MSPeconomist

Public service announcement:

AF is in the middle of a labor dispute with their cabin crew that started today. As usual, few longhaul flights (AF operated) are cancelled and somewhat more of their intraEU flights are cancelled or badly delayed. DL has issued a travel waiver for itineraries to/from/through CDG between now and August 2nd: no change fees and no payment of fare differences if travel is rebooked to commence by August 12th, otherwise no change fees. Of course, if the flight is cancelled or "badly" delayed, you're entitled to a full refund.

KLM is expecting a problem starting tomorrow with a union representing some of their ground staff such as check in agents. Obviously the big impact will be felt at AMS. I haven't yet seen a DL travel waiver for KLM/AMS flights.

In the cases of both CDG and AMS, AF and KLM respectively provide ground handling; DL passengers share lines (check in and bag drop staffed by AF/KLM, plus passport control and security) with some AF/KLM passengers, both SkyPriority and kettles. Disruptions such as long lines are expected, although there isn't much information yet as to how bad it will be. I just heard that today AF cancelled 20% of short- and mid-haul flights, but only 7 (or 10%) of their longhaul service.

There's a thread in the AF forum on this, IIRC entitled "strikes, strikes, strikes,...." Go to the last page or two for information on these incidents.

I would suggest allowing extra time, not only for check in and baggage drop but also for passport control and security, where there might be slowdowns in addition to the current enhanced state of security in France.

GRALISTAIR

Yes I am taking no risks in the next 2 months. I am doing DAY-ATL-MAN and return on DL/VS. (I avoid CDG like the plague anyway, and certainly will avoid AMS now too).

Hoyaheel

Have been hoping they settle things before my AF flights mid-September - as you note, I'm not worried about getting to CDG or out of there TATL, but the intra-Europe flights worry me....

Grouchy

As posted in the other thread:
Regarding AMS/KLM; it's one union (FNV) representing 4000 employees out of 14500 KLM ground staff (check-in staff , baggage handlers and technicians etc ) which is planning actions starting thursday 28 July between 9:00 and 13:00 AMS-time (the other unions will not participate)
In the beginning (until at least 31 July) they will be public friendly and travellers shouldn't notice any delays/interuptions because of them but after that date...

Not going to pack light those comming weeks when it comes to carry-on luggage once i see the three letters AMS on my itinerary. The luggage might not make it.

MSPeconomist

Media in Europe are reporting that 30%, not 20% as I said earlier, of domestic and short/medium haul flights were cancelled today, plus 10% of longhaul flights as claimed earlier today.

davetravels

Uh-oh!

Arriving in AMS on Aug 6 - - Leaving for TXL on Aug 7.

Back via CDG Aug 15 & 16.

I'll keep my fingerz crossed.



Thank goodness I'm flying RyanAir to STN on Aug 9-10!!

MSPeconomist

I never thought I would ever hear someone express gratitude for being booked on RyanAir. You're very brave.

HelloItsMe

Can someone remind me why people still book tickets on AF?

MSPeconomist

They fly to nice places like Paris, Nice, etc.

Good food and wine. Some like the "style" of the FAs.

Sometimes cheaper than DL, previously easier/cheaper to upgrade than DL flights.

Hoyaheel

I'm apparently an oddball but I like the premium economy seats (when I can get them for what I consider a reasonable price) ^

davetravels

Nah!

As I posted elsewhere recently, I had a FABULOUS overnite trip from Berlin to Bratislava in February flying RyanAir for 20.38€! (Got to add a new country to my list! ) You just hafto know what to do - and what NOT to do! For an overnite trip with only a small carry-on bag, it's a breeze!

For the STN trip next month, I will only hava carry-on going TO London, but, will likely hafto check a bag of shopping stuff on the way back, so, I had to pay 25€ for a checked bag on the return . All in 67.30€ for a full 2 day / 1 nite trip to London. Not too bad.

Grouchy

They come in handy when you have a D1 B777 flight (you really don't want to fly the B777 but are too stingy to book the direct D1 A330 flight). You make sure that the connecting flight is on AF and then all you have to do is to wait for the:
you may make a one-time change to your ticket without fee if you are scheduled to travel to, from, or through the following destination(s) on Delta, Delta Connection®, or Delta-coded flights during the specified time periods listed below.
message on Delta.com

As expected AF didn't dissapoint last month

Xeno

I have flown them at least once a year because the DL W fares with co-chair AF flights have been previously upgraded to business class for very few SM and the fare is much less than a Z fare.

Like Grouchy, I have always had schedule changes that put me back on DL medal like the June itinerary that worked on the outbound but not the return.

I just missed one of the strikes when I did CPH-CDG-MSP in late June but I missed one of the real strikes by 24 hours or more and had no problems. I did, however, closely follow this thread mentioned by MSP:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/air-f...s-strikes.html

Dieuwer

Delta is flying its own metal to CDG and NCE. No need to book AF.

Grouchy

You might win their lotto!

Departing from AMS on 1 Aug, connecting at PVG to/from CAN on 2 Aug and 5 Aug, arriving in AMS on 5 August. Talk about murphy's law, every airport on that trip is now a potential ****@#
Connecting AMS towards MSP and on at 14 Aug & connecting through AMS again on 24 August should be easy peasy after the AMS-PVG-CAN one.