Naughty or nice is beside the point— unions know that strikes during the holiday season hit the travel industry’s life blood. Rumbles of industrial actions have increased from all corners of the world, with most of the buzz likely little more than leverage prior to negotiations.

Having said that, we’re keeping a close eye on the UK and its major airport operator, BAA. Employees of   the mammoth BAA, which owns seven UK airports: Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Southampton, could strike as soon as Dec. 27th.

Mix in a likely strike by Virgin Atlantic cabin crew members in early January, and UK business travelers could face weeks of flight chaos.