BA Chairman says "No more kow-towing to U.S. on security"

October 27, 2010


The chairman of British Airways has criticized airport checks as "completely redundant" and said Britain should stop "kow-towing" to US demands for increased security, the Financial Times reported today.
The newspaper quoted Martin Broughton as saying at the annual conference of the UK Airport Operators Association in London on Tuesday that no one wanted weak security.
Broughton said, however, the practice of forcing people to take off their shoes and have their laptops checked separately should be ditched.
"We all know there's quite a number of elements in the security program which are completely redundant," he said.
Broughton said there was no need to "kow-tow to the Americans every time they wanted something done" to beef up security on US-bound flights.

Finnair strike ends

October 26, 2010


The Finnish Aviation Union (IAU) said late on Tuesday that it had reached agreement on a new wage deal, ending a two-day strike by air transport technical staff, which had halted aircraft maintenance.
Finnish national carrier Finnair, which cancelled 35 flights on Monday and Tuesday, said its traffic is expected to return to normal on Wednesday.
"The strike has ended, industrial actions will be ramped down and employees will return to work," IAU said in a statement, adding that the new deal is for three years.
Finnair spokeswoman Paivi Huuhtanen said some 1,500 passengers were affected by the strike, but noted the costs had not been estimated.
Scandinavian airline SAS's Blue1 also had to cancel some 14 flights due to the strike.

Finnair cancels flights

October 25, 2010


Finnish national carrier Finnair has cancelled 19 flights on Monday and 15 on Tuesday, because of a strike by air transport technical staff halting maintenance of aircraft.
Finnair spokeswoman Inka Ikonen said about 900 passengers on Monday and about 500 on Tuesday were being impacted by the strike.
"It is very difficult to estimate the costs," Ikonen added.
Around 900 Finnish Aviation Union's (IAU) members begun a strike on Monday at 5 am local time after a new wage deal was not reached on Sunday.
Both the IAU and employer's representative on Sunday evening turned down the state mediator Esa Lonka's proposal for a new deal and the parties are now waiting for the talks to reconvene.
"We have not yet received an invitation for talks from Lonka," IAU's deputy chairman Reijo Hautamaki said.
So far Scandinavian airline SAS’s Blue1 and Finncomm airlines have not cancelled any flights.
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SAS Traffic Up In September

Scandinavian airline SAS said passenger traffic rose 8.5 percent in September from a year earlier while its yield in the month was seen coming in negative, in line with the previous month.
SAS said its passenger load factor rose 3.6 percentage points year-on-year to 74.3 percent.
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British airport operator BAA and the Unite union agree to talks

August 13, 2010


British airport operator BAA and the Unite union are to hold talks on Monday aimed at averting planned strikes by ground staff, conciliation service Acas said.
Unite said on Thursday its members at BAA, owned by Spanish group Ferrovial, had voted three-to-one in favor of industrial action in a dispute over pay.
The threatened walk-out by essential staff including security guards, firemen and engineers would probably close BAA's six British airports, which include London's Heathrow and Stansted, disrupting the travel plans of thousands of people.
"Talks between BAA and Unite will take place under the auspices of Acas at midday on Monday 16 August," Acas chief conciliator Peter Harwood said, adding that the talks would take place at an undisclosed location.
Unite's officials are also due to meet on August 16 to decide the dates of any walk-outs. The union has to give seven days' notice of planned industrial action.

Spanish air strike on hold

I have not posted additional information on the status of strikes effecting Europe. The past few days I have been monitoring the situation. But, now Spain’s air traffic controllers have called off a strike planned for later this month, saying they don’t want to further dent the country’s troubled tourism industry.

