A planned union strike ballot of British Airways cabin crew next week has been condemned as a "blow to the confidence of travellers".
Bob Atkinson, travel expert at travelsupermarket.com said: “Passengers deserve better.
"Today’s announcement is yet another blow to the confidence of travellers flying both domestically and to and from the UK.
"It is wrong that holiday plans and business trips are being jeopardised while BA and Unite squabble about working practices and cutting costs."
He added: "These pressures have been, and continue to be faced by every industry, each one reaching deals with employees to ensure business continues to survive during the recession. So why should this be an exception for BA cabin crew, who are amongst the best paid crew in the world?
“The level of frustration, worry and uncertainty that occurred during November and December 2009 when a proposed strike threatened to ruin Christmas and New Year for hundreds of thousands of people, is unacceptable.
"A resolution must be found quickly; otherwise the only winners will be BA’s competition.”
by Phil Davies
