Bits: the dead are unhappy IAG bought Aer Lingus, Airportr JV with Gatwick Express

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• Pr99 says:

  14 May14 May 06:24

  Apparently the dead are more unhappy with Micheal O’Leary but that comes as no surprise.

• Andy says:

  14 May14 May 08:38

  Train to Gatwick, if you are using southern or Gatwick express the please make sure you leave plenty of time as there are a large number of cancellations. Two ongoing industrial disputes with drivers on Gatwick Express and conductors on Southern. Staff sickness on Southern is currently at an all time high on Southern.

  The Southern Conductors disoute as got very nasty as they went on strike (nothing to do with pay) and Govia Thameslink Railway removed thier car parking passes and free travel passes.

  Govia Thameslink Railway which includes Southern, Gatwick Express and Thameslink is the worst performing train firm in the UK in terms of punctuality. The latest Network Rail reporting period show they are performing around 10 to 15% than other train operators in the South East.

  Currently I would much rather use Heathrow and City than Gatwick due to the very poor train service to Gatwick at present.

  • Aeronaut says:

    14 May14 May 21:04

    Good point re problems on the line to Gatwick. The dispute seems pretty acrimonious and it’s possible things might get worse before they get better.

    One suggestion I read was that the government is willing to use this particular dispute to try to temper the power of the rail unions across the whole industry. Rail franchisees are relatively short lived and so have generally been willing to avoid extended disputes, but the Govia Thameslink Railway franchise is different as it’s a management contract with the DfT (I think the reason being the big disruptions to train services whilst the London Bridge rebuild takes place), so the DfT/government can have more of a say.

• Imbruce says:

  14 May14 May 10:34

  We gave up taking the train to Gatwick years ago, too much hassle.
  It’s chepaper and easier for us to park in the Long Stay car park and get a bus to the terminal
  than it is to take the train.
  Also you vpcan get Avios on your parking.

• harry says:

  14 May14 May 19:19

  British airlines have unlawfully pocketed nearly £300m in taxes paid by passengers who have cancelled or missed their flights, barristers say, as they prepare to take legal action to help millions of passengers get their money back.

  For years, carriers including British Airways, Ryanair, Monarch, Jet2 and Virgin have effectively denied passengers air passenger duty (APD) refunds where they are rightfully owed by charging them “excessive” fees to reclaim it.

  In many cases these so-called “administration fees” far exceed the value of the tax being refunded, making a genuine reclaim impossible.

  For example Jet2 charges £40 for reclaiming APD worth £13 for a short-haul economy flight, while BA charges up to £30 for the service.

  Airlines claim these fees are to cover the cost of processing refunds.
  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/14/british-airlines-unlawfully-pocketing-300m-in-tax-paid-by-passen/

  • Rob says:

    14 May14 May 19:55

    I have an article in the pipeline about a class action settlement on this.

• harry says:

  14 May14 May 20:47

  Well-written review on La Compagnie
  http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/i-flew-on-an-all-business-class-airline-i-had-never-heard-of-and-it-was-one-of-the-best-travel-a7028611.html

  • Rob says:

    14 May14 May 21:45

    It is still totally up in the air over whether we will get our review flight or not. Proving trickier than the first Qatar review flight I did and that’s saying something 🙂

  • Genghis says:

    14 May14 May 22:32

    Agreed. I’m actually quite keen on trying them.

• zsalya says:

  16 May16 May 10:15

  Three attendants for seventy-four seats!
  I’m not sure what Club World is overall but on 747 upper deck it is two for twenty.
  That may explain some comments about La Compagnie service feeling slightly skimpy, but if pre-plating etc is what enables them to keep the cost down, then it may be a good idea.

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