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AIRPORT JUST LIKE REFUGEE CAMP; BA FLIGHTS MISERY
By Jo Willey, Nick Henegan and John Ingham
The Express, UK
August 13, 2005
STRANDED air passengers forced to endure 36 hours of misery at
Heathrow spoke of their outrage last night as the strike-bound
terminals resembled refugee camps.
And British Airways warned that although some flights were expected
to take off within hours, the effects of the disruption would last
into next week.
The 1,000 baggage handlers, loaders and bus drivers behind the wildcat
walkout that grounded all BA flights began to return to work yesterday
afternoon. But flights taking off over the next few days are unlikely
to have food or alcoholic drinks on board.
The walkouts ruined the plans of 70,000 BA passengers around the world
yesterday - on top of the 40,000 caught up in the strikes on Thursday.
Exhausted pensioners and young families were forced to spend the night
on the floor of terminal buildings as people clamoured for space to
lie down.
Their flights were cancelled after airline ramp staff walked out in
support of 800 workers sacked by the catering company Gate Gourmet,
which is BA's sole Heathrow supplier.
Many of the BA employees who walked out are thought to be relatives
of the sacked catering workers. They began to return only after their
own union, the TGWU, "repudiated" the unofficial walkout.
Then came the news that Gate Gourmet and the TGWU had agreed to talks
with Acas, the conciliation service.
But the TGWU's national secretary for civil aviation, Brendan Gold,
threatened chaos at airports across the country if the Gate Gourmet
dispute is not resolved. He said: "I'm deeply concerned that what we
are seeing at Heathrow may well escalate across the other airports
in the UK."
Gate Gourmet provides inflight catering at other UK airports, including
Gatwick, Glasgow, Bristol and Newcastle.
By the time the union called off the illegal action thousands more
would-be passengers had spent the day waiting in outdoor marquees
where they were given food and drink after Heathrow staff were forced
to close the doors of Terminals 1 and 4 because of overcrowding.
When they finally got inside, they faced an agonising eighthour wait
in a queue just to get a new ticket, with staff forced to patrol the
terminals, handing out bottles of water and food parcels.
Irate travellers could not even buy tickets for flights with other
airlines because BA had bought up all available seats in a desperate
bid to clear their everincreasing backlog.
Passengers whose flights were cancelled on Thursday found that they
were unlikely to get new flights until early next week as BA struggled
to cope.
In the terminals, passengers began to complain of being hungry
and dehydrated, and frustration caused tempers to fray with many
turning their anger on airport staff. Holidaymakers desperate for any
information became increasingly irate as BA helplines were jammed and
website information was not updated. BA began yesterday by cancelling
all Heathrow flights until 6pm, only to extend this to 8pm when the
morning shift failed to turn up for work.
The airline said it had 100 planes and 1,000 pilots and cabin crew
in the wrong airports around the world as a result of the strike.
Although BA had booked every available hotel room within two miles
of Heathrow, it was not enough and at least 2,000 passengers were
left huddled on the airport floor wrapped in blankets handed out by
the airline.
One couple were forced to end their honeymoon sleeping on a makeshift
bed of cardboard boxes. Joking that they would be naming their
first-born "Terminal Four", Sam and Agnieszka Heathcliffe, were due
to fly to their home in Boston on Thursday after their honeymoon
in Poland.
Teacher Sam, 29, said: "When we landed at Heathrow we were kept on
the plane for hours before being allowed off. Then we had to sleep
on the airport floor because we didn't want to leave our queue for
a new ticket.
It's been terrible."
The couple are already trying for a baby, but Sam said: "It was little
crowded last night for any of that. It was really grimy on the floor
and not very romantic."
One passenger waited for 20 hours in a queue and ended up spraining
her ankle. Liz Alexianan, 35, an executive with Warner Brothers, had
to be treated by paramedics when the strain became too much for her.
On her way to Armenia, a tearful Liz said: "I was on the start of a
dream trip to the country where my family originally come from.
"I had to keep standing in a queue for 20 hours to try and find out
what was happening and my left ankle just gave in under the constant
pressure."
By mid-morning Neil and Jennie Matthews had been stuck at the airport
for 27 hours, waiting for a connecting flight to Detroit after flying
in from their home in Lyons in the south of France.
Bar owner Neil, 29, said: "We have been queuing for a new ticket
since 4am and we are only just reaching the front of the queue seven
hours later.
"It's been terrible. We just want to get a new flight and get some
proper sleep."
Pensioner Sylvia Trolley, from Derbyshire, was making her first trip
to America when she became stranded on the tarmac with no drivers to
take passengers back to the terminal.
She said: "When we did eventually get back we were given restaurant
vouchers but when we went to try and buy some food we were not allowed
in because it was so full. All I've eaten are sandwiches."
She added: "I am so disappointed. They have their reasons for going
on strike, but to leave so many people trapped is unreasonable."
Irish-born Rob Lowry, 61, was less forgiving. "I've no sympathy with
them whatsoever. I hope they all go to hell, " he said.
Mr Lowry was heading back to his home in Seattle after visiting family
in the west of Ireland.