According to MailOnline, around 300,000 British tourists could have had their holidays ruined following the breakdown of negotiations over pay and working conditions on Friday.
But after an outcry from Spain’s tourist industry and a damning response from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the UNSCA union has vowed to postpone the action.
Spain’s tourism industry was hit particularly hard by the recession and, although many Britons will holiday there this summer, its overall visitor numbers have dropped dramatically the third year in a row.
UNSCA spokesman Cesar Cabo said: ‘The union understands the concerns of the tourism sector and passengers.’
Uncertainty over the possibility of strikes had already hurt last-minute bookings, which are lower than predicted. But tourism and airline officials feared visitor numbers could fall even further after talks with Spain’s airport authority AENA broke down last week.
Many tourists had already looked at cancelling or postponing their trips.
‘We would have liked the decision to be definitive and not just for the month of August,’ said Juan Ignacio Lema, chairman of AENA, in a statement.
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BA Ready for Strike Action

05 AUG 2010:

Talks between British Airways and the cabin crew union Unite, shows no sign of reaching an accord anytime soon. Instead, Unite is threatening to have cabin crew members vote again for further strikes starting in September. Meanwhile BA continues to train volunteer cabin crew and insists it will still be able to operate all its long-haul flights from Heathrow, regardless of the outcome of a strike vote.

The carrier issued a brief statement saying there had been a short a short meeting at ACAS on Tuesday and there were plans to meet again next week, but it provided no date for any future meeting.

BA chief executive Willie Walsh said, "I want to reach a resolution, but we are preparing for further industrial action."

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Spain's Air Traffic Controllers Vote to Strike

August 4, 2010


Spain's air traffic controllers have voted to strike in mid-August to protest against pay cuts and changes to their job conditions, their union USCA said.
An exact date for the start or duration of the industrial action, likely to cause chaos in the nation's airports at the height of the busy tourist season, is still to be decided.
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Are Good Times Back Or Just a Great Summer

It appears good times are finally back for the nation's airlines. For you the traveler, it could mean fare bargins may be harder to find .Although today many of the carriers were offering reduced August rates to a number of destinations
This summer's travel season got off to a great start, fares were up, and fees from baggage and other items formerly free brought in large amounts of incremental revenue...
The six biggest U.S. airlines earned about $1.3 billion in the second quarter, and more profits are expected for the rest of the year. .
Here's a look at what travelers can expect in the months ahead:
FEES
A recent study shows that worldwide, carriers took in $13.5 billion from fees in 2009, a 43 percent jump in just one year.
"Fees are going to be around for awhile. Spirit Airlines' announced a fee of $45 for some carry-on bags beginning on some flights starting Aug. 1.
Summer fares are up an average of 18 percent, However, travel demand will taper off as fall approaches —
LOAD FACTORS
Leisure travel demand has been strong and although we are seeing some over the board sales for August. Seats are full like never before. Including regional flights, Delta filled 88 percent of its seats in June, Continental sold 87 percent, and American 86 percent — that's about 2 percentage points higher than last summer
Although the summer has been strong, advance bookings for the month of August are running behind last year's numbers..So, are we  out of the recession or just having a good summer?
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UPS offers 'luggage boxes' as alternative to checking bags

Only days after federal officials announced that the nation's airlines had collected 33% more revenue this year from checked luggage fees, UPS offered its alternative to the hassle and expense of lugging a suitcase through an airport.

The world's largest package delivery service announced last week that it was selling specially designed boxes that resemble suitcases. Passengers can ship the "luggage boxes" to their final destination to avoid the airlines' check-in lines and luggage fees.
The new UPS boxes include carrying handles and come in two sizes.The UPS announcement came a few days after the U.S. Department of Transportation reported that the nation's 10 largest airlines collected nearly $770 million in checked baggage fees in the first three months of the year, a 33% increase over the same period last year.

The new luggage boxes are also hitting the market as demand for airline seats begins to rebound from a two-year slump.
The International Air Transport Assn. announced that international airline traffic jumped nearly 12% in May from a year earlier, raising airline traffic numbers 1% above pre-recession levels.
UPS officials say they created the new boxes simply to make life easier for frustrated travelers.
"It's meant to be a convenience," said UPS spokeswoman Susan Rosenberg.
She conceded that airlines can usually deliver luggage faster than UPS but said luggage shipped by UPS can cost $30 to $80 less per package, depending on the route and the weight of the box.
Rosenberg noted another advantage to the UPS luggage box: A tracking number lets passengers know its exact location.
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Want an Airline Seat for 6 bucks

Budget airline Ryanair is planning to sell tickets for as little as $6 — if you're willing to stand.

