USA Weather Warning: Thousands of flights cancelled on 9 February as major winter storm system moves through northeastern region.

 
Airlines had already cancelled more than 2,300 flights for Thursday and nearly all were waiving change fees as a fast-moving winter storm threatened to bring heavy snow to portions of the Northeast.

 
The storm was forecast to swipe a large area of the Northeast, possibly snarling flights at airports from Pennsylvania and New Jersey north into New York state and coastal New England. The airports in the Baltimore-Washington metro area also could be affected as forecasts called for rain changing to snow, though conditions were not expected to be as bad as to the north.

At 4:42pm On Friday, 27 January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order, “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States”, temporarily barring people from seven, named countries from entering the country.

 
What does the travel ban mean?
The order suspends the US Refugee Admissions Program for 120 days; and denies entry to anyone from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, regardless of visa status, for 90 days. This ban extends to people with dual nationality including any of the countries named.
The executive orders took immediate effect although their impact has been curtailed in part by New York and Boston Federal court rulings.

What has the immediate impact been?
• Passengers have been denied boarding on flights to the US; and several people already on planes flying to the US at the time of the order being signed have been detained on arrival.
• Google is reported to have called its travelling employees back, in case the order prevents their return.
• A number of protests have taken place at airports in the US, including in New York (JFK), Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Oregon, Boston, Dallas and Minnesota.
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are among airlines to offer impacted passengers the chance to re-book flights or to request refunds.

 
What should I do?
If you are travelling to the United States or transiting through the country, we have set out the following advice.
• If you have flights book to the United States or transiting the United States, and have any doubts as to whether you will be denied entry, check with your airline.
• If you decide to cancel or postpone travel, contact GTM for advice on how to proceed.
• If you are already in the United States and plan to leave the country – for any reason – check with your airline to determine whether you will be granted re-entry in to the United States.
• If you are in doubt as to your current visa status and restrictions, contact GTM and take advantage of the GTM Visa Service.
As usual, our travel consultants can provide advice on any flight bookings and provide the latest information on visa requirements and restrictions.
Source of airport protests: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-29/protesters-descend-on-us-aiports-to-protest-immigration-policies/8221070

The trade union Unite has announced that it intends to hold a further set of industrial action involving one of our five cabin crew fleets on Thursday 19, Friday 20 and Saturday 21 January 2017

British Airways contingency plans, which were successful during the previous two days of industrial action, will once again ensure that all of our customers will travel to their destinations.

They will publish their plans on Monday 16 January to customers, who have bookings on the days of threatened industrial action

No significant disruption reported as British Airways cabin crew begin 48-hour strike

British Airways cabin crew have begun their 48-hour strike in a row over pay.

A total of 22 flights out of 800 at Heathrow have been cancelled due to the disruption.

Affected destinations include Hamburg, Dusseldorf, San Jose, Oslo and Aberdeen.

A small number of Heathrow flights will be ‘merged’, but BA said all flights to and from Gatwick and London City airports will operate as normal.