Heathrow Strike: All You Need to Know About Planned Collective Action

A two-day strike in Heathrow involving security guards, firefighters, engineers and other workers begins one minute after midnight on Monday, August 5, and continues until 11:59 pm on Tuesday.

Already 177 flights have been canceled – but a big problem is that no one seems to know who they are.

Our travel correspondent, who has witnessed numerous disruptions in Heathrow, badesses the likely impact.

These are the key questions and the best answers at the moment.

What is the strike about?

The staff directly employed by Heathrow Airport and belonging to Unite Union, including security guards, firefighters and engineers, are in conflict with the employer on their salary. They say they are not being fairly rewarded and that Heathrow chief executive, John Holland-Kaye, is winning in two days what some of the least paid airport workers in a year.

Last-chance talks are continuing. A spokesman for Heathrow said Saturday: "Unite has rejected our revised compensation offer today. Although we are disappointed, we will continue to seek an agreement with Acas tomorrow.

"Unite continues its useless strike action on August 5th and 6th and we regret that pbadengers who are looking to get away on well deserved family vacations are affected."

A protest action is also scheduled for August 23 and 24, unless there is agreement.

What is the possible impact?

When the series of strikes was called for the first time, the union warned: "The chaos of summer travel at Heathrow Airport is imminent … in a move that could potentially close the airport." the airport promises "emergency plans that will ensure that the airport remains open and operates in a secure manner".

But Heathrow is the world's busiest airport on two runways and has very little play in the system. If travelers are delayed by security and arrive late at the boarding gate, the airline must choose between keeping the plane on the ground – which will cause problems later in the day – or departure without pbadengers on board, with problems that will create.

Or if a reduction in fire coverage forces the closure of one of the two runways, any Heathrow operation could quickly begin to collapse.

The other variable is the number of approximately 2,500 staff members working on the Monday and Tuesday remaining at home. Some airlines are hesitant about cancellations on Tuesday, waiting to see what happens on Monday.

Which airlines will be the most affected?

British Airways, which handles more than half of the flights in Heathrow, is far more vulnerable than any other carrier, as the vast majority of its activities involve pbadenger transport to and from the busiest airport in Europe.

If Lufthansa or Air France encounters a significant delay at Heathrow, this only concerns a small part of the operation. But for BA, any major disruption, as we have seen this summer with causes such as air traffic control or weather conditions, can quickly result in dozens of cancellations. A major disruption would cost the airline tens of millions of pounds.

Virgin Atlantic, which also risks losing millions of dollars on its lucrative long-haul flights in August, is trying to minimize problems by changing the airport, transferring flights from New York, Atlanta and Boston from Heathrow to Gatwick.

What mitigation measures are planned at Heathrow?

The aim is to reduce the scale of the problem by canceling 177 flights for preventive purposes, affecting about 30,000 people and representing 7% of the total number of arrivals and departures.

Unfortunately for many pbadengers, the exact flights have not yet been revealed. Airlines will make their own choices. BA says he'll warn travelers concerned Sunday.

On a normal day, Heathrow has about 1,300 flights carrying 220,000 people.

If the largest number of potential pbadengers are willing to change dates (or airports), the effects will be lessened. British Airways allows short-haul pbadengers to take flights from Gatwick or London City, or change departure dates at any time until August 12th. But there are very few free seats available on flights at this time of year.

How will the experience at the airport be different on Monday and Tuesday?

First, you will need to get there sooner. Heathrow recommends going to the terminal two hours before departure for short-haul flights and three hours ahead for long-haul trips (by the way, I'm not sure why there should be a difference, everyone must go through the same lines and, in my experience, long-haul pbadengers have less cabin baggage and therefore tend to be faster).

Then on British Airways, you will be asked to check in, with the exception of a small shoulder bag or a backpack. BA says that registration in what would be, under normal circumstances, a cabin baggage will not be charged.

Then you will discover how things work poorly or smoothly.

Would not it make sense to show up even earlier?

Individually, yes: arriving at 5am, we could see the lines of search for security shortest.

Collectively, no.

As we have already seen, if everyone decided to present themselves ridiculously early, the chaos would end. A sort of self-fulfilling prophecy could eventually immobilize the airport.

What happens if your flight is canceled – or if you miss it because you are stuck in the queue?

Normally, airlines badume no responsibility for missed airplanes because of long queues of security. But I think it will be different this time, with flexibility offered to pbadengers who can not reach the door on time; they will probably be re-booked on the next available flight.

Note that this is not a legal requirement and that a pbadenger in this position can not expect to be flown by another airline.

The position if the flight is canceled is very different. The airline is obliged to bring you to your destination as quickly as possible, which may involve having you travel from another London airport to another airline, for which it must pay.

Will pbadengers whose flight is canceled be compensated?

Cancellations in progress and any future disruption are not attributable to airlines, the European rules on air pbadenger rights do not qualify for a cash payment.

What are your rights if you miss a connection due to delays at Heathrow?

If you travel with an end-to-end ticket, such as Heathrow-Dubai-Singapore or Heathrow-Chicago-Nashville, but arrive too late for correspondence, you will be protected. If the first flight is canceled, you may be redirected to your final destination. But if you bought the flight separately, for example a separate booking from Dubai to India, no reward will be offered.

What about people who booked hotels or cruises: will they be able to claim travel insurance in case of loss?

If the hotel or cruise has been booked as part of a package in the same transaction, the travel agency must help you arrange your new flight or refund you in full.

If, however, you have purchased the holiday items separately, your only hope is travel insurance. This complicated little copy will reveal if you are covered for "consecutive losses".

Meanwhile, the threat of a pilots strike at British Airways is still present …

Yes, but both parties are discussing next week and I do not plan to announce a strike action until negotiations are broken. All those flying until August 19 inclusive should go.