大英航空（British Airways）的机组人员今天宣布他们将从12月22日开始举行为期12天的罢工、持续到明年1月2日，覆盖整个圣诞季。据估计，这次罢工将导致至少一百万乘客的圣诞行程受到影响。大英航空高层已宣布将全额退还已预订机票乘客的机票费用、或允许他们推迟行程。但补偿措施将不包括帮助他们更换同一时间的其他航空公司航班。由于票价造成的差额也必须等到航班取消令正式下达之后才能退还。

据了解，此次罢工的起因是大英航空机组人员不满公司裁员、减薪和对新员工的苛刻合同，矛盾已累计长达12年之久；另一方面，大英航空则认为员工的工资已经是本行业中最高——长途飞行为5万6钱磅/年、短途为5万2千磅/年——是维珍公司相同职位的两倍之多。

但毋庸质疑的是，如果罢工按计划进行，大英航空的长期名誉损失将不可估量。

British Airways: 12 days of Christmas strikes hit a million passengers

Up to a million British Airways passengers had their Christmas travel plans thrown into disarray after its cabin crew voted to strike for 12 days through the festive period.

The airline's 13,500 cabin crew - who overwhelmingly backed the strike call - will stop work next Tuesday and remain off until January 2.

The strike is likely to ground almost all of BA's fleet, ruining the pre-booked holidays and family reunions of the estimated one million people scheduled to fly BA this Christmas.

The vast majority of BA flights are likely simply to be cancelled - with passengers facing a fight to make alternative travel arrangements in time.

British Airways said it would offer customers a full refund, or the opportunity to travel at a later date.

It will not, however, offer to pay for passengers to travel on another carrier. And compensation will only be paid after it has been confirmed the flight has been cancelled - something that could be decided at a few days' notice.

The dispute - which would be the first walk out by BA cabin crew in 12 years - centres on a row over changes to working conditions, prompted by the airline's need to slash costs. These include a cut in the number of staff on board each flight, a freeze on pay and less favourable contracts for new staff.

Airline bosses believe the cuts are essential and highlight the fact that cabin service directors at BA already earn £56,000-a-year long haul and £52,000 short haul - the highest pay for those jobs in Britain. The majority of its staff earn twice as much as their rivals at Virgin Atlantic.

If the strike does go ahead, the long-term damage to the airline's reputation will be incalculable.