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Jim Mason · Guest

Flying schedule announced for T&G strike dates

British Airways will not operate any passenger flights out of London
Heathrow from 0001 GMT on Tuesday January 30 until 2359 GMT on Wednesday
January 31 due to a planned strike by the cabin crew branch of the
Transport & General Workers Union. All domestic and European flights to
and from London Gatwick will also be cancelled.

The airline remains committed to pursuit of a negotiated settlement before
next Tuesday but wants customers to have early warning of its flying
schedule to allow sufficient time for alternative travel arrangements to be
made.

Willie Walsh, British Airways' chief executive, said: "We are deeply sorry
that our customers are the innocent victims of this unnecessary and
unjustified strike by the T&G.

"More than 15,000 customers a day have contacted us since the union
announced a series of 72-hour strikes, extremely concerned about their
winter holidays and business trips. Announcing our contingency plans means
we can end uncertainty for customers caught up in the first round of
strikes and help them make other plans.

"If we postponed the cancellation of flights until the eve of a strike,
customers would have virtually no time to make alternative arrangements.

"We remain absolutely determined to search for a negotiated settlement and
our door remains open to the T&G, day or night. We regret that the T&G has
not supported our initiative to seek the assistance of the Acas
conciliation service.

"It is not too late for the T&G to call off this dispute and we will do all
we can to reinstate some of the cancelled flights.

The airline will allow any customer due to travel on a British Airways
flight cancelled by the strike to claim a full refund, rebook their flight
for a later date or be rebooked by British Airways with another airline.

Customers wishing to rebook their flights can contact the airline on 0800
727 800 which is a free telephone line.

Customers are urged to check the airline's website (www.ba.com) regularly
and use the 'Manage My Booking' link to obtain information about their
individual reservation.

Customers who were due to travel on any cancelled services should not come
to the airport.

British Airways' flight programme is complex, involving the combination of
rosters for 15,000 cabin crew, 3,000 pilots and 234 aircraft operating up
to 750 services in and out of Heathrow and Gatwick every day.

More than 8,000 crew have to be in the right place at the right time,
either on aircraft, at airports or in crew hotels in more than 140 cities
in 75 countries, every day.

Because of crew or aircraft being out of position, there will be further
cancellations on either side of the official strike dates. Customers are
advised to check ba.com to see if their flight is still operating before
departing for the airport. If their flight has been cancelled they should
not come to the airport but contact British Airways or their travel agent.

British Airways has opened an extra call centre at its Heathrow
headquarters staffed by more than100 volunteers from across the airline to
help with customer inquiries.

Many longhaul aircraft will depart from Heathrow during Tuesday and
Wednesday. They will not have customers onboard because of the lack of
cabin crew due to the strike. The aircraft will fly to destinations
overseas to collect a crew down route, enabling a significant number of
longhaul inbound flights to Heathrow to operate normally to bring customers
home.

It is planned that up to six of the nine daily longhaul departures from
Gatwick will also operate normally.

Customers should use the Manage My Booking facility on www.ba.com. If
customers wish to claim a refund then they should log onto www.ba.com and
follow the instructions or apply in writing.

Key points of British Airways' schedule for customers:

Â· No longhaul or shorthaul commercial flights FROM London Heathrow during
the strike period.
Â· Some longhaul services INTO London Heathrow will operate during the
strike period.
Â· No shorthaul services INTO London Heathrow will operate during the strike
period.
Â· No shorthaul services FROM or INTO London Gatwick will operate during the
strike period
Â· Up to six of the normal nine daily longhaul services FROM and INTO London
Gatwick will operate each day during the strike period.
Â· The Manchester to New York JFK daily service will continue to operate as
normal.
Â· Flights operated by subsidiary BA Connect will operate as normal
Â· Flights operated by British Airways franchise partners to and from UK (GB
Airways, BMED, Loganair and Sun Air) will operate as normal.
Â· Flights operated by other carriers (including Oneworld Alliance partners)
which have a BA codeshare flight number will operate as normal.
Â· All dedicated freighter services continue to operate as normal.

ends

January 25, 2007 013/RG/07

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