flights are definitely booked via RCI - not the TA. Booked from T5 LHR via Miami to San Juan. We usually book our own flights but as this is the first time for us sailing out of San Juan we wanted the peace of mind knowing we have transfers, hotel, air etc all in and it is their job to get us where we need to be! Not sure it was a good choice now LOL!

Yet another reason to use Virgin.......

QUOTE:

Our flights are definitely booked via RCI - not the TA. Booked from T5 LHR via Miami to San Juan. We usually book our own flights but as this is the first time for us sailing out of San Juan we wanted the peace of mind knowing we have transfers, hotel, air etc all in and it is their job to get us where we need to be! Not sure it was a good choice now LOL!

Last year BA screwed up our flights. We were due to leave 09.05 and did eventually get away by 13.30 the first BA flight of the day out of Edinburgh and it was chaos there. Our connection to Miami left London at 13.40 so clearly we were never going to get there, but RCI sorted it out BA put us up in a 5 star hotel at Heathrow and then on the 09.40 flight in the morning, but head winds meant we were even later in arriving in Miami, but we had been advised the ship would wait for us so a 40 min dash to Fort Lauderdale and a few minutes after we arrived the ship had put to sea. This time much more major problems we have friends who go BA to London on 19th luckily then AA to Miami and onto San Juan. We for our part fly with Continental [CA]to Newark the onto San Juan still with CA

I am travelling to Capetown to join Queen Mary next week. Cunard had me booked on a BA flight , but have now changed it to Virgin Atlantic. The flight is from Heathrow, and as i will be making my way to Heathrow independently, I booked with BA from Manchester to Heathrow on the 23rd which is not a strike day, but according to the BA website my flight may be disrupted, which puts me in a quandry as I do not know whether to cancel this flight and make my way by rail, which I do not really want to do, but maybe the best thing so as not to miss my flight to Capetown

QUOTE:

Last year BA screwed up our flights. We were due to leave 09.05 and did eventually get away by 13.30 the first BA flight of the day out of Edinburgh and it was chaos there. Our connection to Miami left London at 13.40 so clearly we were never going to get there, but RCI sorted it out BA put us up in a 5 star hotel at Heathrow and then on the 09.40 flight in the morning, but head winds meant we were even later in arriving in Miami, but we had been advised the ship would wait for us so a 40 min dash to Fort Lauderdale and a few minutes after we arrived the ship had put to sea. This time much more major problems we have friends who go BA to London on 19th luckily then AA to Miami and onto San Juan. We for our part fly with Continental [CA]to Newark the onto San Juan still with CA

When we flew Continental to San Juan from Gatwick (they no longer fly from there, pity) our original route via Houston was delayed which meant we would miss the connection in Houston so they switched our route via Newark so we arrived San Juan more or less on schedule. On our Mexican Gulf cruise out of Houston we stayed with friends in Pensylvania and purchased a multi destination ticket arriving in Newark, out of Philidelphia to Houston then direct return from Houston. Our friends arranged all the transfers which were far superior to those arranged by RCI which kept some hanging around waiting for people so as to fill up the coaches.

Short resum'e
Yes I am booked BA for my flights to my cruise, That BA said will go ahead as transferring at the expence of local flights staff to long haul

Union countered this by arranging other unions to boycot BA when abroad so no baggage or refuel, therefore grounded as can not return Nice move

These following figures are invented by me to show the situation

Easy jet, ryan air and other cheap airlines (CA)

CA pays staff £200pw and charge customers £100 per flight three stewards
BA pays staff £250 pw and charge customers £150 per flight four stewards
(Therefore BA staff get more pay and less work)

The customers are going to the cheap airlines obviously, so BA struggling anyway

BA staff want £280pw, BA unable to pay that "and" keep flights at £150pp

STRIKE, and in the current recession, BA will go bust

Result thousands of unemployed BA staff wanting £280pw will be queuing willing to take £200pw (an £80 reduction) from the cheap airlines with not a chance in hell

Lots of quality airlines awaiting to take up the air slots never to be regained by UK quality airlines

I am all for not being abused by an employer, but BA staff need to take a long hard look at the economics

In another life I work at the coal face of people now having to survive on £60pw Job seekers allowance, with the same outgoings as when they were on a joint income of £500 pw and child care of £300pw paid for by Her Majestys Gov

£800pw to £60pw is a bit of a shock to most

Sorry totally off topic now But it is a thought that needs to be digested

Jimbo

QUOTE:

Short resume
Yes I am booked BA for my flights to my cruise, That BA said will go ahead as transferring at the expense of local flights staff to long haul

Union countered this by arranging other unions to boycott BA when abroad so no baggage or refuel, therefore grounded as can not return Nice move

These following figures are invented by me to show the situation

Easy jet, ryanair and other cheap airlines (CA)

CA pays staff £200pw and charge customers £100 per flight three stewards
BA pays staff £250 pw and charge customers £150 per flight four stewards
(Therefore BA staff get more pay and less work)

The customers are going to the cheap airlines obviously, so BA struggling anyway

BA staff want £280pw, BA unable to pay that "and" keep flights at £150pp

STRIKE, and in the current recession, BA will go bust

Result thousands of unemployed BA staff wanting £280pw will be queuing willing to take £200pw (an £80 reduction) from the cheap airlines with not a chance in hell

Lots of quality airlines awaiting to take up the air slots never to be regained by UK quality airlines

I am all for not being abused by an employer, but BA staff need to take a long hard look at the economics

In another life I work at the coal face of people now having to survive on £60pw Job seekers allowance, with the same outgoings as when they were on a joint income of £500 pw and child care of £300pw paid for by Her Majesty's Gov

