Advertiser Disclosure
Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). However, the credit card information that we publish has been written and evaluated by experts who know these products inside out. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers that are on the market. See our advertising policy here where we list advertisers that we work with, and how we make money. You can also review our credit card rating methodology.
Daniel Ross
Senior Content Contributor
712 Published Articles 1 Edited Article
Countries Visited: 64U.S. States Visited: 17
We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.
The cost of living crisis has sparked a spate of strike action across various sectors in the United Kingdom which has compounded the usual chaos of December holiday travel.
The NHS (National Health Service), postal system, rail network, and airports are among the main areas that will be affected by workers walking out in a row over pay and other workplace benefits.
Airports will be impacted over the festive period as baggage handlers and Border Force (the law enforcement agents who carry out border controls in the U.K.) go on strike over a prolonged period of time.
Let’s take a look at how baggage handler and Border Force strikes could affect your journey when traveling to or from the U.K. this holiday period.
A 72-hour baggage handler strike at Heathrow Airports terminals 2, 3, and 4 will commence on December 16, 2022. Note that if you’re flying with British Airways into Terminal 5, you won’t be affected.
The Menzies Aviation staff who Heathrow employs to carry out the necessary baggage duties at the affected terminals will be walking out over unfair pay.
The airlines that will likely be hit hardest by the strike are: Aer Lingus, Air Canada, American Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Egyptair, Finnair, Lufthansa, Qantas, Swiss, and TAP Air Portugal.
Heathrow advised impacted airport stakeholders to carry out emergency contingency planning to reduce the impact on passengers.
If you are traveling to London Heathrow (LHR) from December 16 through December 19, we’d advise packing hand luggage only (if possible) to completely remove the risk of running into baggage issues.
If you have a flight bound for Birmingham (BHX), Cardiff (CWL), Gatwick (LGW), Glasgow (GLA), Heathrow (LHR), or Manchester (MAN), or you’re transiting from outside the U.K. through one of the aforementioned airports, then you could be affected.
The dates for the planned strikes are December 23 through December 26 (until around 7 a.m.) and then from December 28 through December 31, 2022 (until around 7 a.m.).
With those in charge of checking passports on entry to the U.K. not coming to work on those dates, the U.K. government will draft in military personal, civil servants, and government volunteers in an effort to reduce the impact on travelers.
Passengers traveling with passports issued in the U.K., Australia, Canada, E.U. Nations, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, and the U.S. which are also eGate eligible should be less affected than those who are required to speak with a custom officer.
Despite warnings of “significant delays and disruption” from Mark Serwotka, the general secretary of the union who looks after the striking Border Force workers, the U.K.’s busiest airport, Heathrow, is planning on operations running as usual during the strike period.
“We are doing everything we can to protect full operating schedules,” said John Holland-Kaye, CEO at Heathrow Airport.
Though with the possibility of huge queues forming at the U.K. border, the potential for missing onward connections looms.
Hot Tip: It’s times like these when making sure you have the best travel insurance is imperative before setting off on your trip.
For those whose final destination is the U.K., the worst-case scenario will be a longer-than-usual wait to enter the country through the affected airports.
Despite warnings to cut flight schedules by around 30%, airlines seem to plan on continuing with their regular schedules over the affected periods as no announcements of cancellations have been made.
If you are planning on transiting through one of the affect airports on a strike day, it could be worth checking to see if you can find an alternative itinerary.
Holiday travel chaos in one way or another is set to hit the U.K. over the next couple of weeks. The conflicting messages around how severe the impact will be for passengers traveling to and from the U.K. remains a bit unknown. What is certain, though, is that there’s never been a better time to make sure you have top-notch travel insurance to prepare for a potential interruption on your travel plans.
![The Best Travel Insurance Options for Seniors [Ages 65, 70, and Over 80]](https://upgradedpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Senior-couple-on-beach-at-sunset.jpeg?auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=700)