Possible issues with flights to/from/above France on Thursday 5 December
Dec 3, 2019, 8:47 am
#16
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Switzerland
Programs: AY+ Platinum, SK Gold, BAEC Silver, airbaltic VIP, Radisson VIP
Posts: 6,531
I had similar routings to CH to avoid French airspace. Problem with this is everybody wants to do this and therefore there will be slot delays because the enroute airways will be full / overcrowded, especially above Benelux.
Dec 3, 2019, 9:08 am
#17
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Just a note before anyone asks to say that BA Holidays have the exact same rebooking policy as the regular, ticket only BA. After much hesitation, I decided to bring my departure forward to tomorrow instead of Thursday (not too happily as I'm only flying in this evening and could have done with 24 hours without moving as I'm doing 4 continents in 6 days already!!!). Better safe than sorry...
Dec 3, 2019, 12:32 pm
#18
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Glasgow
Programs: BAEC Silver, Sixt Platinum, HHons Diamond
Posts: 927
Currently sipping a glass of Pic St Loup in Carcassonne (having just arrived via Toulouse) and pondering whether my return journey on Thursday will go as smoothly as my flights today. Too late to do much about it so fingers crossed!
Dec 3, 2019, 12:50 pm
#19
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Dallas, Texas
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Posts: 1,186
I was to spend 3 days in Paris from Dec 8th to the 11th and fly out of CDG to DFW on that day. My Eurostar from London on the 8th was cancelled and no rebooking on that day. I ended up canceling my time in Paris and will remain in London an extra 3 days. I was able to change my AA flight from CDG to a LHR departure. As the strike is ongoing I simply didn't want to deal with the potential chaos at the last minute.
Dec 3, 2019, 1:16 pm
#20
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 29
I have a trip to Spain booked for this weekend; not to BCN/MAD though, so no rebooking offered yet. On top of that, I have more flights booked to and from GVA early next week. I will just have to sit tight, hope it all gets resolved and/or there are not too many cancellations...
Dec 3, 2019, 1:56 pm
#21
Join Date: Nov 2018
Programs: BA Bronze, Hilton Gold
Posts: 39
I have a positioning flight LHR-CDG at lunch time on Friday 6th and an ex-EU CDG-LHR-GIG first thing on Saturday 7th.
Spoke to customer services and said they would move it to the 4th or 8-12th but wouldn’t let me drop the first leg. Just recommended I turned up in Paris and if the flight was cancelled they would deal with it then. I suspect if I get to LHR on Friday and all flights to Paris are cancelled they will be more flexible at the airport but just have to see I guess.
Spoke to customer services and said they would move it to the 4th or 8-12th but wouldn’t let me drop the first leg. Just recommended I turned up in Paris and if the flight was cancelled they would deal with it then. I suspect if I get to LHR on Friday and all flights to Paris are cancelled they will be more flexible at the airport but just have to see I guess.
Dec 3, 2019, 2:12 pm
#22
Join Date: May 2016
Location: EDI
Programs: Was BA GGL but no longer travelling
Posts: 583
Off-topic I know but I'm having my first non-work flight of the year, from EDI to LIS, on Thursday via a certain orange airline (hence the off-topic). A few days break in Portugal. 90+ flights with BA an QR this year, and then this one 
Looking at the map we'll head out over Biscay which I assume is covered by the French, Oh well, what will be will be.....
Looking at the map we'll head out over Biscay which I assume is covered by the French, Oh well, what will be will be.....
Dec 3, 2019, 2:55 pm
#23
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I was to spend 3 days in Paris from Dec 8th to the 11th and fly out of CDG to DFW on that day. My Eurostar from London on the 8th was cancelled and no rebooking on that day. I ended up canceling my time in Paris and will remain in London an extra 3 days. I was able to change my AA flight from CDG to a LHR departure. As the strike is ongoing I simply didn't want to deal with the potential chaos at the last minute.
Dec 3, 2019, 11:24 pm
#25
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2008
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I have a positioning flight LHR-CDG at lunch time on Friday 6th and an ex-EU CDG-LHR-GIG first thing on Saturday 7th.
Spoke to customer services and said they would move it to the 4th or 8-12th but wouldn’t let me drop the first leg. Just recommended I turned up in Paris and if the flight was cancelled they would deal with it then. I suspect if I get to LHR on Friday and all flights to Paris are cancelled they will be more flexible at the airport but just have to see I guess.
Spoke to customer services and said they would move it to the 4th or 8-12th but wouldn’t let me drop the first leg. Just recommended I turned up in Paris and if the flight was cancelled they would deal with it then. I suspect if I get to LHR on Friday and all flights to Paris are cancelled they will be more flexible at the airport but just have to see I guess.
Last edited by orbitmic; Dec 4, 2019 at 4:17 am
Dec 4, 2019, 12:47 am
#26
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Hong Kong, France
Programs: FB , BA Gold
Posts: 15,557
The French ATC strike should not be as bad as some of the previous ones. The largest ATC union has not joined the strike, although some of its members might decide otherwise. DGAC (ATC authorities) requested airlines to drop 20% of their flights for December 5.
Trains are anther issue and strike will last several days.
Trains are anther issue and strike will last several days.
Dec 4, 2019, 4:16 am
#27
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: LON
Programs: Mucci, BAEC, Eurostar
Posts: 3,293
Dec 4, 2019, 6:37 am
#28
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC GGL, HH DIAMOND, AVIS Presidents Club, Karahi Express
Posts: 1,229
Some cancellations already apppearing for Thursday:
- 2 LHR-GVA-LHR
- 1 LHR-BSL-LHR
- 2 LHR-NCE-LHR
- 3 LHR-CDG-LHR
- 2 LHR-MAD-LHR (IB and BA)
- 2 LHR-BCN-LHR
Dec 4, 2019, 8:10 am
#29
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Kendal, Cumbria and Luzon
Programs: BA Silver, PR Elite, Avis Preferred Plus, PC Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 1,126
Yes consecutive flights ex MAD cancelled early PM including BA467.
alternative offered is via CPH arriving at 16.45 not 14.05.
Just spent an hour with the gold line trying to get a flight in to LHR before 14.05 or “trip in vain” to MAN later in the day as I’m booked BA1402 early evening.
Tried every creative solution including HEL and BCN but no one world options they can offer. Grrrr
alternative offered is via CPH arriving at 16.45 not 14.05.
Just spent an hour with the gold line trying to get a flight in to LHR before 14.05 or “trip in vain” to MAN later in the day as I’m booked BA1402 early evening.
Tried every creative solution including HEL and BCN but no one world options they can offer. Grrrr
Dec 4, 2019, 8:34 am
#30
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Glasgow
Programs: BAEC Silver, Sixt Platinum, HHons Diamond
Posts: 927
My 17:30 flight from Toulouse tomorrow now cancelled and rebooked onto the 11:20 BA373 which is still running at this point.
Have to decide whether I’d be better to drive back to TLS tonight and change my hotel from Carcassonne to one near the airport in case of really bad traffic tomorrow morning. Hard to tell if the roads will be quiet due to people staying home or total gridlock if more people take to the roads.
Have to decide whether I’d be better to drive back to TLS tonight and change my hotel from Carcassonne to one near the airport in case of really bad traffic tomorrow morning. Hard to tell if the roads will be quiet due to people staying home or total gridlock if more people take to the roads.