Is it any wonder UK travellers are fed up?

13th August 2010

2010 could go down as the year that broke the camel’s back. During the first 8 months of this year customers trying to fly out of UK airports and been hampered with one thing after another.

First off they had to contend with the long running dispute between cabin crew under the auspices of the Unite union and BA. This dispute caused thousands of flights to be cancelled over several days and is still ongoing although the last vote following BA’s hard stance of several months was inconclusive with less than 50% of the members casting a vote.

Whilst this was all going on, we had thousands of people stranded abroad following the eruption of a volcano in Iceland that grounded virtually all of UK air space for several days in April and May. Initially this blanket ban caused thousands of flights to be cancelled from every UK airport ruining travel plans and leaving those abroad with no means to get back.

Compensation from airlines and travel companies to their customers for hotel accommodation and fresh flights back is still being haggled over with many still waiting for monies after over 3 months. We now learn that about 1500 people are stranded once again in Spain following the collapse of Sun4U and are being asked by hoteliers who presumably are not going to be paid by Sun4u to stump up cash for accommodation until flights can be arranged.

At to cap it all Unite have received a positive vote for strike action at BAA controlled airports following their refusal to accept a 15 pay increase. The members work within security and fire fighting services and BAA response has been that fewer than half the members voted and therefore question the Union’s right to call for a strike. Whether the strike goes ahead or not the threat alone will cause uncertainty and put many travellers from these airports in an impossible position.

Spanish air traffic controllers are now in dispute and threatening to walk out which follows on from the Greek controllers the previous month.

Travelling abroad has become something of a lottery whereby if you get abroad there is no guarantee that you will get back.