British Airways crews to strike

12:35 p.m. Update: British Airways warned that the strikes beginning next week would cause "extensive disruption for potentially hundreds of thousands of customers over a busy period."

Unite represents around 90 percent of BA's 12,000 cabin crew.

The airline said that it planned to operate all flights to and from London's Gatwick Airport as normal. At Heathrow, it plans to operate "a substantial part" of its long-haul schedule.

You should check with British Airways (1-800-247-9297) if you are booked on a flight scheduled to depart next week for Europe.

The airline has created a Web site for updates here.

Original post: British Airways cabin crew plan say they will strike for a total of 20 days over a 23-day period in May and June.

The Unite union says that staff plan to walk out May 18-22, May 24-28, May 30-June 3 and June 5-9.

British Airways services both Dulles International and Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall airports.

The unprecedented scale of the strike action ramps up a long-running and bitter dispute between cabin crew and the airline over changes to pay and working conditions.

Two strikes by crew over seven days in March cost the airline around $65.8 million in canceled flights and contingency provisions, including hiring other aircraft complete with staff.

-- Associated Press and staff reports