Festive strikes and Christmas price-hikes: Everything you need to know

Well, love it or hate it, it comes round every year. There’s so much to look forward to – spending money you haven’t got, family feuds, plane strikes, traffic jams, postal strikes, pine needles getting in places they really shouldn’t, train strikes, weight gain, taxi queues. Did we mention the strikes? What’s not to love?!

Bah, humbug.

Last year, 4 million Brits jetted off abroad to spend Christmas with family and loved ones. The average family spent £800 on Christmas alone (ouch), and this Friday will see the busiest day for traffic over the holidays. According to the AA, 12 million cars will hit the road and join the Christmas Chaos.

Fun, fun, fun.

If you’re heading home for some festive fun, then you need to plan your journey. Here’s a rundown of what you need to know.

TRAINS

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Who's on strike? Drivers and guards operating Southern Rail

Why? They are in dispute about the role of the guard on new trains, raising concerns about safety with driver-only operated trains

When’s the strike? Sat 31 December – Mon 3 January. Mon 9 January – Sat 14 January (ASLEF + RMT drivers’ strike). Passengers are advised not to travel during the drivers’ strike. But, disruption is expected every day whether there’s a strike on or not, because there is an ongoing overtime ban.

Journey planners are updated at 2pm the day before a strike is planned. Check it before you travel. Follow @SouthernRail on Twitter for updates.

Can I get compensation? If you’re affected by the strikes you may be able to claim compensation or a refund. Remember - you can now claim compensation on Southern Rail if your train is running 15 minutes late.

ANY OTHER TRAIN STRIKES?

No. But there are up to 200 planned engineering and maintenance works being carried out during the Christmas break – so lots of disruption going on. You should check online to see if you'll be affected.

POST

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Who's on strike? 4,000 Post Office workers.

Why? They are in dispute over job security and pensions.

When’s the strike? Now until Friday 23 December

The Post office says that only a small number of their branches may be affected and that 99% of their branches will be operating as normal.

You can check online to see if your local branch is affected.

PLANES

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Who? 2,500 British Airways cabin crew

Why? Unite, the union representing crew, say they are in dispute over pay and broken promises.

When’s the strike? Christmas Day and Boxing Day. It could disrupt around 40,000 passengers booked on to flights.

British Airways says it plans to run a full schedule on both days despite the threatened action.

Can I get compensation? Zero, nada, nischt. You’re not entitled to any. Under EU laws, strikes are usually considered to be ‘extraordinary circumstances’. Passengers are entitled to meals and accommodation until the airline can get them to their destinations. Cash compensation is a big fat no.

Double check online to make sure you have the latest information on any of the above strikes.

AND FINALLY…

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If you get home in time for Christmas, and if your presents have arrived and are waiting for you under the tree but you don’t fancy the added stress of cooking dinner, what options have you got? Fancy a takeaway? You’re not on your own.

Whether it’s pizza, curry or good, old-fashioned fish and chips that tickle your taste buds, takeaways are expecting to be busy on Christmas Eve. Just Eat says Christmas Eve is one of its busiest days of the year. It tells Watchdog that peak time is 5pm-7pm compared to 6.30-8pm during the rest of the year, so you should build that into your plans. Both Just Eat and Deliveroo are open on Christmas Eve. Neither charge extra over the holidays. But get your order in early - whether it’s Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve, it’ll be busy.

If staying in isn’t your thing and you’re OUT-OUT to see the New Year in, then transport - whether it’s buses, trains or taxis - is always in high demand.

Some cities offer free transport at certain times of the night. Check with your local Council. If you’re in the Big Smoke, then between 23:45 and 04:30, you can travel for free on Transport for London's network. This includes the Tube, London Overground, buses, the DLR, TfL Rail and Trams.

If you’re cabbing it, then you’re probably going to be charged a bit more than usual. London Black cabs add a £4 surcharge between 8pm on 24 December and 6am on 27 December and between 8pm on 31 December and 6am on 2 January.

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There have been well-publicised instances in the past where Uber has been accused of hiking their fares at busy times. Uber says they don’t add surcharges on New Year’s Eve but that their prices go up when demand is high to incentivise more drivers to go to that area to make more cars available. So, the bottom line is that prices are likely to be higher.

Uber says, "Any changes in the fare are made very clear to users. Before booking a car, users are required to enter their destination so the app can estimate the fare for the journey. If the fares are higher the user will receive a notification and will be asked to re-confirm that they understand that fares have increased and that they wish to continue with the booking."

Uber is due to release a New Year’s Eve guide to using their service. See their website for details.

You can compare taxi prices using price comparison websites such as www.taxipricecompare.co.uk.

But if you know where you’re going and when you want to be there, book ahead so you get there on time.

After all, there’s nothing worse than seeing in the New Year in the back of a cab...