British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have suspended sales of inbound tickets to London Heathrow on 23–26 and 28–31 December after airport management asked carriers to “suppress demand” during the Border Force strike period. The airlines will honour existing bookings but will not sell additional seats on those dates, fearing immigration bottlenecks could strand arriving passengers in five-hour queues.
Heathrow expects long-haul arrivals on strike days to reach 80 per cent of pre-pandemic volumes, well above the 70 per cent threshold Border Force says it can manage with contingency staff. By pre-emptively capping loads, BA and Virgin hope to avoid the last-minute cancellations and overnight tarmac holds that plagued Christmas 2022.
![BA and Virgin Halt Heathrow Ticket Sales on Planned Strike Days]()
Travel-management companies say the move complicates corporate itinerary planning: premium-cabin inventory around the holidays is already tight, and re-routing via Gatwick or European hubs may add both cost and carbon footprint. Firms with critical engineering and energy-sector projects scheduled for late December are exploring charter options or advancing travel to earlier in the month.
The airlines will review the embargo if the strike is called off, but union leaders insist industrial action is “locked in” unless ministers table an improved pay offer. Mobility managers should track ongoing seat-availability alerts and advise relocating employees to avoid Heathrow on the affected dates where possible.
Heathrow expects long-haul arrivals on strike days to reach 80 per cent of pre-pandemic volumes, well above the 70 per cent threshold Border Force says it can manage with contingency staff. By pre-emptively capping loads, BA and Virgin hope to avoid the last-minute cancellations and overnight tarmac holds that plagued Christmas 2022.
Travel-management companies say the move complicates corporate itinerary planning: premium-cabin inventory around the holidays is already tight, and re-routing via Gatwick or European hubs may add both cost and carbon footprint. Firms with critical engineering and energy-sector projects scheduled for late December are exploring charter options or advancing travel to earlier in the month.
The airlines will review the embargo if the strike is called off, but union leaders insist industrial action is “locked in” unless ministers table an improved pay offer. Mobility managers should track ongoing seat-availability alerts and advise relocating employees to avoid Heathrow on the affected dates where possible.
