British Airways and Spirit Airlines Strikes on the Horizon

May 10, 2010 at 1:27 PM | by Omri | Comment (1)

The week is beginning with news swirling around two potential airline strikes, the first being the seemingly neverending British Airways situation and the other coming from American LCC Spirit Airlines.

First, British Airways: British Airways cabin crew is again threatening to walk out for 20 days, starting March 18. We've never really understood what the British Airways union thinks they're accomplishing with their strikes. It was totally predictable before their last walkout that the public would side with BA's management, which is exactly what ended up happening.

Right or wrong, justified or unjustified, the tactic is objectively a loser for them. Even the labor-friendly Guardian admits that the airline's bosses have "succeeded in rousing near-universal support among the public, politicians and the media." So naturally the Unite union has just announced that a third round of strikes is "inevitable." Because why wouldn't they?

Now, it's Spirit Airlines' turn: Back on our side of the pond, Spirit's pilots have just declined arbitration over their new contract. That sets the stage for a 30-day cooling off period, at the end of which they get the right to strike. This controversy has stayed mostly under the radar—certainly Spirit's ongoing efforts to become the Ryanair of North America have gotten more attention—but apparently negotiations have been going on for three full years.

If the airline and the union couldn't strike a bargain when times were a little bit better for the industry, it's hard to see what they're hoping to accomplish now. Although maybe Spirit could divert some of those revenues they've been bragging about—the result of stunts like tearing out their reclining seats and declaring them all "pre-reclined"—into avoiding a walkout.

[Photo: Sue Jackson / Wiki Commons]

Related Stories:
· Third wave of BA crew strikes "inevitable" - union [International Business Tribune]
· Spirit Airlines pilots closer to strike [Biz Journals]
· Airline News [Jaunted]
· Airlines [Jaunted]

Comment (1)

Return to » British Airways and Spirit Airlines Strikes on the Horizon

British airways' flight attendants strike is in the not too distant future, just one week to be exact. The British Airways strike comes from the airline not giving back the advantages of free travel that they took away last year. This past year a strike got numerous staff dismissed, and the additional flight attendants say they need those employees hired back as part of negotiations. The flight attendants union has given 7 days notice and exact dates of these strikes, that way they do not leave customers of the airlines without option routes, however this strike is nevertheless estimated to expense British Airways around $45 million despite the week notice.

Jaunted

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