London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Feb 12, 2025

BA and Virgin halt ticket sales to Heathrow on strike days

BA and Virgin halt ticket sales to Heathrow on strike days

British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have stopped selling new tickets for inbound flights to Heathrow on the days Border Force staff strike over Christmas, the BBC understands.

Border Force has asked airports who are expecting passenger numbers on strike days to be above 70-80% of 2019 levels to "supress demand".

The move is to better manage the flow of people through border control.

Workers will stage the first walkout on Friday 23 December.

A source at Heathrow told the BBC the airport had met with BA and Virgin, its two home-based airlines, to request a restriction on new ticket sales, which the airlines had agreed to.

Around 1,000 Border Force staff who work in passport control will walk out on 23-26 and 28-31 December at Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester airports as well as at the Port of Newhaven.

The Home Office has warned passengers should expect disruption.

British Airways has stopped selling inbound flights on all eight days that staff are expected to strike.

Virgin Atlantic is restricting ticket sales on 23, 28, 29 and 30 December, with the expectation that those will be the busiest passenger days at Heathrow, the UK's biggest airport.

About 75% of Border Force staff are members of the PCS union, which balloted for strike action after it said the government had refused to increase a 2% pay rise offer.

Military personnel, civil servants and volunteers are being trained to check passports when Border Force staff walk out.

The Home Office said it was "extremely disappointed" with the PCS union's decision to strike, adding it would cause a "significant inconvenience" to travellers over the Christmas period.

A statement said the government had "robust plans" in place to minimise any delays, but warned "passengers should be prepared for disruption and take action to plan ahead".

"Those intending to travel into the UK over strike days should keep up-to-date with the latest advice from operators to check how the proposed strike action will affect their journey," a spokesperson said.

Heathrow Airport and both airlines have not commented on the ticket restrictions.

The airport said it expects the majority of passengers to be unaffected by the strike action, and that it has not asked for flights to be cancelled or removed from the schedule.

"Our priority is to ensure passengers get through the border safely and as quickly as possible," the airport said.

"We are working closely with airlines and Border Force on mitigation plans for potential strike action by Border Force officers and these plans will now be implemented for the notified days.

"We encourage all parties to resolve this dispute quickly," a spokesperson added.



Virgin Atlantic said its priority was getting its customers to their destinations and to make them "prepared for longer waits at border control".

Several airlines are allowing passengers with flights arriving in the UK on strike days to change their tickets free of charge.

EasyJet said any passengers flying into Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham or Glasgow between 22 and 31 December could transfer to another flight on the same route 14 days before or after the strike date.

BA said it was operating the same policy for all passengers with a final destination at Heathrow or Gatwick, or those with a connecting ticket booked as part of their journey to another airport in the UK or Ireland.

Virgin Atlantic said passengers booked on flights into Manchester and Heathrow on strike dates can change tickets with the admin fee and fare difference waived, with the new travel date completed no later than 14 January 2023.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Teacher Detained in Russia Freed Amid Optimism for Improved US-Russia Relations
EU-UK Security Pact Unhindered by Fishing Rights Dispute, Says EU President
Tories Criticize Proposed Chagos Islands Sovereignty Transfer Amid Escalating Cost Claims
World Leaders Promote Ethical and Inclusive AI Governance at Paris Summit
Deloitte US Revises Policies in Response to Evolving Political Climate
Apple Releases Critical Security Update Following Reports of Vulnerabilities
US Senate Moves Forward with Tulsi Gabbard's Nomination for Director of National Intelligence.
Israel Warns of Ending Gaza Ceasefire Amid Hostage Situation
King Abdullah II Dismisses US Proposal to Relocate Palestinians, Commits to Welcoming Children from Gaza.
Sam Altman Addresses Elon Musk's Offer to Acquire OpenAI
OpenAI Reconfirms Its Independence After Musk's $97 Billion Offer.
Elon Musk Cautions That the U.S. Could Face Bankruptcy Without Reductions in Federal Spending.
How Spain Transformed from High Unemployment to Eurozone Growth Leader
FEMA Allocated Fifty-Nine Million Dollars to House Illegal Migrants in Luxury Hotels, Triggers Investigation
Australian Billionaires Set to Encounter New Wealth Tax Under Greens Initiative
U.S. Secret Service Invests Two Million Dollars in High-Quality, Effective Recruitment Ad Directed by Michael Bay
MPs to Receive Proposed 2.8% Pay Increase, Raising Salaries to £93,904 – It’s Legal, and That’s Exactly the Problem
The European Union Shifts Focus to AI Innovation Amid Global Competition (or at least this is what they claim)
Europe's far-right leaders pledge to 'reclaim' the continent in the wake of Trump's reelection.
Keir Starmer Under Examination Regarding His Legal Strategy
Merz and Scholz Spar Over Migration and Economic Strategies in Pre-Election Discussion
"Marrow stupid": Senator John Kennedy Blasts UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer Over Chagos Islands Transfer
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Surge Reshapes Electoral Dynamics
Kemi Badenoch Faces Internal Criticism After 100 Days as Tory Leader
Campaigners Urge UK to Apologise for Forced Adoptions
Church of England Upholds Traditional Eucharistic Elements Amid Calls for Alternatives
Rayner Defends Approach at Grenfell Tower Meeting Amid Dismantling Plan
China Implements Tit-for-Tat Tariffs on US Goods Amid Trade Escalation
Italy and Wales Set for Six Nations Clash at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico
Ministry of Justice Apologises Over Prisoner Early Release Letter Error
Rare First Edition Harry Potter Book Sells for Over Twenty-One Thousand Pounds
Drax Power Station Under Scrutiny for Incomplete Wood Sourcing Reporting
UK Government Reaffirms Pledge to Build 1.5 Million New Homes by 2029
Freed Israeli Hostage Learns of Family's Death After Release from Gaza
French President Macron Employs Deepfake Technology to Advocate for AI Summit
Trump Names Musk to Investigate Government Fraud Amidst Controversy
Police Stop Ed Sheeran's Street Performance in Bengaluru
FBI Alerts Smartphone Users About Toll Scam Threat
Australian Educator Declares Identity as a Cat, Sparking Parental Backlash
Kremlin Addresses Claims of Trump-Putin Phone Conversation in Light of Ukraine Crisis
Trump Connects with Putin to Address the Ukraine Crisis
Super Bowl Ad Prices Soar to Record Highs Amid Streaming Surge
China Achieves 2030 Solar Energy Targets Early, Cuts Subsidies for Renewable Energy
Trump Signs Executive Order Prioritizing White South African Refugees
Europe Faces Growing Security Concerns and Trump's New Demands on Ukraine
Trump Revokes Security Clearances of Biden Officials, Including Blinken and Sullivan
Justin Bieber Sparks Concern as New Footage Raises Health Fears
European Right-Wing Leaders Celebrate Trump’s Impact on Global Politics
Trump Administration Directs Admiral to Leave Official Residence Within Three Hours
British Health Secretary Andrew Gavin Fired Over Controversial Messages
×