allaboutwomen

The union Unite has not said when the fresh wave of strikes will come. But they will probably be timed to cause the most disruption to family plans. You should make sure your travel insurance covers you.

Unite, which is the Labour party's biggest financial backer, was criticised for the plans, just when the economy is very fragile

Theresa Villiers, the aviation minister, said: "Once again Ed Miliband's union paymasters are threatening huge disruption to the plans of the British travelling public. Absolutely no good will come from a further round of strikes."

The vote in favour of strikes does not guarantee they will go ahead. Len McLuskey, Unite's general secretary elect, said talks with BA could avert them.

In 2010 BA crew were on strike for 22 days, causing widespread misery, hurting the economy and costing the troubled airline £150 million.

The mere prospect of industrial action is thought to be already costing British Airways money as travellers book flights with other carriers with less volatile staff.

Because of the way strike laws work, it is in the union's interest to call a strike early and cancel it if peace talks with the management work out.

Unite is also looking at other ways to cause disruption to the airline without coming out on strike, which costs its members pay.

"Things have moved on from a year ago," said Duncan Holley, branch secretary of the British Airlines Stewards and Stewardesses Association branch of Unite. We have to look at creative cat and mouse tactics. BA is more organised than a year ago, we will have to go at things from a different angle. We won't get what we want from sheer brute force, but we won't win by pussyfooting either."

The current dispute is a hang-over from last year. An agreement was apparently reached in October, but has now fallen apart over some of the details.

There was a substantial majority in favour of a new strike when it was put to the ballot.

"For the fourth time in 13 months, British Airways cabin crew have voted overwhelmingly in support of their union and expressed their dissatisfaction with management behaviour," said McCluskey.

A BA spokesman said: "Unite has lost about 2,500 cabin crew members since this dispute started, as crew have voted with their feet."