Darren
Another question? I can now book my seats with BA for free as my friend has got a mobility problem. Flying Heathrow to Miami on 18th April DV
Looks like it is 744 when I look at BA but when I look at Seat Guru there seems to be this under 747 and then 744 but with 2 different aircraft.
I have read somewhere that to book the 2 seat configuration at the back can be a better seat as there is a little more room on the inside seat.
Also seat guru says book a window and an aisle seat leaving the middle seat empty and that this seat might be taken.
Otherwise it aslo says sit further back as there may be some empty seats so have a better chance of getting a little extra space.
Also when another friend and I fly we take 2 aisle seats across the aisle so that we don't need to disturb people is we need to move around.

So many questions? I had looked at the seating situation a week or so ago and found that I could not book at that time. I have bought the holiday cruise plus flights and transfers but Celebrity told me that they don't confirm the seats until about 4 weeks prior to holiday.
It said on the BA web site seating confirmed when eTicket confirmed. Today it is now obviously sorted but wanted to seek your advice before I go ahead and choose the seats.
Sorry to put all this upon you but I do very much value your opinion and great knowledge of Aircraft.
What would we do without you?

Look forward to hearing from you.

Sue

Unfortunately you have just missed him, Sue. Darren is now on a well earned holiday for a couple of weeks, but hopefully someone else may be able to advise.

David

Thanks David so kind of you to let me know. At the moment there are plenty of seating available as most have to pay a £20 fee or wait until the check in 24 hours ahead of flights
There are still 2 bulkhead seats also in row 40 as opposed to row 51.
It is always the long walk up the aircraft but as you are boarded priority and settled before the main group board might now be a problem. Again at the end of the flight off last so that walk should not be a problem. Decisions decisions! My friend is large so I might well have an overhang to my seat but I can't say that to her.
Actually I am treating her to this holiday Cruise T/A from FLL to Rome her first venture and she is so excited. I want to try and make it as easy as possible for her.

Again thanks David.

Sue

All gone very quiet and nothing new on BA website,. Guess they must be talking?

We are due to fly on 14th to Caribbean for a week. I don't mind getting stuck there though wife must be back in UK for 23rd.

Anybody heard anything anywhere?

All I heard in the news last night was that BA said they have staff available and ready to step in should there be any industrial action. Also have read that they would keep transatlantic flying. I suppose they don't want Virgin or others to pick up their business.

Sue

can any one tell me im traverling to Tampa on the 30th May, on British Airways BA2167. I have noticed on the seat plan
with British Airways, that seats 25 E,F middle seats, are the only 2 seats together in the middle of the aircraft.

But when i look on Seat Guru, it tells me that them seats are 3 seats on the British Airways 777.
Does anybody know if them seats are 2 seats or 3, and do they recline.

Thanks Sharon

When I look at Seat Guru it is definately 777 3 each side 3 middle 3 left side. If in doubt then contact BA or make sure that the aircraft you are looking at is the one you are on.
My flight is to Miami and is 747 744 and it has 4 middle 3 each side but that is a Jumbo if that is still what they call them. Make sure you are not looking at World Traveller Plus which will definately have different seat configuration.
Pity Darren is on holiday but you have time.
Sue

seagull the latest on the BA websites says in the event (if it goes ahead)
that they will operate all long-haul schedule at London Gatwick. As all Caribbean routes go from Gatwick I'm sure you'll be OK. Add your contact details online use the "manage my booking" so if they need to they can contact you in resort. Add email addy. Have a nice trip.

Have just read in today's Daily Mail that as well as having trained extra staff to deal with the strike they are also chartering 23 Aircraft from the UK and Europe with Crew to keep the Airline flying this is out of Heathrow. They have 6000 volenteer crew including 1000 Pilots. They also have 4000 Cabin Crew who did not vote for the Strikes which takes the no's to 10,000 just 2000 off the normal total
They have also stated that they will pay rival Airlines to take their strike hit passengers . Passemgers who are still affected will be able to rebook or take a full refund
Willie Walsh says make no doubt a strike will not ground this Airline!
Also all strikers will permanently lose their theie generous perks He also states that the changes they have made in cutting crew from 15 to 14 will not be reversed by threat of a strike or a strike itself.
This looks to me that most of us will manage somehow to make our flights. I have a cruise out of Miami on the 19th April and I no longer care how I get there just that I get there! I fly on the 18th so have a days grace!
Good luck to everyone who like me is watching with great interest.

Sue

well it looks as if I'm getting away ok, flights on the 15th
I'll worry about getting home when the time comes.

when I check in at newcastle is there anything I've got to do to
make sure my bags get to Atlanta with me or is it all automatic ??

Hi

Would just like to say thanks for all your hard work

I,m flying BA from Gatwick to Tampa Florida Sept 15th any idea what type of plane it wil be
Also can you tell me if its 1 bag or two for hold luggage and the max. weight and also how many cabin bags
Thanks very much

The aircraft should be a Boeing 777, with Business Class, World Traveller Plus cabin and World Traveller Economy Cabin.

Baggage info all avaialble on the BA website with the following link.

http://www.britishairways.com/travel/bagchk/public/en_gb

Nivsy

STRIKE DATES ANNOUNCED

The Unite union has just announced the dates of industrial action by its British Airways cabin crew members. Strikes will be held on March 20th for 3 days and March 27th for 4 days.

However, Unite is to ballot cabin crew straight away on a new offer made by BA, but the union is not recommending that offer to its members. If cabin crew choose to reject union recommendations and accept BA's latest offer, the strikes will be called off. The result of this latest ballot should be known towards the middle of next week.

