Millions of British Airways passengers were in limbo last night as militant cabin crew refused to say when they will strike.
Up to 2.5million travellers planning holidays or business trips from next week still have no idea when their flights will be disrupted as BA faces crippling industrial action.
And those who book with BA from now on have been warned that they will have no travel insurance cover if their flights are hit by the strike, involving more than 12,000 cabin crew.
Negotiations: BA management is engaged in talks with union leaders to try and avert the upcoming strikes
The Association of British Insurers said that anyone who booked after the vote to walk out by cabin crew members on Monday had a "reasonable expectation" of disruption, meaning they will not be covered.
BA has promised to refund or re-book anyone hit by the strike, but will not cover hotel bookings, car hire or other costs incurred because of the chaos.
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Strike action could begin as early as next week after the overwhelming vote in favour by members of the giant Unite union following a row with BA over conditions of service and the airline"s plans to reduce the number of cabin crew on a jumbo jet from 15 to 14.
Union leader Len McCluskey (left) stressed the only way to resolve the dispute is through "negotiation, not litigation"
Asked last night why the union had not announced a strikedate, Ken Ablard, spokesman for the British Airlines Stewards andStewardesses Association (BASSA) arm of Unite, said: "We have notissued a date because we don"t want [to strike].
"Hopefully, with the overwhelming majority voting for action, BA will now listen."
But BASSA said that if members did go on strike, they would do so "sooner rather than later."
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By law the union now has four weeks, until March 22, to hold a strike, otherwise it will have to re-ballot.
It must give seven days" notice, so the latest date it can announce a strike date is March 15.
However, provided it holds at least one strike - even for a day - within the four-week deadline, it may then hold further strikes "ad infinitum", say lawyers.
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