Michael O'Leary, the airline's chief exec, will outline a series of new proposals today including charging customers to use the loo (bathroom).
A new standing area with "vertical seats" will also be introduced at the back each of its 250 planes.
He said he hoped charging $1.50 to use the toilets in flight would encourage travellers on short haul flights to use the loo at the airport instead of on the aircraft.
Mr O'Leary said he wanted to install the coin operated loos and said: "The other change we've been looking at is taking out the last ten rows of seats so we will have 15 rows of seats and the equivalent of ten rows of standing area."
A Ryanair spokesman said Boeing had been consulted about fitting the "vertical seats" — which would cost between $6 and $12 per person.
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British Airways Offer To Cabin Staff Could Postphone Strike Ballot

June 28, 2010


The Unite union said on Sunday that it would look to postpone balloting British Airways cabin crew on further strikes to allow union members to consider the latest offer from the airline's management.
BA made a new offer to cabin crew on Friday in a bid to end a long-running dispute over pay and conditions before the employees are formally asked to consider taking further industrial action.
The ballot over future walkouts was scheduled to begin on Tuesday but Unite boss Tony Woodley said in a statement on Sunday that he expected cabin crew representatives to confirm the vote would be delayed to give members the chance to consult on the offer.
"The company has made it clear that the offer on the table will be removed if the strike ballot starts on Tuesday," said Woodley, whose Unite union represents 90 percent of BA's 12,000 cabin crew.
"It would therefore be inexplicable if we did not put this offer to our members and I expect this course of action will be confirmed by our cabin crew representatives when they meet tomorrow."
The new offer from BA includes two years of guaranteed rises in basic salary from February 2011 in addition to annual incremental pay increases.
"We welcome this statement from the Unite leadership. We believe our offer is fair and reasonable and provides a genuine opportunity to end this dispute," BA said in a statement on Sunday.
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British Airways To Hire Lower Paid Cabin Crew

June 24, 2010


British Airways said it planned to recruit over one thousand new cabin crew on lower wages than current staff as it faces possible further strikes by existing flight attendants in August.
The Unite union, which represents 90 percent of BA's 12,000 cabin staff, criticised the move which would do nothing to end a bitter dispute which has resulted in a series of walkouts.
BA will recruit 1,250 new crew members this year and forecast that in 10 years, staff on the new terms will make up 40 percent of cabin staff.
The airline said it was making the move in light of the losses it has posted over the past two years.
"We have suffered back-to-back record financial losses and need to continue making permanent changes to our cost base to ensure our long-term survival," BA said today.
Existing cabin crew on short-haul flights from Heathrow earn an annual salary of GBP£25,700 (USD$38,490) while crew on long-haul flights from Heathrow earn GBP£35,000 on average. Those on short-haul routes out of Gatwick earn GBP£18,300.
A BA spokesman said the new recruits would work on both short- and long-haul flights and earn a salary "similar to current Gatwick crew."
"Our Heathrow cabin crew costs are way out of line with our competitors and much more than our cabin crew costs at Gatwick. We can no longer afford this cost difference," he said.

THIRD WAVE OF STRIKES
The British airline faces a third wave of industrial action, disrupting the peak summer travel season, after Unite said on Tuesday it would hold a fresh ballot of its cabin crew members.
Crews have walked out for 22 days so far this year, costing the airline around GBP£150 million (USD$220 million).
Unite said the ballot would run from June 29 to July 27, so walkouts could begin on August 3 if voted for.
"This will do nothing to persuade cabin crew that BA management is looking to resolve the dispute, and nothing to dissuade our members from voting for further industrial action," said Unite Joint General Secretary Tony Woodley.
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Europe The Dream Destination

