Hello, and welcome back to our regular roundup of travel and transports news, here on ExpatsRadio.com.
It’s been a rocky end to a rocky year for the travel industry and for the many travellers who have fallen victim to 2011’s 24 holiday company collapses, leading to 74,000 travellers reclaiming more than £26 million.
But, believe it or not, those figures were a slight improvement on 2010, when 29 companies failed, impacting on 189,000 travellers and resulting in £47 million worth of compensation claims. However, nothing is simple, and research, produced by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, found the average traveller has had to wait for up to four months for a refund, and for one reason or another, more than 6,000 travellers (8%) have missed out completely on compensation payments to which they were entitled.
But back to the last few weeks... whilst most of us have been enjoying the festive period, many of the back-room boys and girls in the travel industry have been working all hours to resolve several problems affecting their particular mode of transport. Bad weather has resulted in challenges for ferries and airlines, and even Eurostar has had to cancel trains to Brussels due to a general strike in Belgium just before Christmas.
A limited replacement coach service operated between Lille and Brussels Midi stations in both directions in order to accommodate Eurostar travellers affected by the strike, however the operator warned demand was "extremely high" – to the extent that Eurostar recommended that passengers booked to travel on services to or from Brussels on one particular day should exchange their tickets to travel at a different time, for which the operator waived all usual fees.
UK airports also experienced cancellations and delays, but this time due to the severe weather. Edinburgh airport was closed to inbound flights, whilst Heathrow, Gatwick and Glasgow airports were also among the airports showing cancellations and delays.
Ferry services between Dover and Calais were severely disrupted due to high winds – on top of the current problems and non-sailings of SeaFrance – and Brittany Ferries’ Portsmouth to St Malo service had to be diverted to Cherbourg due to adverse weather. Condor Ferries also halted fast crossings between Guernsey, Jersey and the UK amid concerns over treacherous weather conditions. However, passengers were able to use Condor’s all-weather conventional ferry service that provides crossings between Portsmouth and the Channel Islands.
And one more potential problem for listeners of ExpatsRadio, Ryanair has cut its Alicante services by 50% for 2012, blaming the airport for forcing it to use ‘unnecessary’ airbridges.
The airline, which claims the airbridges cost it two million euros a year in fees, has appealed to the Spanish Commercial courts over the charges which is due to be heard in early February.
Ryanair refutes claims from the airport that the airbridges are a safety issue and that Ryanair’s cutbacks were already planned. It added that if the compulsory airbridge use is withdrawn or if they win the appeal, the Alicante flights, traffic and job cuts will be reversed for summer 2012. The airline had already cut its winter 2011/12 services at Alicante by 50%.
However, let’s try to put all that behind us, and look forward to better weather and happier times in 2012.
The latest breaking news from SeaFrance is that SeaFrance has been officially liquidated by a French court and told to cease activity, with the loss of 130 jobs in the UK.
The Tribunal de Commerce decided its future after the European Commission ruled that a 200m Euros bailout by the French government was illegal.
The court said the offer by a cooperative of SeaFrance employees was not acceptable. This was after a last-ditch attempt to rescue the Dover-Calais ferry operator got the surprise backing of competitor Eurotunnel.
Eurotunnel boss, Jacques Gounon, has been reported as saying that his company was "a candidate for a majority stake” in a transport company which would take over the SeaFrance operations, and then rent them to a workers cooperative.
Politicians hailed the offer from Eurotunnel. "Any solution that lets us find solutions for the employees, any solution that lets the company stay in business is a solution that the court will look at," Employment Minister Xavier Bertrand told France Inter radio.
A joint bid by French LD Lines and Danish ferry company DFDS was rejected back in November, because it would have seen many staff sacked and could have triggered industrial action. Since then, SeaFrance ferries have remained moored at Calais.
Whether this week’s ruling will finally mark the end of the SeaFrance name, remains to be seen. Once again in this long and drawn-out saga, it’s a case of... Watch This Space...
Seasonal bad weather may be affecting them, but Channel Island ferry operator Condor Ferries has announced that, for 2012, it is increasing the frequency of its fast ferry services, and that its popular day trips from Poole to Jersey and Guernsey will make a return. Passengers will also be able to take advantage of connecting services to St Malo on the French coast via Jersey and Guernsey.
Alicia Andrews, sales and marketing director, said: "We have worked hard to ensure that our 2012 summer schedule allows our passengers even greater freedom when it comes to sailing times for trips to France and the Channel Islands next year.
"Our increased sailings from Poole demonstrate our commitment to the Dorset port and we are delighted to be able to resume the day trip service which gives passengers a taste of the Channel Islands plus genuine duty fee shopping onboard.
"We’ve also introduced a new connecting service from St Malo back to Poole which gives passengers the unique opportunity to cross the Channel, shop onboard for genuine duty free goods and cruise through the spectacular coastlines of the Channel Islands on one trip."
