[Travel] Why are all these flights being delayed/cancelled ?

[juliant]

The EJ app is now showing my flight is delayed by over 3.5 hours from 1810 to 2150, but they are also saying that bag drop times remain unchanged. Am I really going to have to get to the airport nearly 6 hours before we fly now?

The trouble is they can bring the flight forward again to its original time even if its delayed now so hence the bag drop time remains unchanged. Last thing you want is to get there find its on time again and you have missed it

 

[Springal]

The EJ app is now showing my flight is delayed by over 3.5 hours from 1810 to 2150, but they are also saying that bag drop times remain unchanged. Am I really going to have to get to the airport nearly 6 hours before we fly now?

If it stays over 3 hours don’t forget to claim your €250 !

 

[Bedsex]

If it stays over 3 hours don’t forget to claim your €250 !

Thanks for the heads up, I didn’t know about this. Looks like if we are delayed over 3 hours, as the flight is more than 1,500km, we should be able to claim £350 each, ie £1,400! It does say that the delay must be the airline’s fault, so they may put up a bit of a fight, but I’m ready!

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

I’ll bite, how should the Government have supported the aviation industry better during lockdown, and how was it going to be paid for?

There are plenty of sticks to beat the Government with, struggling to see how this can be added to the list

I’m not saying they could or should have done more, necessarily. It was more the culture of immediately blaming other people when an acknowledgment that things have been difficult might have been more constructive.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Who was going to pay for all the staff with reduced income to the business ?

Just out of interest was it a MP that voted pushed for more restrictions

What would have helped was actually dialogue between the two parties, Airports/Airlines tried to sort this all, but got ignore.

Stephen Parkinson - an Arts Minister, and a Member of the House of Lords rather than an MP.

And I agree about the dialogue point very much. It’s the immediate blaming that annoys me - a bit like Bart Simpson: “it wasn’t me, I didn’t do it, nobody saw me do it.”

I wasn’t even trying to say the Government should have done more. But I also saw the Transport Minister, Grant Shapps, has accused the airline and holiday industry of overbooking, which may well be true for all I know, but again it smacks of an over-defensive “it’s not our Fault!”

 

[Marty___Mcfly]

Thanks for the heads up, I didn’t know about this. Looks like if we are delayed over 3 hours, as the flight is more than 1,500km, we should be able to claim £350 each, ie £1,400! It does say that the delay must be the airline’s fault, so they may put up a bit of a fight, but I’m ready!

Lots of advice here

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/flight-delays/

I used MSE’s standard letter to request compensation many years ago. That was a TUI flight from India which was delayed overnight. No fightback from TUI and eventually a cheque arrived in the post.

 

[Icy Gull]

Stephen Parkinson - an Arts Minister, and a Member of the House of Lords rather than an MP.

And I agree about the dialogue point very much. It’s the immediate blaming that annoys me - a bit like Bart Simpson: “it wasn’t me, I didn’t do it, nobody saw me do it.”

I wasn’t even trying to say the Government should have done more. But I also saw the Transport Minister, Grant Shapps, has accused the airline and holiday industry of overbooking, which may well be true for all I know, but again it smacks of an over-defensive “it’s not our Fault!”

Well Labour were very quick to blame the Government, I notice that’s not worth a mention in your rather obvious agenda posts

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Stephen Parkinson - an Arts Minister, and a Member of the House of Lords rather than an MP.

And I agree about the dialogue point very much. It’s the immediate blaming that annoys me - a bit like Bart Simpson: “it wasn’t me, I didn’t do it, nobody saw me do it.”

I wasn’t even trying to say the Government should have done more. But I also saw the Transport Minister, Grant Shapps, has accused the airline and holiday industry of overbooking, which may well be true for all I know, but again it smacks of an over-defensive “it’s not our Fault!”

So we had a meeting yesterday (obviously one sided and bias) but it was explained to us part of the reasons its such a mess is the complete mess over issuing security passes (Govs fault) there and hundreds ready to start and the delay on these passes is stopping that - Which Airlines/Airports asked about months ago.

Maybe the Gov should have been ready?

I can only see one airlines loads, I can assure you there is no more over booking than normal for that one.

Shapps is completely useless, refused to back the extension of Furlough for the industry which meant more being laid off, ever changing traffic light system that did nothing and zero advance notice on when and how the borders would reopen.

It would have been worse under Labour btw, they wanted it all locked down over omicron

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

So we had a meeting yesterday (obviously one sided and bias) but it was explained to us part of the reasons its such a mess is the complete mess over issuing security passes (Govs fault) there and hundreds ready to start and the delay on these passes is stopping that - Which Airlines/Airports asked about months ago.

Maybe the Gov should have been ready?

I can only see one airlines loads, I can assure you there is no more over booking than normal for that one.

Shapps is completely useless, refused to back the extension of Furlough for the industry which meant more being laid off, ever changing traffic light system that did nothing and zero advance notice on when and how the borders would reopen.

