stimpy

Back in Burgundy and there are no problems finding petrol as there are no stations I know of that are out. Look at the interactive maps at Le Figaro and elsewhere and you see that most of France is ok. It's only IDF and a couple other areas that have significant problems as of now. The police have broken a some of the refinery blockades so petrol is flowing.

brunos

Lucky you. I had to line up for over 30 minutes in the cote d'azur.

There is always a way to see a glass half-full as empty or full.

Here is an analysis of French airport supply (sorry in French):
http://www.huffingtonpost.fr/2016/05...10160898.html#

AF European flights have started loading fuel abroad.
The problem is that ORY and CDG are directly connected to the pipeline Le Havre-Paris, and this ne is getting rather dry. The crucial question is whether the refineries who have decided (note that I did not say voted) to strike will do so for a long time. The State has big stocks of gas but that is not very useful for ORY/CDG.

Anyway this is just a precautionary measure, as we have stimpy's full assurance that any disturbance will be over by the start of the Euro cup on June 10. I would be very happy if he is right.

stimpy

http://www.france24.com/fr/20160528-...vidalies-valls

And the interactive map http://www.lefigaro.fr/economie/le-s...-la-france.php

jsfr

Yesterday in Paris, no issues at all getting Petrol and certainly no stations were "dry". Some "queues", but seriously, nothing more than two or three cars deep and nothing like what is considered "normal" in many other less fortunate countries that I have lived in.

The queues are only caused by people (admittedly including myself) keeping cars full just in case, i.e. Filling up often instead of waiting for it to be really necessary....

One dry petrol ststion = 15 sensationalist journalists

As for flying, just makes sense to limit risk (and reduce impact of strikes and the CGT) to ask carriers to fill up elsewehere.

Otherwise - four dlight for me this week, no delays.

I actually agree kind of agree with Stimpy, the disruptions will be over by the Euro, the noise will continue, but just noise. This whole thing is being led by a few unions in a few industries, a minority of a minority of a minority and they need to be careful that the general public which is indeed anti-government doesn't switch to being anti-unions and start assimilating them with the casseurs...

stimpy

That switch has already begun, even in left-leaning Burgundy. I don't know the overall percentages though. I just know what I see and hear that most people don't seem to have a problem with the proposed labor laws and see at least some of them as necessary. They just don't want their retirement to be "enhanced".

brunos

Our foreign friends should be made aware that there will be several transport strikes this week: Air traffic controllers, trains, bus/subway.

brunos

And now the major AF pilots union has voted for a long strike in June.
They complain about their salary (only got a 7% raise in 2015):
http://www.leparisien.fr/economie/le...w.google.fr%2F

No dates set yet and it might never happen if management yields to their demands as they have done in the past.

Goldorak

I think we can see that as a (pathetic) "welcome/threat message" to the new CEO à la "look who is the real boss here".

markm1980

Hi all

We're supposed to be flying Ryanair Luton-Nimes (to attend a wedding) on Friday 3rd June and I'm growing increasingly concerned about this flight. Particularly since Ryanair will simply cancel and we will have no recourse (though I understand you get what you pay for).

Any thoughts or comments would be of interest.


Mark

brunos

This lowly person having lived for ten years in Asia will rely on Stimpy's certainty. Unfortunately a lot of damage is already done Travel agents who has blocked hotel nights during Euro are returning some of them. Nice was supposed to be full booked during the Monaco F1 last week end, but it became easy to find cheap rooms.

You are right that the French government seems to be ready to pay everyone (teachers, SNCF,..) to buy social peace. So we should expect them to put pressure on "their" national airline to satisfy all demands by pilots.

olivedel

I need to be at ORD before 7pm on Sunday. Hope I will manage to get rebooked to any flight heading to the US if my original plan is cancelled.

jsfr

Very special case - so hard to tell.

Normally these sort of ATC strikes do go ahead and have relatively limited impact as each airline is told to cancel x% of their flights.

So mostly they maintain all flights that have low frequency (e.g. long-hauls or destinations that have only one flight per day) they then re-book/re-route so most people get where they are going on the day they are going.

However, Ryanair... as they are all point to point whatever they decide to cancel will not be re-routeable and I doubt they have multiple daily frequencies to Nimes - but Nimes may well be a flight that they do not cancel...

Most airlines (including the low-costs) do announce their cancellation/re-booking policies 24hours/plus in advance, so I'd suggest you check what your alternatives might be ready to negotiate if and when (leave a day earlier, fly to Perpignan, Beziers, Carcassonne, etc.).

Artpen100

I am primarily concerned about the Civil Aviation strike currently set for this weekend, 3 - 5 June. I have already switched airlines to avoid the pilot strike. But does anyone have an impression based on past experience what impact this may have on long-haul traffic into CDG?

jsfr

For AF Long Haul - very little impact. Maybe some delays, at worst re-routing.

Artpen100

Just saw this on the English website:

"Industrial action called by French air traffic controllers

Industrial action called by French air traffic controllers on 3, 4 & 5 June 2016

Update on 31 May, 18:00 (Paris local time)

A call for strike action has been issued by some French air traffic controllers' unions on 3, 4 and 5 June 2016.

Currently, negotiations are still going on between the involved parties. If this industrial action is confirmed, we will conform to the request of French Civil Aviation Authorities.
These instructions will be given to all airlines on Wednesday 1st June 2016 in the afternoon and it may induce adaptation of our flight schedule.

We will inform you as soon as possible and make our utmost to assist you and minimize the impact of this industrial action on your travel plans."

So maybe more information tomorrow.