Strikers to lose travel perks

British Airways cabin crew taking part in this weekend's strike will lose lucrative travel perks for life.

These include, for the more senior members of staff, one completely free trip anywhere in the world a year subject to availability.

The travel concessions are seen as non-contractual perks granted by the company and BA management has now decided to withdraw them for those taking industrial action.

The concessions allow staff to get 90% off the full fare of any flight, although staff are always on stand-by for these trips and can be "bumped off" flights if they are full.

Staff who are married can take family members on these 90% and 100%-reduction flights while those who are unmarried can nominate two other people to accompany them.

BA will usually list which flights for which concessions will not be available. These could, for example, include long-haul flights over the Christmas, new year and early part of the year to destinations such as Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

These much-prized travel concessions are also available to former BA staff members for a number of years after they leave the company.