British Airways (BA) cabin crew who took part in strike action will be given back their full travel perks, but only after a two-and-a-half-year punishment period.
As of last week, crew could again buy reduced price and standby tickets, but they will be at the back of the queue for spare seats until 2013.
A BA spokesman said seniority had been “revised" so that strikers were classed effectively as new joiners to the company.
This means that, for staff travel, all records of Unite members who went on strike now show they joined after October 21.
Currently, standby seats are allocated according to how long a staff member has been with the company, which means newer staff members are more likely to get bumped if the plane is full.
If the latest BA deal is approved by Unite after a ballot to members, this will stay in place until April 2013, after which the crew can have perks reinstated.
It is also conditional on good behaviour, which includes taking part in no industrial action over the next three years.
The deal also demands that Unite’s legal action against BA be “discontinued or withdrawn”, said the BA spokesman.
A Unite spokesman said today the union was working on a ballot for its members on the new deal, but that dates for the vote have not yet been confirmed.
The dispute originally broke out after changes in working practice and pay, but this appears to have been resolved.
“The basis of the deal is increases in basic pay worth up to 5.9% over two years for existing crew,” explained the BA spokesman.