To reduce disruption, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic announced on Friday that they will limit ticket sales for flights to London’s Heathrow Airport during planned border agent strikes over Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
In a pay dispute, UK Border Force workers at several major British airports, including the country’s busiest, Heathrow, will go on strike for eight days this month, threatening to slow the processing of passengers arriving from abroad during the holidays.
According to a BA spokesperson, the airline is collaborating with the government and airport “to ensure that we play our part in ensuring our customers can travel as planned at this important time of year.”
A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson added that the airline was collaborating with the government to “minimise the impact of Border Force strikes on our customers’ journeys.”
The strikes, which take place from December 23-26 and 28-31, coincide with one of the busiest times for airlines, and the flights affected were already full. Heathrow serves as a hub for both airlines, with British Airways dominating.
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have also given customers the option of shifting their travel to a non-strike day, and flight schedules, as well as ticket restrictions, are being monitored.
A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said “We aim to operate our schedule as planned, with added flexibility to allow customers to change their flight dates if they wish to avoid arriving on strike days,”