£800pw to £60pw is a bit of a shock to most

Sorry totally off topic now But it is a thought that needs to be digested

Jimbo

Hi Jimbo.
As if it was that simple.
How low (race to the bottom) will workers wages have to go to enable companies to make profit + CEOs even richer.
HMG picking up the tab for dole money,who do you think subsidises low wage paying companies,ie Tax Credits,Housing Allowance etc,You+ Me.
So in effect you + I are paying for shareholders dividends.
If you think this dispute is about wages,why did Unite offer a 2.6% pay cut + suggested savings of £60m which BA rejected saying they wanted £62.5m,sack 2 Exec Directors + they save the difference.
This dispute is about unilateral ripping up workers T&C/C of E to try and cover up BAs gross mismanagement + salve Walsh's macho ego.
Why do you think the worst paying companies in this country(not all),who treat there workers with disdain,not respect are Non-Union.
Walsh is a Union buster + we should ALL be worried of the outcome of this dispute,underlined as it is by BA plan to see of the threat of low cost airlines + offset Walsh's own corporate failure by recruiting a new workforce at half the existing rates.
Remember it wasn't the Unions who destroyed this country but bankers/spivs etc.
When we talk of growing inequality/insecurity the only defence we have is Trade Unions + those who want to defend the Status Quo know it,that's why the demonization now going on by the Sun/Mail.
No doubt the regulars on her knew this was coming + i make no excuse for it.
This is a threat to Democracy as it the only defence the working man has.
JC

I think, that on the background to this subject, some of us will never agree.

QUOTE:

Hi Jimbo.
As if it was that simple.
How low (race to the bottom) will workers wages have to go to enable companies to make profit + CEOs even richer.
HMG picking up the tab for dole money,who do you think subsidises low wage paying companies,ie Tax Credits,Housing Allowance etc,You+ Me.
So in effect you + I are paying for shareholders dividends.
If you think this dispute is about wages,why did Unite offer a 2.6% pay cut + suggested savings of £60m which BA rejected saying they wanted £62.5m,sack 2 Exec Directors + they save the difference.
This dispute is about unilateral ripping up workers T&C/C of E to try and cover up BAs gross mismanagement + salve Walsh's macho ego.
Why do you think the worst paying companies in this country(not all),who treat there workers with disdain,not respect are Non-Union.
Walsh is a Union buster + we should ALL be worried of the outcome of this dispute,underlined as it is by BA plan to see of the threat of low cost airlines + offset Walsh's own corporate failure by recruiting a new workforce at half the existing rates.
Remember it wasn't the Unions who destroyed this country but bankers/spivs etc.
When we talk of growing inequality/insecurity the only defence we have is Trade Unions + those who want to defend the Status Quo know it,that's why the demonization now going on by the Sun/Mail.
No doubt the regulars on her knew this was coming + i make no excuse for it.
This is a threat to Democracy as it the only defence the working man has.
JC

Politics are usually a No-no on this site, however, I certainly couldn't let this one pass. Advance apologies if you were only 'avin a laugh' JC.

What a really interesting twist. And there was me thinking it was the Unions that wrecked most of this country prior to Margaret Thatcher taking a grip. How wrong could I have been!

Mind, neither did I recall 'Bankers and Spivs' wrecking either the once great port of Liverpool and a British car industry, third in line only to Japan and the USA.

Still, perhaps this may be a watershed. So, bringing the thread back towards cruising I shall look forward to JC mobilising the 'brothers' in a new crusade. Boldly taking the fight to the Cruise Line CEO's (and shareholders) in order that the profits, made on the backs of 'poorly paid, under-tipped, third world crew are more evenly distributed. Preferably between the hard working, respectable, middle class cruise fraternity, who are about to loose even more of their cherished income when BA, and others, fail to pay a dividend.

My preference is to cruise under the 'Red Duster' and not the 'red flag'

QUOTE:

Politics are usually a No-no on this site, however, I certainly couldn't let this one pass. Advance apologies if you were only 'avin a laugh' JC.

What a really interesting twist. And there was me thinking it was the Unions that wrecked most of this country prior to Margaret Thatcher taking a grip. How wrong could I have been!

Mind, neither did I recall 'Bankers and Spivs' wrecking either the once great port of Liverpool and a British car industry, third in line only to Japan and the USA.

Still, perhaps this may be a watershed. So, bringing the thread back towards cruising I shall look forward to JC mobilising the 'brothers' in a new crusade. Boldly taking the fight to the Cruise Line CEOs (and shareholders) in order that the profits, made on the backs of 'poorly paid, under-tipped, third world crew are more evenly distributed. Preferably between the hard working, respectable, middle class cruise fraternity, who are about to loose even more of their cherished income when BA, and others, fail to pay a dividend.

My preference is to cruise under the 'Red Duster' and not the 'red flag'

Hi
I think you are having a laugh!!!
As i said to you in an earlier post "wake up + smell the coffee".
I was talking industrial relations + the protection of the worker against capital.
Wasn'T it the 3 wise + wealthy men who wrecked Rover.
Wasn'T it Thatcher who caused misery for millions of hard working men.
Mines/Shipyards/Steelworks all closed, you know the score.
Wasn't it Costa who ordered a new midships,then refused to take delivery/pay that put Cammel Lairds into bankruptcy.
And most of all isnt it the Bankers/Spivs that as now brought the country to its knees which it will take generations to fix.
Read the story of John Lewis (retailer) the other day + why its the best employer in the country + why he put it into worker ownership.
He said "I realised i was earning more in a year than all my workers put together + i realised this is not what Capitalism should be about,how can we have Millionaires + still have slums".
Sorry to be political,just couldnt resist it.End Of.
JC