Passengers with upcoming flights booked with British Airways could face travel chaos as cabin crew voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action due to work conditions and pay.

Unite, the union representing the cabin crew, said that 78.77 percent of the ballots were returned, with 80.7 per cent of flight attendants voting in support of the strike.

However the union said that it would not be announcing any dates of potential strike action in the near future as it hoped it could reach a deal with the airline.

The airline has taken a tough stance, saying that it would not allow Unite to ruin the company.

BA has said that some progress has been made during recent talks between the two parties and that it would do everything that it could to protect the travel plans of passengers in the event of a strike.

General secretary for Unite, Len McCluskey said that the ballot result was a clear indication of the deep grievances that the members felt.

He went on to say that it could only be hoped that the management of the airline could now recognise that the only way to resolve the issue was through negotiation, not through litigation and certainly not through intimidation.

Support for strike action was lower than first witnessed by a ballot which took place in December last year, which saw 92.4 per cent of hosties voting in favour of a strike.  That strike was later deemed to be illegal by the High Court.

The Union has already promised that there would be no stoppages over the Easter period.