Heathrow Warns Passengers Face 12-Hour Immigration Wait in Nov. 30 Strike - Bloomberg
Up to 12 hour wait due to a planned strike. In addition, middle managers are refusing to step in as hoped in protest of how the immigration chief was treated.
The airlines have been asked to reduce their passenger load to LHR on the 30th. Some have decided to at least "warn" their passengers of potential delays according to this article:
Airlines take steps to avoid Heathrow ‘gridlock’ - FT.com
However, I don't think the airlines are necessarily giving the full picture of what this could mean to their travels. As an example, the statement on the Continental and United websites "hints" at the potential problem:
Quote:
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Trade Unions in the United Kingdom, including Border Agency workers, are expected to hold a work stoppage on Wednesday, November 30, 2011. We currently do not anticipate any flight cancellations, however customers traveling to and through airports in the UK may experience significant arrival delays, including immigration processing wait times up to several hours. London Heathrow (LHR) is expected to be impacted the most, but delays are possible at all UK airports. Customers planning to travel to or through the UK on November 30, 2011, are encouraged to change their travel plans.
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(Underline and emphasis added by me.)
USAirways:
Quote:
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United Kingdom Border Agency workers are planning a strike for November 30, 2011. We expect that all flights in and out of London (LHR and LGW) and Manchester (MAN) will operate as usual, but there may be delays at U.K. Border Agency checkpoints. Please check back for updates.
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But kudos to Delta:
Quote:
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A strike by United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) Staff is planned for Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011. This industrial action will affect U.K. Border Agency checkpoints and will result in delays (possibly 8 hours or more, especially for non EU passport holders) for passengers on arriving flights into LHR and LGW airports. Delta expects to operate our full schedule into and out of the U.K., although customers should be prepared for delays at U.K. Border Checkpoints.
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Emphasis added by Delta.
Yes, it's the airline duty to get passengers safely from ABC to XYZ. Immigration is not the responsibility of air carriers. However, prudent and truthful information would go a long way to easing passenger travel difficulties.
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