The October half-term holiday is just a few weeks away. Travellers without school-age children may also be heading to Europe for some autumn sun this month.
Before booking, and just ahead of travel, it is worth checking if industrial action may affect part of your journey.
Strikes among baggage handlers at Heathrow, private security staff at Spain’s Alicante airport, road transport workers in the Canary Islands and rail workers in Britain are all set to affect air travel or road and rail connections in the coming weeks.
Here are the strikes to look out for this month.
UK
Rail strikes
Rail services continue to be disrupted by disputes relating to pay and working conditions. Members of the Aslef union will stage a strike on Wednesday 4 October. The union also has a ban on working overtime, which runs from Monday 2 October to Friday 6 October. See which operators are affected.
Heathrow
Baggage carousel workers who are members of Unite union and employed by Vanderlande industries are set to walk over 13 days in October in relation to pay offers. The strikes are to be held on:
- 6 October (5.30pm)–9 October (ending 6am)
- 20 October (5.30am)–30 October (ending 6am)
Spain
Canary Islands
Walkouts by more than 15,000 road transport workers in Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura began on 2 October and on several dates across the month until 28 October following a standstill in negotiations over salary increases.
The Foreign Office has issued an update to its advice for travel to the islands in which it advises Britons to contact their tour operator or transport company for more information on how the strike might affect travel arrangements.
The next strikes will be held on 4, 7, 9, 11, 14, 16, 18, 21, 23, 25, 28 October
Alicante-Elche airport
Security staff working for a private firm at Alicante airport are taking part in several batches of strikes until January. The action can result in longer waits for passengers at security.
A minimum service law in Spain puts restrictions on strike time. The walk outs will run for one hour in the morning and one in the evening.
Strikes are planned on 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 20, 21, 22, 24, 27, 29 and 30 October.