British Airways has scheduled a three-day strike for September, throwing the airlines industry into a chaotic little hiccup.
Fares at rival airlines for the days of the strike have shot up as passengers try to salvage a plan out of the chaos.
The main rival to British Airways, EasyJet, is now set to make millions over the upcoming strikes. The fare on several short flight paths in Europe will now cost as much as a round trip from London to Melbourne. The pending strikes have caused British Airways to cancel hundreds of flights affecting hundreds of thousands of passengers. The British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) has strikes planned for September 9th, 10th, and 27th. Since the announcement last Friday, passengers have already had to put hundreds or even thousands of pounds into alternative flights.
The increase in cost at British Airways’ completion is by design. The Airlines’ pricing system was set up so that fares increase sharply when there’s a surge in demand. Among the greatest examples of this is the increase in fare for flights from Nice to Gatwick, which is a short flight that’s seen fares increase six-fold for the days of the British Airways strike. September is normally a great month for airline ticket prices, so consumers are likely feeling shocked by the sudden news. If you need to fly on these days, but have a flexible schedule, you can save hundreds of Pounds Sterling by just booking a flight that doesn’t land on a strike day.
