The planned strike ballot by British Airways cabin crew - due to start on Tuesday - has been postponed following a new offer to staff from the airline.

The decision not to vote on further strikes means that action at the beginning of August is unlikely because of the timescale - a ballot would take about a month and the union must give BA a week’s notice of any action planned.

Cabin crew union Unite recommended cancellation of the ballot following a renewed offer to BA staff which the airline said would be withdrawn if the vote went ahead. 

BA staff representatives will now mull over the revised deal. However, Unite joint general secretary Tony Woodley, warned that although this was BA’s “last and final offer”, he could not recommend it because it does not fully reinstate staff travel arrangements stripped from crew who took lawful industrial strike action in March and May.

“The fact that staff travel arrangements have not been restored to thousands of crew prevents this offer from BA being the breakthrough everyone seeks,” he said.

Unite said the new proposal protects existing members from inferior contracts BA is introducing for new staff and will provide cabin crew a minimum allowance payment, an improvement to the flat fee that had been offered before. Unite is also seeking an independent review of the cases of members suspended and sacked during the dispute.