BA crew strike is ill-advised

Air travellers between the Middle East and the United Kingdom faced strike action by cabin crew members of British Airways last week.

Unite, the union behind the industrial action, plans a four-day stoppage this week also. The workers are protesting plans by the airline to reduce the number of cabin crew on each flight by one.

While the airline and the union both claim success in the first three-day stoppage last week, there was minimal effect on flights to and from the region.

One flight daily was cancelled between Heathrow and Dubai, while the airline's daily flights from London to Manama and Muscat were casualties.

The reality is that reducing a single member of cabin crew for each flight will have minimal effect on an airline that largely fails to meet the high standards set by most Gulf carriers — and certainly those clearly established by both Emirates and Etihad.

The panache of BA has long been lost and its debacle in opening Terminal 5, 18 months ago, shows it is a second-rate player. The future of the carrier remains in doubt. Ill-timed and ill-advised strike action is not helping its cause.

Today's air passengers have many choices and ease of booking. And they have long memories.