Europe is one of the seven conventional continents of Earth. The western most peninsula of Eurasia, it is surrounded to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the Mediterranean Sea, to the southeast by the Caucasus Mountains, the Black Sea and the waterways connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean
Europe is a dream destination for travelers worldwide. Travel to Europe wins hands down on several accounts over other popular international travel destinations. The selection for the traveler in a short duration of time and distance is amazing and exclusive to Europe alone. Every province has countries with a rich cultural and political history. You could be attracted to Europe for reasons like the wide-ranging cultural opportunities. It could be the prosperous cultural ancient times and the art scene – with museums, art, literature, theater, cinema or music of countries like France, Germany and England. It could basically be wide-ranging natural beauty that travel in Europe ensures – like the mountains of Switzerland and the Tuscan sun surroundings the beaches of Italy. Be it the lifestyle, architecture, food or languages, Europe enthralls the travelers with its multiculturalism and diversity. A European river cruise brings maritime luxuries to the traveler. Europe is a continent filled with magnificent sights and views. There is a world prominent ice-skating rink for everybody to enjoy in London. There are traditional music concerts preformed in London. In Amsterdam, there is a tram that departs every 20 minutes that can let you move around the city with simplicity. Also, in Amsterdam there is an international casino with a variety of games that may not be accessible in other countries. There is a broad collection of things to do on this enormous continent. Be sure to acquaint yourself with the civilization and laws of the areas that you will be visiting so you know what is predictable. Leave a copy of your passport with your family or friends for emergencies. And most of all check with EuropebyAir for the best fares....

Volcanic Ash over..What happens now?

Airline operators across vast areas of Europe were brought to a complete halt for six days by a volcanic ash cloud, and the knock-on effect of the disruption was felt around the world with hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded and aircraft and flight crew displaced (Photo Credit: Aeroports de Paris)

The flying in Europe has resumed and the recriminations over the six-day closure of vast swathes of the continent’s airspace by a volcanic ash cloud have just begun. According to the International Air Transport Association, the crisis has cost carriers more than $1.7 billion in lost revenue. Some of the most seriously affected airlines, such as British Airways, have demanded compensation from governments, arguing that authorities overreacted to the safety threat posed by the ash and closed airspace too comprehensively and for too long. Governments argue that they had little choice but to opt for a complete closure, given the initial lack of conclusive technical data on the effect of ash on engines in a fast-changing situation.
But the unprecedented emergency has established, surely beyond doubt, the lack of viability of European Union rules on passenger compensation for cancelled or long-delayed flights. EU carriers face completely open-ended costs covering hotel accommodation and meals for stranded passengers who might each have paid just $10 for their tickets. The circumstance prompted bombastic Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary to declare that he will not pay passenger compensation, urging the Irish government to prosecute him for breach of EU law. For those readers who haven’t had the benefit of O’Leary’s previous contributions to enlightened discussion of air transport business models, he is the airline chief executive who plans to charge passengers to use lavatories during flights.

So are airlines and the aerospace industry completely blameless victims in this situation? Volcanologists have claimed that they have repeatedly tried to work with the industry to develop a clear understanding of the safety implications of volcanic ash, to no avail. Following the 1982 incident in which a BA Boeing 747 lost power from all four engines after flying into a volcanic ash cloud over Indonesia, the International Civil Aviation Organization established a network to inform the industry and authorities about volcanic eruptions. But, on its own admission, the United Nations-backed body still has yet to issue clear and comprehensive guidelines on the precise safety parameters and recommended procedures for air transport operations in such conditions.
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Volcanic Ash! - Does my Trip Insurance Cover Me?

The Travel Guard Group, USA reports it has seen call volumes increase up to 300% because of the volcanic ash issues. Hold times were kept to a minimum as cross trained employees were shifted from other areas of the company to assist callers to their 24/7 Service Center. Tom Zavadsky, Exec. V.P. of Sales and Marketing offers some interesting questions regarding coverage... worth sharing.
The below questions and answers apply to policies purchased through Travel Guard Group, Inc. USA (Travel Guard).