David

BA reacts to strike decision

British Airways said it was "extremely disappointed" that Unite has announced plans for "massive disruption" for hundreds of thousands of passengers in the run-up to the Easter holidays.

The airline said the action had "no shred of justification".

"British Airways' crew are rightly renowned for their professionalism and skills. Our entire package for crew recognises that and is reasonable and fair," the airline said.

"British Airways is facing two years of record financial losses. Unlike other businesses, we have avoided compulsory redundancies and made changes designed to secure a long-term future for our company and our staff.

"Cabin crew face no pay cut or reduction in terms and conditions - and remain the best rewarded in the UK airline industry.

"For months, Unite has been claiming that we breached individual crew members' contracts by making minor changes to onboard crew numbers on flights from Heathrow.

"We have always said this claim was false. Last month, the High Court ruled that the changes were valid and reasonable.

"The changes save us more than £60 million a year. We have made clear we would consider refinements of the changes, provided any additional cost was offset by other adjustments in the cabin crew budget.

"To date all proposals put forward by Unite fall significantly short of saving £60m a year.

"In addition, Unite's plans would cut crew pay and allowances. The reductions required to generate sufficient savings would leave each crew member between £1,000 and £2,700 a year worse off. These proposals lack credibility, and Unite did not inform crew of them when it asked them to vote for a strike," BA claimed.

The airline said it would do "everything we can to protect our customers' travel plans as far as possible".

BA plans to operate all flights from London City Airport, including long-haul services to New York, all long-haul services and about 50 per cent of short-haul from Gatwick and a "substantial part" of the Heathrow long-haul and short-haul schedule.

The carrier is in the process of obtaining seats on flights operated by other carriers.

"We will aim to give more details four or five days before the strike is due to begin when we will announce our revised flying programme."

BA said it remained available for further talks with Unite "at any time".

With permission from Travelmole

However, Unite is to ballot cabin crew straight away on a new offer made by BA, but the union is not recommending that offer to its members. If cabin crew choose to reject union recommendations and accept BA's latest offer, the strikes will be called off. The result of this latest ballot should be known towards the middle of next week.

It appears that the new BA offer on which cabin crew were to be balloted has now been withdrawn by the airline. BA say the offer was conditional on strike action being averted, but with strike dates now announced, that condition has not been met and so the offer is no longer on the table. The union disputes that there was such a condition.

For more information from British Airways about the anticipated impact of strike action, plus rebooking and refund options for passengers booked to travel during the period 19 to 31 March, please click here.

David

There seems to be an awfull lot of talk about flying out of UK, but nobody said anything about return flights to UK.
We are flying out tomorrow returning on 21st!!!

Simon Calder on the radio this morning said that BA will announce their revised schedule on Monday or Tuesday

seagull
I'm in the situation as you. My flight on 1st April is ok but more strikes may be announced after the Easter weekend. And with only 7 days notice given we may be already on holiday when we find our return flight is affected.

BA to fly 60% of passengers during first three strike days

British Airways expects fly 60% of passengers through the first cabin crew strike planned for March 20-22.

The revised schedule aims to fly around 45,000 passengers each day.

Thousands more will be offered seats on alternative BA flights or on services operated by other airlines.

"At this stage the vast majority of flights between March 23 and March 31 remain in the schedule and we will update customers due to fly during the second strike period (March 27,28, 29, 30) after the first strike period has ended," BA said.

"The airline is still available to hold further talks but wants customers to have early warning of its flying schedule to allow sufficient time for alternative travel arrangements to be made."

The airline will operate all long haul flights to and from Gatwick and more than half of short haul flights at the airport. All flights to and from London City airport will be unaffected by the strike action.

At Heathrow the airline will continue to operate more than 60% of its long haul flights to and from the airport during the first three days of action.

The airline will operate some of its own short haul flights at Heathrow, and will supplement its schedule by leasing up to 22 aircraft with pilots and crews from eight different airlines based in the UK and Europe.

But this will enable the airline to operate only around 30% of its short haul schedule.

BA has also agreed with 40 other carriers that passengers can be rebooked free of charge during the actual strike period onto their flights if they had been due to travel on a BA flight which has been cancelled.

Chief executive Willie Walsh said: "We will continue to try to prevent this strike taking place, but we have reached a point when we must now offer some clarity to our customers who have waited with great patience since Friday when the strike dates were first announced.

"Due to the numbers of cabin crew who have called in to offer their services over the weekend, the schedule will be slightly larger than we had originally anticipated.

"Despite the desire of Unite's leadership to ground the airline, the flag will continue to fly. Around 60% of our customers will be able to fly as planned and many thousands more can be rebooked onto alternative BA flights or onto rival airlines.

"I recognise the frustration of customers booked for travel from March 27 onwards, when the second stoppage is due to begin, and we will do all we can to give them more clarity about their specific flight number once we start to understand just how many cabin crew are willing to work as normal.

"We remain absolutely determined to search for a sensible settlement and our door remains open to Unite, day or night. It is not too late for the Unite to call off this action and we will do all we can to reinstate some of the cancelled flights."

With permission from Travelmole

BA strike talks break down

British Airways cabin crew are to walk out at midnight as last-ditch talks to prevent a strike broke down.

The three-day industrial action comes after talks between BA chief executive Willie Walsh and leaders of the Unite union failed to find a solution to the dispute.

A second four-day strike is planned for March 27 with 12,000 cabin crew involved.

BA has contingency plans in place in an attempt to carry 65% of passengers during the three-day strike this weekend.

Volunteers have come forward to work on flights and the airline has chartered in aircraft to run services that would otherwise be grounded.

But the strike, described by Walsh as "deeply regrettable", will mean that 1,100 flights out of 1,950 scheduled will be cancelled during the first three-day walk out.

With permission from Travelmole