The past few years have seen post-pandemic travel chaos as airlines, airports and rail services across the country struggled to manage the demand.
In 2023, many travellers had their adventures from airports across the UK impacted due to a series of strikes, as border force workers took action over pay and working conditions. However, airports such as Heathrow did turn to contingency plans, avoiding some challenges.
While staff numbers have steadily increased to cope with demand, the cost of living crisis – largely caused by inflation and unforeseen multi-industry price hikes as a consequence of global and political issues – is the main reason for the latest sweep of walkouts.
Here’s what we know so far about the ongoing travel strikes, how they may impact your journey, and what can be done to ease the pre-holiday stress.
Which UK airports are striking?
In 2024, there are strikes planned at Heathrow in May.
What are the Heathrow Airport strike dates?
Strikes are planned at Heathrow for 72 hours from Saturday 4 May, and between Tuesday 7 May and Monday 13 May.
50 refuellers working for AFS are due to take part in strikes from Saturday 4 May. The industrial action is set to last for 72 hours and will affect several airlines, including American Airlines, Air India, Singapore Airlines and Emirates, over the early May bank holiday. Workers are striking following cuts to the terms and conditions of new staff recruited since January 2024 including reduced pension and sickness benefits, according to a press release from Unite the Union published on Monday 22 April.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said, “AFS is behaving appallingly by attacking the [terms and conditions] of new members of staff – those it views as the easiest to intimidate. But Unite will not stand for such bully-boy tactics and we will be backing our members in their fight for improved pensions and sick pay for all staff.”
Almost a week of potential disruption caused by striking AFS refuellers is followed by further strikes, when an additional 800 members of Unite the Union walk out from 00:01 on Tuesday 7 May. Passenger services employees and campus security personnel are among those taking industrial action.
Unite regional co-ordinating officer Wayne King said in a statement: “Strike action will inevitably cause widespread disruption across the airport, leading to delays and disruption. However, this is a dispute that HAL has brought on itself… Unite is committed to ending the race to the bottom that HAL appears to be set on and that is best achieved through introducing multilateral collective bargaining on pay and conditions for groups of workers at Heathrow regardless of their employer.”
Will my flight be cancelled from the strikes?
It's always possible – but Heathrow will put in as many measures as possible to avoid disruption. The 2023 Heathrow strikes, for example, were cancelled, and the transport hub's CEO, John Holland-Kaye, announced that even when walkouts are planned, he did not anticipate any flight delays or cancellations. It is unclear whether flights will be cancelled or delayed during the May 2024 strikes, but here's hoping that Heathrow has worked to create similar contingency plans as last year's.
If your flight is cancelled, check out some of our tips on what to do – including rebookings and how to get compensation.
How early should I get to the airport during strikes?
If you find yourself travelling during a UK airport strike, then it is best to check the airport website for advice on how early you should arrive prior to your departure.
The official line from Heathrow Airport remains unchanged; “Passengers should aim to arrive no earlier than two hours before departure time for short-haul flights and three hours for long-haul.”
These guidelines take into account the time before departure that check-in desks open. Standing around waiting is not encouraged in a bustling airport terminal, but arriving early to avoid any issues with parking or check-in desk changes helps the process.
Head of The Points Guy Nicky Kelvin also advises checking your flight in the weeks and days before departure to make sure they haven't been cancelled at the last minute. He says, “There are a number of websites which help with this, including FlightRadar24, which will allow passengers to locate their aircraft and where it is located into the run-up to their departure. X, formerly Twitter, is also a great resource to see what it’s like live on the ground in the airport and get a heads up on huge queues the situation develops.”
Planning on arriving early or don’t have a suitcase to check in? Many of the UK’s major airports have lounges – settle in for a couple of hours and enjoy complimentary meals, snacks and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.