The prospect of strikes affecting BA services at Heathrow this summer is another headache for a struggling airline and also for passengers who were probably already nervous about fleeing after an interruption at European airports.
Here, Sky News explains your rights as a consumer in the event that British Airways is affected by strikes involving hundreds of ground-based check-in and service staff and explores why the airline, and others, are already reducing flights.
Why does the air travel industry suffer so many problems?
The problems go back to early 2020, when airlines began to reduce flights as Europe began to suffer from the pandemic.
Simply put, so many people left the industry or were fired that flight operators and airports have no staff.
In the case of BA, it eliminated more than 10,000 jobs at the height of the crisis and is trying to return to its full operational force but, along with some rivals, has had difficulty hiring quickly.
These efforts have been hampered, airlines say, by the tension resulting from the security clearance process.
BA has also supported a number of its own goals, such as computer errors earlier this year that have led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights.
Read Ian King about why it looks like BA still has a Heathrow problem
What are they doing about it?
BA and others have spent months reducing flights, often on those routes that have frequent daily services, to avoid last-minute cancellations.
To give more confidence to passengers, the government said this week that airlines would be free to cancel maximum summer services in advance without the risk of losing landing strips.
The aim is that by eliminating the risk of penalties for non-compliance with their obligations, airlines can now adjust their July and August schedules to stabilize their operations and minimize the risk of interruptions closer to the time.
So what is the chance that my BA flight from Heathrow will be canceled?
No strike dates have been announced yet.
The unions want to give the airline time to improve its salary offer to its members, but any strike should not deal a fatal blow to all BA services from Heathrow.
This is because, it is understood, less than 50% of the airline staff facing the customer is involved in the dispute.
If my flight is canceled, what?
On paper, British Airways should have enough time to cancel the flights it needs before any strike because unions must notify strike dates two weeks in advance.
In case of cancellation, BA can offer you an alternative but, above all, you are obliged to book in the service of a rival if capacity is available.
Otherwise, affected customers have the option to get a refund.
The consumer group Which? said BA would also be liable for compensation if it had to cancel services shortly in advance.
Its travel editor, Rory Boland, explained: “Airline staff strikes are under the control of the airline because it is negotiating with its staff, so if your flight is delayed or canceled due to this, you are likely to be entitled to compensation for denied boarding.
“BA should also redirect customers as soon as possible using other carriers if necessary, and explain these rights to customers.
“We know this requirement is not always met, so the government and the Civil Aviation Authority need to intervene when airlines are playing fast and smoothly with the rules.”