Question One: "I am scheduled for future travel and purchased my insurance policy prior to this volcanic event. If this volcano subsides and then erupts again, causing my future travel plans to be disrupted, will this be considered unforeseen and could coverage apply?"
Answer: Under most of our US products, you would be covered based on your purchase date being prior to April 14, 2010, subject to policy terms and conditions. We encourage you to contact our 24/7 Service Center or your Travel Guard sales representatives with additional questions as coverage and benefits vary by product.
*****
Question Two: "I am scheduled to travel this summer and have not yet purchased a policy. If I purchase a policy today and a future eruption of the Iceland volcano occurs would I be covered?"
Answer: If the current Iceland Volcano situation subsides and commercial airlines resume normal schedules prior to your trip, any new eruption would be considered a new event under our US policies. Coverage would be administered according to the product purchased (based on limits) and 24/7 Service Center or your Travel Guard sales representatives with additional questions as coverage and benefits vary by product.

*****
Question Three: "I have insurance and am scheduled to fly out later this week. What should I do if my flight is cancelled?"
Answer:The first call you should make is to your air carrier as all airlines have made rebooking passengers impacted by this event a priority. That said, please contact Travel Guard for additional assistance, both for flight rebooking and to initiate a claim if applicable.
*****
Question Four: "What is the coverage cut-off date for the current Iceland volcano event?"
Answer: Eligible US plans would need to have been purchased before April 14, 2010.
*****
Question Five: "My customers are stranded away from home. What can you do to help them?"
Answer: Our 24/7 assistance centers stand ready to help you and your customers. Our services include flight rebooking, hotel rebooking, cash wire transfers, translation services, message relay and more. Our worldwide reach has also helped our insureds avoid spending nights in airports, as we have helped get them accommodated in hotels during their delays.
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Ash Cloud Update for Wednesday April 21 and contact numbers

Europe's skies reopened for business on Wednesday but it could take days or weeks to clear the six-day backlog. Here is a list of countries as of 1500 GMT on Wednesday and their airspace status: CLICK HERE for airline telephone numbers.

AUSTRIA - Airspace open as of 0300 GMT Monday.
BELGIUM - Belgium began allowing planes to land on Tuesday. Some flight departures were allowed from 1200 GMT Tuesday.
BOSNIA - Airports open (see Serbia entry).
BRITAIN - Britain reopened its airspace on Tuesday night. British Airways say it will operate all its long-haul flights departing from Heathrow and Gatwick airports on Wednesday, but there would be short-haul cancellations to and from London airports until 1200 GMT.
BULGARIA - All airspace and airports open.
CZECH REPUBLIC - Airspace and airports open as of 1000 GMT on Monday. Prague Airport plans to handle 322 flights on Wednesday, around 83 percent of normal operations.
DENMARK - All airspace and airports remain open until at least 0600 GMT on Thursday.
ESTONIA - Airspace open.
FINLAND - Finavia closed the main Helsinki-Vantaa airport on Wednesday afternoon after opening it for a few hours earlier. Finnair said it would cancel all domestic and European traffic, along with departing long-haul flights. Besides Helsinki, the airports in Turku, Malmi, Lappeenranta and Mariehamn are also closed. The situation would be reviewed at 2100 GMT, but expected restrictions on southern Finland's airspace would continue.
FRANCE - All French long-haul flights should be departing as normal, but flights to some northern European airports could still be suspended. Air France-KLM said in a statement its network was almost back to normal.
GERMANY - Air traffic control said German airspace would be open by 0900 GMT. Airports in the cities of Hamburg, Berlin, Bremen, and Hanover were open. About 700 flights, or about half of the usual number, were expected to take off and land in Frankfurt on Wednesday, airport operator Fraport say. It will take at least 24 hours or even several days until flight operations have returned to normal.
HUNGARY - Hungarian airspace is fully open, the air traffic authority said around 0800 GMT on Tuesday.
IRELAND - Flights in Northern Europe (except flights between Ireland and the UK) to operate as scheduled from 0400 GMT Thursday. Flights between Ireland and UK will resume normal schedules from 0400 GMT on Friday.
ITALY - Airspace has completely reopened.
LATVIA - Airspace open.
LUXEMBOURG - Luxembourg Airport reopened at 0800 GMT Tuesday.
MOLDOVA - Resumed international flights from 0730 GMT Tuesday.
MONTENEGRO - Airports open (see Serbia).
NETHERLANDS - Passenger flights began on Monday. Night flights resumed on Tuesday.
NORWAY - All Norway's airspace, including over offshore oil installations, is open until 1200 GMT. Airport authority Avinor anticipates that the airspace will remain open until tonight.
POLAND - Poland was reopening its airspace from 0500 GMT.
PORTUGAL - All airports have been open throughout the crisis -- its airspace has not been affected.
ROMANIA - Airspace fully reopened.
RUSSIA - All airports open. Aeroflot is flying to the United States via the North Pole.
SERBIA - Air traffic control said most of the air space in its area of responsibility (Serbia, Montenegro, parts of Bosnia and Southern Adriatic) is again affected by the volcanic ash cloud. It will decide every six hours whether to close airspace partially or completely. Airports in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia are currently open for traffic.
SLOVAKIA - Airspace and airports open as of 1240 GMT on Monday. Bratislava airport has resumed operation of flights, but no heavy traffic as Ryanair, operating most of the flights to and from Slovakia, has suspended all flights until Thursday 1100 GMT.
SLOVENIA - Slovenian airspace was opened at 1000 GMT on Tuesday. It had been partly closed since 0200 GMT Tuesday.
SPAIN - 17 airports open.
SWEDEN - Stockholm Arlanda airport will reopen at 1400 GMT. Aviation authority say bans on flying through most of Swedish airspace would be gradually lifted throughout the day.
SWITZERLAND - Geneva and Zurich airports reopened on Tuesday morning though some flights were cancelled at both.
TURKEY - All airports open. Flight restrictions at certain altitudes in three Black Sea cities have been lifted.
UKRAINE - Major airline MAU say it plans to conduct all regular flights, including flights to Europe.
(Reuters)

