British Strike Strands Travelers

Flight attendants walked off their jobs at British Airways Wednesday, forcing the airline to cancel hundreds of flights from its busy summer schedule and strand thousands of travelers.

The strike will cost British Airways millions, but the company insisted it would operate as many flights as possible while seeking to resolve the pay dispute.

British Airways handed out sodas and candy to impatient travelers, but that didn’t stop anger from building at London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports.

“My reaction is unprintable,” said Louise Hope, of Portland, Ore. She had just returned from an African safari to learn that she might have to return home via Los Angeles instead of Seattle - with delays being the only certainty.

The 8,500 members of the British Airline Stewards and Stewardesses Association said they would stay off the job for three days.