Fly to Let customers who booked a British Airways flight to get to a Christmas or New Year break between 22 December and 2 January are waiting anxiously to see if the airline can offer alternative flights during the strike voted for by cabin crew through their union Unite.

Although some other routes will be provided aviation specialists have warned that thousands will be unable to get to their chosen destination.

Travellers have already been told that if they booked between the dates of the proposed strike, or for 48 hours either side, they can rebook to travel at a later date.

But this will be of little consolation to people who had made festive break arrangements.

Customers who booked flights through a travel agent are being advised to contact their agent.

In response to the industrial action by trade union Unite British Airways has issued a statement stating that the 12-day strike is completely unjustified and a huge over-reaction to the modest changes announced for cabin crew which are intended to help the airline recover from record financial losses.

The statement said: “Unite’s cynical decision betrays a total lack of concern for our customers, our business and other employees within British Airways.

“Thousands of staff across the company have made contributions to the cost reductions that are essential to move the company back toward profitability. Our cabin crew, who are rightly renowned for their professionalism and skills, cannot be exempt from this process.

“Our package for them is very fair and reasonable. It reduces no-one’s terms and conditions, and gives most crew pay rises of between two and seven percent this year and next year. British Airways’ cabin crew are already the best rewarded in the UK airline industry.

“Unite says we ‘imposed’ this package, but it was discussed with them for nine months and is largely based on meeting voluntary applications for part-time working and redundancy.

Willie Walsh, British Airways chief executive, said: “A strike is senseless and we urge Unite to draw back. We will not be reversing our changes to onboard crew numbers. They have allowed us to accept more than 1,000 requests for voluntary redundancy – and those former colleagues have left the business.

“Unite must understand that there can be no return to the old, inefficient ways if we want to ensure long-term survival in the interests of our customers, shareholders and all our staff.

“They have no justification for threatening such extreme action. It is very sad that they are seeking to use the Christmas holiday plans and family reunions of hundreds of thousands of people to try to pursue their case.”

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