Airline passengers wise to check travel insurance for strike cover

British Airways is holding crunch talks with staff today to try to avert industrial action which is likely to cause widespread disruption to its flights and hit tens of thousands of passengers this winter.

Passengers due to fly with the airline should check their travel insurance to make sure they will be compensated if delayed due to staff walkouts. This is likely to be the case only for travel insurance policies bought before any strike action is announced.

Bassa, the division of the Unite union that represents BA cabin crew, said it would ballot union members for industrial action after today's meeting with BA chief executive Willie Walsh if no progress was made.

Talks between senior management and union bosses have been rumbling on since mid-summer after BA announced radical changes to working practices, which it claims are vital to the financial health of the loss-making airline.

Mr Walsh is expected to try to convince union bosses today that the changes to working practices, which are at the heart of the dispute with cabin crew, are essential to the future of the British carrier.

BA's plans to save £140 million include cutting the number of crew on some flights and forcing senior cabin crew to muck in with less experienced staff serving food and drinks. It also plans to recruit any new staff on lower wages.

Some of the changes will be implemented by the middle of next month, depending on the outcome of today's talks.

BA is looking to shed a total of 3,700 jobs over the next year. In addition to the loss of 1,700 cabin crew, it plans to reduce check-in and administration staff.

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