It would have been worse under Labour btw, they wanted it all locked down over omicron

Stunning piece of whataboutery at the end..stunning.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Stunning piece of whataboutery at the end..stunning.

Not really, its out in the open about what they wanted to do.

 

[WATFORD zero]

I was chatting to a friend yesterday who used to be cabin crew and they said that immediately after Covid, the hospitality trade picked up far quicker than the airlines and was suffering a severe shortage of staff , so they got themselves a front of house job at a good restaurant paying more, with more sociable hours and less stress, and there was no way they were going back. They suggested that what they had done was quite common amongst their circle

 

[Gwylan]

I bet a lot of people looking at the current scenes are going to give this year a miss in terms of flights / holidays abroad- things may have righted themselves by 2023. Could be sensible.

I went to Munich a couple of weeks ago. Decided not to risk the airports and took a train there. I arrived slightly late getting there but the way back was great. Comfortable seats, fast wi-fi all the way across Europe - I sat watching the Leics/Sussex game while we travelled- probably took a couple of hours longer than the plane, but no real hassle.

I'm not sure I'll go back to flying if I have to get to western Europe from now.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Not really, its out in the open about what they wanted to do.

Possibly, but you can only guess as to the outcome of alternative approaches. You can’t wave away woeful performance purely on supposition.

 

[Pretty Plnk Fairy]

No need for these Queueues its just a myth from the left wing BBC. Now that we have taken back control and are not forced to take forin holidays by the hated Eu i think everyone should go to tried and tested BRITITCH holiday places such as Margate, Clacton and Southport and eat proper BRITITCH food such as pizza and curry

Regards

DF

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I went to Munich a couple of weeks ago. Decided not to risk the airports and took a train there. I arrived slightly late getting there but the way back was great. Comfortable seats, fast wi-fi all the way across Europe - I sat watching the Leics/Sussex game while we travelled- probably took a couple of hours longer than the plane, but no real hassle.

I'm not sure I'll go back to flying if I have to get to western Europe from now.

Agree. Trains in mainland Europe are an absolute breeze…6 and a half hours door to Austrian alpine guest house with just one change, lots of room and comfort and a nice restaurant car. It’s so pleasant and easy it’s as though they want to encourage you to take the train.

 

[Marty___Mcfly]

I went to Munich a couple of weeks ago. Decided not to risk the airports and took a train there. I arrived slightly late getting there but the way back was great. Comfortable seats, fast wi-fi all the way across Europe - I sat watching the Leics/Sussex game while we travelled- probably took a couple of hours longer than the plane, but no real hassle.

I'm not sure I'll go back to flying if I have to get to western Europe from now.

Sounds great. Trains are often about the same time-wise door to door. If you factor in the time pre-flight - people now arriving for flights 3hrs plus before planned departure time, and also time at the other end getting their passport control collecting bags and travelling into town from the airport.

Even going somewhere like Marseille you can arrive in a comparable time and you often get to just simply walk off the train into the city - zero hassles.

Eurostar is ideal if you live in London, can be a bit more of a pain if you need to travel into London eg for an early morning departure.

 

[Blue3]

A number of reasons

1. Brexit many other nationalities working at airports left either found other jobs some here some in other countries
2. Covid19 travel stopped staff either lost jobs agency workers or put on Furlough
3. Government ended furlough to soon as such many workers immediately found they had no job and found other work
4. Travel companies in an rush to reopen sold travel that were not supportable
5. Airports unable to deal with the recruiting of vast numbers of new staff with security clearance and training
6. The Government, airports, customs, police, airlines, holiday companies for not seeing this was going to be an issue
7. The public being far to keen to get a holiday but not keen enough to listeria to advice to get to the airport extra early

 

[Bry Nylon]

Agree. Trains in mainland Europe are an absolute breeze…6 and a half hours door to Austrian alpine guest house with just one change

From a single-breasted Paul Smith travel suit in navy blue Italian worsted into quilted Fendi ski pants and mink gilet?

Good choices

 

[Gwylan]

Sounds great. Trains are often about the same time-wise door to door. If you factor in the time pre-flight - people now arriving for flights 3hrs plus before planned departure time, and also time at the other end getting their passport control collecting bags and travelling into town from the airport.

Yes, if I'd factored in delays, then the train and flight would have taken the same time. And it was so much more pleasant

 

[Roadrunner]

I went to Munich a couple of weeks ago. Decided not to risk the airports and took a train there. I arrived slightly late getting there but the way back was great. Comfortable seats, fast wi-fi all the way across Europe - I sat watching the Leics/Sussex game while we travelled- probably took a couple of hours longer than the plane, but no real hassle.

I'm not sure I'll go back to flying if I have to get to western Europe from now.

I'm heading to Munich for the England game next week and we have decided to use an Interrail Pass, which works out to be great value and much less hassle than flying. You can travel on any 4 days in a 30 day period and the price (£209) includes travel to/from St Pancras as well as Eurostar and Intercity trains via Brussels. The only extra fees are for seat reservations on specific trains, where required.