BA admits changing offer as cabin crews walk out

A bitter row over cost-cutting at BA saw staff due to walk out from midnight in action that will hit flights mainly at Heathrow and Gatwick airports, with a four-day stoppage planned from March 27 and further action expected from mid-April unless the deadlock is broken.

The Rail Maritime and Transport union raised the threat of Easter railway strikes after its signal members at Network Rail voted in favour of walkouts, although the union has agreed to hold peace talks next week.

Slim hopes of a last-minute deal to head off the BA strikes were shattered when three days of talks between chief executive Willie Walsh and Unite's joint leader Tony Woodley ended in acrimony.

Mr Woodley said he was "extremely disappointed" the talks at the TUC headquarters in London had failed and accused BA of wanting a "war".

He said BA had tabled a worse offer than one withdrawn last week after the union announced this weekend's strike, adding: "It is with great disappointment that I have to say the strike will go ahead. It is an absolute disgrace and an insult to our people that BA tabled a deal that reduced the amount of pay on offer. It is ridiculous to expect anyone to go to their membership with a worse offer."

Mr Walsh left the TUC a few minutes after Mr Woodley, describing the industrial action as "completely unjustified".

He said: "I remain available to talk, but our business must make changes. I am disappointed that the union have not been able to accept our sensible proposals."

Mr Walsh agreed that the offer tabled yesterday was not the same as the one withdrawn last week, arguing that BA had incurred "significant" extra expense because of the cost of its contingency plans and the number of passengers who have cancelled flights.

And he confirmed strikers would lose their travel perks, including one free trip anywhere in the world once a year subject to availability.

Mr Walsh said BA would now put in place "extensive" contingency plans, which include using 23 fully-crewed planes leased from other companies.

BA said it was confident of handling as many as 49,000 passengers on each of the first two planned strike days.

Birthday 'girls' tells of fears on US dream trip

Three friends' plans to celebrate their 50th birthdays with a dream trip to Las Vegas are in doubt because of the British Airways strike.

Susan Danby and Tina Parkinson, from Hull, and Deana Cornforth, originally from Hull, but now living in Stroud, Gloucestershire, are booked to fly out on their "girls' trip" on March 28.

Ms Danby, whose birthday is on May 17, said on ITV News last night: "We're in limbo land – Tina and I work in schools, so we can only go in the holidays. This is our dream trip. We booked it last August and we've been planning it for years.

"We all want more money and better conditions but people shouldn't ruin other people's holidays. It's always the public who end up getting the blunt end of it, and they will turn against the people on strike, I'm sure." She said if it was not possible to go ahead with the flight as planned, they would ask for refunds then go somewhere else instead on another school holiday. spoil our dream."

Ms Parksinon was 50 on Wednesday.