Ash Cloud update. Flights Pick Up In Europe As Ash Risk Lowered

European airports started to return to life on Today after five days cut off from the rest of the world by a volcanic ash cloud, as authorities downgraded the risk the ash posed to aircraft.

Britain, a major global air hub as well as a busy destination in its own right that has been squarely under the ash plume, said it would reopen all its airspace within hours, giving a huge boost to travellers and air freight.
The progressive reopening offered stranded passengers relief after days of frustration since no-fly zones were imposed on Thursday.
European aviation control agency Eurocontrol said on Tuesday about half of scheduled air traffic in Europe was expected to operate: about 14,000 flights, up from a third on Monday.

Britain had lagged its European neighbours in downgrading the threat to planes from the ash, which can potentially scour and even paralyse jet engines. Maybe I will finally receive my FedEx envelope missing for a week?
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Positive Results For Air Traffic at Düsseldorf Airport

Some 810,000 passengers arrived and departed Düsseldorf Airport during the two-week Easter holidays. The good news...that is a plus of 9.1 percent compared with last year’s Easter holidays. The airlines carried out about 8,800 take-offs and landings in the period of the holidays – as many as in the Easter holidays of 2009. The day with the heaviest traffic was the last day of school: On Friday, March 26, some 63,000 passengers were counted at the airport and about 700 take-offs and landings. By comparison: Düsseldorf International usual count is 49,000 passengers and 590 take-offs and landings on an average day.

Altogether 3.7 million air passengers were counted at Düsseldorf Airport in the first quarter of this year. Consequently, the volume of passengers has grown by 7.8 percent compared with the same period last year. These figures lift the airport into the top group of comparable German airports. After the fall in traffic caused by the decline in 2009 the recovery of air traffic in Düsseldorf, is on the rise....
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Is it really going to cost a buck and a half to use the toilet

Word is speading that Irish low cost carrier, Ryanair is working with aircraft manufacturer Boeing to develop a coin-operated toilet so it can charge customers one British Pound (1.50 U.S.) to use the toilets on short-haul flights lasting less than an hour. Hmmm...one may have to cut back on the beer drinking..or hope flight attendants have lots of change...
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