"Who knows how long I will be stuck here, " he said. "I haven't even
got my luggage."
By Jo Willey, Nick Henegan and John Ingham
The Express, UK
August 13, 2005
STRANDED air passengers forced to endure 36 hours of misery at
Heathrow spoke of their outrage last night as the strike-bound
terminals resembled refugee camps.
And British Airways warned that although some flights were expected
to take off within hours, the effects of the disruption would last
into next week.
The 1,000 baggage handlers, loaders and bus drivers behind the wildcat
walkout that grounded all BA flights began to return to work yesterday
afternoon. But flights taking off over the next few days are unlikely
to have food or alcoholic drinks on board.
The walkouts ruined the plans of 70,000 BA passengers around the world
yesterday - on top of the 40,000 caught up in the strikes on Thursday.
Exhausted pensioners and young families were forced to spend the night
on the floor of terminal buildings as people clamoured for space to
lie down.
Their flights were cancelled after airline ramp staff walked out in
support of 800 workers sacked by the catering company Gate Gourmet,
which is BA's sole Heathrow supplier.
Many of the BA employees who walked out are thought to be relatives
of the sacked catering workers. They began to return only after their
own union, the TGWU, "repudiated" the unofficial walkout.
Then came the news that Gate Gourmet and the TGWU had agreed to talks
with Acas, the conciliation service.
But the TGWU's national secretary for civil aviation, Brendan Gold,
threatened chaos at airports across the country if the Gate Gourmet
dispute is not resolved. He said: "I'm deeply concerned that what we
are seeing at Heathrow may well escalate across the other airports
in the UK."
Gate Gourmet provides inflight catering at other UK airports, including
Gatwick, Glasgow, Bristol and Newcastle.
By the time the union called off the illegal action thousands more
would-be passengers had spent the day waiting in outdoor marquees
where they were given food and drink after Heathrow staff were forced
to close the doors of Terminals 1 and 4 because of overcrowding.
When they finally got inside, they faced an agonising eighthour wait
in a queue just to get a new ticket, with staff forced to patrol the
terminals, handing out bottles of water and food parcels.
Irate travellers could not even buy tickets for flights with other
airlines because BA had bought up all available seats in a desperate
bid to clear their everincreasing backlog.
Passengers whose flights were cancelled on Thursday found that they
were unlikely to get new flights until early next week as BA struggled
to cope.
In the terminals, passengers began to complain of being hungry
and dehydrated, and frustration caused tempers to fray with many
turning their anger on airport staff. Holidaymakers desperate for any
information became increasingly irate as BA helplines were jammed and
website information was not updated. BA began yesterday by cancelling
all Heathrow flights until 6pm, only to extend this to 8pm when the
morning shift failed to turn up for work.
The airline said it had 100 planes and 1,000 pilots and cabin crew
in the wrong airports around the world as a result of the strike.
Although BA had booked every available hotel room within two miles
of Heathrow, it was not enough and at least 2,000 passengers were
left huddled on the airport floor wrapped in blankets handed out by
the airline.
One couple were forced to end their honeymoon sleeping on a makeshift
bed of cardboard boxes. Joking that they would be naming their
first-born "Terminal Four", Sam and Agnieszka Heathcliffe, were due
to fly to their home in Boston on Thursday after their honeymoon
in Poland.
Teacher Sam, 29, said: "When we landed at Heathrow we were kept on
the plane for hours before being allowed off. Then we had to sleep
on the airport floor because we didn't want to leave our queue for
a new ticket.
It's been terrible."
The couple are already trying for a baby, but Sam said: "It was little
crowded last night for any of that. It was really grimy on the floor
and not very romantic."
One passenger waited for 20 hours in a queue and ended up spraining
her ankle. Liz Alexianan, 35, an executive with Warner Brothers, had
to be treated by paramedics when the strain became too much for her.
On her way to Armenia, a tearful Liz said: "I was on the start of a
dream trip to the country where my family originally come from.
"I had to keep standing in a queue for 20 hours to try and find out
what was happening and my left ankle just gave in under the constant
pressure."
By mid-morning Neil and Jennie Matthews had been stuck at the airport
for 27 hours, waiting for a connecting flight to Detroit after flying
in from their home in Lyons in the south of France.
Bar owner Neil, 29, said: "We have been queuing for a new ticket
since 4am and we are only just reaching the front of the queue seven
hours later.
"It's been terrible. We just want to get a new flight and get some
proper sleep."
Pensioner Sylvia Trolley, from Derbyshire, was making her first trip
to America when she became stranded on the tarmac with no drivers to
take passengers back to the terminal.
She said: "When we did eventually get back we were given restaurant
vouchers but when we went to try and buy some food we were not allowed
in because it was so full. All I've eaten are sandwiches."
She added: "I am so disappointed. They have their reasons for going
on strike, but to leave so many people trapped is unreasonable."
Irish-born Rob Lowry, 61, was less forgiving. "I've no sympathy with
them whatsoever. I hope they all go to hell, " he said.
Mr Lowry was heading back to his home in Seattle after visiting family
in the west of Ireland.
"Who knows how long I will be stuck here, " he said. "I haven't even
got my luggage."