Heathrow strike – Passengers’ fury as airport REFUSES to say which flights cancelled with BA set to be hardest hit and 88,000 holidaymakers affected
PASSENGERS are today furious with Heathrow after the airport refused to say which flights have been cancelled due to planned strikes which will affect 88,000 travellers.
Thousands of Brits travelling through the airport on Monday and Tuesday are likely to remain grounded due to the strikes which involve more than 4,000 staff members.
Worried holidaymakers today became increasingly concerned and begged Heathrow to tell them whether their flight is one of the 172 tipped to be cancelled.
Passengers asked for a “full list” of the scrapped flights but their requests fell on deaf ears as the airport refused to answer.
One passenger said: “It’s a disgrace – you couldn’t do much worse” while another added “as usual information is scarce”.
"IN THE DARK"
Mehmet Kadioglu is due to fly to Bangkok, Thailand, on Tuesday but said he is “completely in the dark”.
He told the airport: “You clearly don’t appreciate our frustration.
“We have a holiday in jeopardy and we are completely in the dark. You couldn’t do much worse.
“It’s an absolute disgrace. You obviously have details of the cancelled flights so why can’t you let your public know? At least tell us this.”
Christine Reynolds added: “It’s Heathrow’s fault that they won’t supply a list of cancelled flights.”
Andy Fleming asked the airport: “Is there a list of cancelled flights for Monday?”
It’s an absolute disgrace. You obviously have details of the cancelled flights so why can’t you let your public know? At least tell us this
Furious passenger
Meanwhile, Shabbs Uddin asked: “When do we find out what outbound flights are cancelled for Monday 5th? As usual information is scarce!!”
Another passenger wrote: “Where can I see if the flight is cancelled or delayed?”
Jeremy Brier wrote: "Is there a complete list of cancelled flights for 5 & 6 August anywhere @HeathrowAirport @British_Airways.”
The airport simply advised passengers to “get in touch with your airline”.
A spokesman replied to passengers by writing: “Hi, thank you for getting in touch with us.
“We would recommend getting in touch with your airline, as they will be able to supply you with the latest up to date flight information. Thank you.”
4,000 WORKERS TO STRIKE
There are 91 airlines that operate out of Heathrow. British Airways, which is based at Heathrow, is expected to be one of the most heavily affected.
A two-day strike involving more than 4,000 security guards, firefighters, engineers, passenger service operatives and passenger service drivers is planned to start at 12.01am on Monday and finish at 11.59pm on Tuesday.
They were planned as part of a series of walk outs over pay last month.
Unite said that around 88,000 passengers will be affected if the industrial action goes ahead.
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Will I get my money back if my flight is cancelled or delayed?
If your flight is cancelled, you have the legal right to either a full refund within seven days or a replacement flight to your destination.
This applies for whatever reason your flight was cancelled or how long before you were told it would no longer be be flying.
If your flight is delayed by three hours or more and you were flying to or from a European airport, or with an EU-based airline such as Ryanair or British Airways then you can claim compensation up to €250 (£229) for short-haul flights and €400 (£367) for mid-haul flights and €600 (£530) for long-haul flights.
But the airline might not payout if it's out of their control, for example, due to bad weather or strikes.
A Heathrow spokesperson said yesterday: "We are disappointed that Unite has rejected the latest pay offer and will continue to seek an agreement at ACAS.
"Unite is proceeding with its unnecessary strike action on 5th and 6th August and we regret that passengers looking to get away on well-earned breaks will be impacted by this.
";We have activated contingency plans which will keep the airport open and safe on both strike days."
The Sun Online has contacted Heathrow for comment.
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