There’s no word yet on when Southwest Airlines can expect its flight attendants to walk off the job—but the likelihood is much stronger following an overwhelmingly pro-strike vote this week.

About 98% of voting members voted to go on strike, Transport Workers Union Local 556 reports—many more than the 64% who turned down the airline’s contract proposal last month. If they do, it would be the first strike by flight attendants in Southwest’s history.

“98% YES sends a strong message of solidarity,” the union wrote on X. “We will do whatever it takes to get a Contract that recognizes our contributions to the success of our co.”

As a first step in their protest, many Southwest flight attendants will join thousands of airline workers on the picket lines for the worldwide Flight Attendant Day of Action on Feb. 13. Organized by the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, it will include picketing at more than 30 airports globally.

The flight attendants cited cost of living increases as well as a better deal offered to pilots, whose new contract includes a 50% pay raise over the next five years.

If you can avoid traveling through London’s Heathrow Airport on weekends this summer, go for another option. More than 2,000 security officers will be staging walkouts at Terminals 3 and 5 every weekend except one this summer, running from June 24 through August 27.

The strike schedule is:

• June 24-25, 28-30.
• July 14-16, 21-24 and 28-31.
• August 4-7, 11-14, 18-20 and 24-27

Aviation analytics firm Cirium estimates that about 4 million passengers, on 20,000 flights, are scheduled to depart Heathrow’s four terminals on the strike dates.

While no airlines have announced cancellations yet, a strike by security officers at Terminal 5 over the Easter holidays resulted in British Airways canceling hundreds of flights on short notice. And the strike this summer also will include Terminal 3, gateway to flights by American, Delta and United, Emirates, Qatar and Virgin.

**Update as of June 13th, 2023**

In some rare good news for travelers to Europe this summer, security workers at Heathrow Airport have called off the first in a series of strikes they had announced for the next two months.

The canceled strike, by more than 2,000 security officers, was scheduled for Heathrow’s Terminals Three and Five on June 24 and 25. It now has been put on hold while the union members consider a new and improved offer from airport authorities.

“Following extensive talks with the workers’ union Unite last week, an improved pay offer was made by HAL and, as a gesture of goodwill by the union, the initial strikes were called off,” the union said. But the rest of the series of strikes, scheduled for 29 days over every weekend but one in July and August, will proceed if this offer is rejected.

The current strike schedule is:

• June 28-30
• July 14-16, 21-24 and 28-31
• August 4-7, 11-14, 18-20 and 24-27

Unite members at Glasgow airport, meanwhile, have approved a deal that grants them a 7% increase in basic salary and allowances and a one-time payment of £1,000.
French air traffic control strikes

Union workers in France, meanwhile, marched on the headquarters of the Paris Olympics and slowed traffic at Orly Airport last week over changes to the national social security program, which would raise retirement age from 62 to 64.

Fewer protestors turned out than for previous actions, the media reported, but a third of flights at Orly Airport, and 10% of trains around France, were disrupted.

One more time, failed talks with labor unions are disrupting operations at Heathrow Airport.

Striking security officers at Terminal Five have caused British Airways to cancel around 5% of flights for 10 days, from March 31 to April 9 (midnight Easter Sunday), and stop selling new tickets.

For existing customers, the union says the strikes will cause disruption to flights, but Heathrow says it has contingency plans to keep passengers moving along. Still, approximately 1,400 members of Unite who are expected to take part in the walkout will be replaced by 1,000 extra staff being added by the airport.

Elsewhere in Europe, EasyJet cabin crew in Portugal have voted to strike April 1-3, and a wave of strikes by air traffic controllers continues to affect operations in France.

Germany’s flag airline, Lufthansa, was forced on Wednesday to cancel more than 1000 flights as a result of strike action by union ground staff. Read the rest of this entry »

An estimated 40,000 employees of Britain’s rail network went on strike today, in protest over pay and working conditions. Read the rest of this entry »

Air Traffic Controllers in Jamaica went on strike for several hours on Thursday, resulting in the cancellation of dozens of flights, forced to turn around mid-flight or canceled at their points of departure. Read the rest of this entry »