Brittany Ferries is offering customers, who book by 6th February, a saving of up to 15% on self-catering holidays to France and Spain. The saving applies to holidays throughout 2012, even including the Easter and summer school holidays and half-term breaks, and kids up to 16 go free. The reduction doesn’t only apply to holiday accommodation, but also covers ferry sailings and cabins on Brittany Ferries’ cruise and fast-ferry routes from Portsmouth, Poole and Plymouth to the French ports of Caen, Cherbourg, St Malo, and Roscoff, as well as Bilbao and Santander in Spain.
More good news for many is that Eurostar has announced that ticket sales for its popular direct summer services to Avignon have already opened. The early sale is to cope with traveller demand for its services to the Provence region of France.
Travellers are advised to book early to avoid disappointment for the weekly direct services that will run from 7th July to 1st September. With direct journey times of less than six hours from St Pancras International in London and Ashford International in Kent, direct to Avignon, the summer service is a favourite with travellers and tickets sell fast every year.
Nick Mercer, commercial director for Eurostar commented: "Our direct Avignon summer services grow in popularity each year, as people across the country see how easy and enjoyable it is to travel across Europe by high-speed rail. By opening sales to Avignon earlier than usual we are giving customers even more flexibility when planning their summer trip to Provence. Journeys with Eurostar avoid the summer scramble at the airports and increasingly, passengers see their journey as part of the holiday itself."
Frequent travellers can lock into low fares to France with P&O Ferries in 2012 with season tickets for the company’s Dover–Calais service. Prices can be fixed at as little as £48 return for a car and up to nine people, and season tickets are fully flexible so travel dates can be amended without charge.
Season ticket holders also benefit from discounts for add-ons such as entry into the P&O Ferries club lounges, the company’s priority boarding service, and even money off the cost of pet travel if using the Pet Passport Scheme.
The more season tickets bought, the better the savings they offer. The smallest batch available is three returns for a car and passengers, priced at £66 each. Six returns cost £58 each, nine cost £54 each and a block of 20 costs £48 each.
DFDS Seaways is also offering some New Year cheer in the form of a range of 2-for-1 deals, and other discounts, on selected breaks with the cruise ferry operator For a two-night mini cruise from Newcastle to Amsterdam, prices start from £79 for two people. The ship departs daily from Newcastle, and the 2-for-1 offer is available on selected departures until March 31st.
Back to Brittany Ferries for a minute... as we have reported on ExpatsRadio in the past, for several years the ferry operator has enjoyed a partnership with ORCA, the whale and dolphin conservation charity, and is now once again offering the chance to see some fascinating wildlife while on ferries to Spain.
Expert volunteers from the charity sail on ferries from Portsmouth to Bilbao and Santander from April to September, during which time they provide an insight into the natural world under the surface of the water.
To date, at least 23 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises have been documented in UK waters, and during one week in September last year, a wealth of different species was seen, including a large pod of 70 striped dolphins and a smaller one of Pilot Whales. Another sighting included two Cuiver's Beaked Whales, as well as a distant Sperm Whale beneath the surface.
Apart from showing passengers what the seas have in store, ORCA volunteers also run daily talks for anyone who wants to learn more. They explain what species are likely to be seen in the Bay of Biscay, as well as what people can do to help protect marine wildlife. It is often the case that in excess of 100 passengers attend the talks, before heading up on deck to put their newly-acquired knowledge to good use.
Aer Lingus has announced the addition of new routes and increased frequencies to its summer 2012 schedule. The airline is to introduce flights from Dublin to Verona and Stockholm, and also increase frequency on thirteen of its other routes, including Faro, Perpignon and Zurich.
And finally... Premier Inn has revealed that there is such a thing as sleeping on the wrong
side of the bed. According to a new study carried out by the hotel chain, those who have a tendency to migrate to the left side of the bed are, in fact, far better off than their 'right' counterparts.
The study of 3,000 adults by the UK's biggest chain of hotels found that not only are those who sleep on the left generally more cheerful, but they are also more positive and capable of tackling heavy workloads and a stressful day ahead. However, those who sleep on the right-hand side are less likely to wake up in a good mood.
Over a quarter of people who snooze on the left side of the bed feel they have a really positive outlook on life in general, compared to 18 per cent of right-side sleepers.
The upbeat morning mood of 'lefties' may also go as far as explaining why over half of those surveyed refuse to swap sides with their other half. In fact, over 75% of Brits are so stuck in their sleeping routine that they would find it strange to sleep on the other side of the bed. Additionally, a quarter of them claim it would certainly affect their mood the next day, with 23% of the nation convinced there is a wrong side of the bed.
That’s about it for our first show of 2012, but join us again soon for another roundup of travel and transport news, here on ExpatsRadio.com. Until then happy travels – and make sure YOU don’t get out of bed on the wrong side!
This programme was researched and written for ExpatsRadio.com by Peter Clayton
www.freelance-writing-services-normandy.co.uk
