BA Christmas strike turbulence looms

Christmas holiday makers could have their travel plans disrupted as British Airways staff consider taking strike action during the festive season.

The Unite union will announced the result of their strike action ballot on December 14.

If staff - angry over planned job cuts and changes to work patterns - opt to walk out, the earliest date for a strike could be December 21.

BA plans to reduce the existing number of 15 service crew members on long-haul flights by one later this month and has proposed a pay freeze for two years.

The airline says changes are essential to its survival and that the reduction in cabin crew numbers is to allow requests for voluntary redundancy and part-time work to be met.

A spokesman told the BBC: "British Airways is facing very difficult economic conditions and is heading for a second successive year of financial losses for the first time in our history.

"Everyone within the company knows we must reduce our costs to move back towards profitability."

Unite is also seeking a High Court injunction to stop the changes but BA says it will fight the application, arguing that it hasn't broken any contracts.

The union's assistant general secretary, Len McCluskey, asked why, given its difficulties, the airline was "also seeking a damaging confrontation with 14,000 cabin crew".

"It needs to think again and abandon plans to force through unfair, unworkable contractual changes," McCluskey said.