No shorthaul flights on Xmas day?
Oct 13, 2008, 1:10 am
#31
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: London, Sydney
Programs: Muccihood de la Rotisserie Doree, BAEC Gold, SAS Eurobonus basic, Ansett Golden Wing :-(
Posts: 3,114
Have you actually tried to rent a car on Christmas Day? Last time I did, booking a month in advance I could only get a diesel Ford Transit van. Avis and Hertz have nothing available at LHR on 25/12 this year. Haven't checked the others but either the agencies are closed or they are already booked out.
Oct 13, 2008, 1:15 am
#32
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: London, United Kingdom
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold;BA GGL; hhonors lifetime diamond; Marriott lt Gold; IH Plat Amb; Amex Centurion
Posts: 4,739
Oct 13, 2008, 1:20 am
#33
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: London, Sydney
Programs: Muccihood de la Rotisserie Doree, BAEC Gold, SAS Eurobonus basic, Ansett Golden Wing :-(
Posts: 3,114
That's why on Christmas Day you have to thank God for Muslims. Most corner shops they own/run in London are open and although you pay a premium if you've have forgotten some vital ingredient needed for your Christmas lunch, they are your saviour.
Oct 13, 2008, 1:58 am
#34
Fontaine d'honneur du Flyertalk
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Morbihan, France
Programs: Reine des Muccis de Pucci; Foreign Elitist (according to others)
Posts: 19,179
Gosh what a lot of assumptions and incorrect information!
Years ago - and I would go back no further than 1991 - very little flew on Christmas Day. Aircarft would come in land and practically nothing went out. Then the thaw started and there were flights on Chrismas Day - but these were mostly Long Haul. I remember that my God Daughter had her penpal arrive on Air France on Christmas Day 1992 - and I know that I was spared at the last minute doing a LAX on Christmas Day the same year (standby - not called). I had queried the AF arrival - but no - when we got to T2 they were pouring out. I gather that the flight was less than 20 mins as there were no delays and no holds.
Petrol has been freely available in the UK on Christmas Day for 25+ years. In fairness, it is the biggest public festival in the UK. It is Thanksgiving and 4th July all rolled into one. We have never had a National Day, indeed there is a lot of dissent about why we do not but there it is. Thanks to the Asian community there are small shops open even on Christmas Day. I am uncertain as to the opening arrnagements for Easter, but suspect that that with the Sunday trading rule - and please before sneering at the UK - no such rule exists in France, Italy, or particularly Germany. France (unless the law has changed recently) permits Sunday trading on 5 Sundays a year. Two of these are usually used during the sales and the other threee would be in the run up to Christmas and between Christmas and the New Year depending how the dates fell on the calendar.
Avis and Hertz at LHR are open on Christmas Day. At LGW they have been shut in the past.
Railways and buses have never operated over Christmas and most people think that at the most family of festivals that it is only fair that those who work there should be with their families. The same applies to domestic flights - there is not a great deal of demand as most people have got to their destinations by then - or at least tried to.
I believe that lots of domestic flights in the USA do not operate on Thanskgiving. I have seen ORD like a ghost town and I believe that the AC closes early that day - or at least did.
All over Europe, and indeed all over the world there are public holidays where everything closes down. I have to admit that retailing apart, lots of companies close for the entire Christmas New Year break - the UK gets less public holidays than most of Europe - there always seems some excuse or another for this - but Christmas is the great exception and there it is.
Years ago - and I would go back no further than 1991 - very little flew on Christmas Day. Aircarft would come in land and practically nothing went out. Then the thaw started and there were flights on Chrismas Day - but these were mostly Long Haul. I remember that my God Daughter had her penpal arrive on Air France on Christmas Day 1992 - and I know that I was spared at the last minute doing a LAX on Christmas Day the same year (standby - not called). I had queried the AF arrival - but no - when we got to T2 they were pouring out. I gather that the flight was less than 20 mins as there were no delays and no holds.
Petrol has been freely available in the UK on Christmas Day for 25+ years. In fairness, it is the biggest public festival in the UK. It is Thanksgiving and 4th July all rolled into one. We have never had a National Day, indeed there is a lot of dissent about why we do not but there it is. Thanks to the Asian community there are small shops open even on Christmas Day. I am uncertain as to the opening arrnagements for Easter, but suspect that that with the Sunday trading rule - and please before sneering at the UK - no such rule exists in France, Italy, or particularly Germany. France (unless the law has changed recently) permits Sunday trading on 5 Sundays a year. Two of these are usually used during the sales and the other threee would be in the run up to Christmas and between Christmas and the New Year depending how the dates fell on the calendar.
Avis and Hertz at LHR are open on Christmas Day. At LGW they have been shut in the past.
Railways and buses have never operated over Christmas and most people think that at the most family of festivals that it is only fair that those who work there should be with their families. The same applies to domestic flights - there is not a great deal of demand as most people have got to their destinations by then - or at least tried to.
I believe that lots of domestic flights in the USA do not operate on Thanskgiving. I have seen ORD like a ghost town and I believe that the AC closes early that day - or at least did.
All over Europe, and indeed all over the world there are public holidays where everything closes down. I have to admit that retailing apart, lots of companies close for the entire Christmas New Year break - the UK gets less public holidays than most of Europe - there always seems some excuse or another for this - but Christmas is the great exception and there it is.
Oct 13, 2008, 2:05 am
#35
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Manila, Philippines (MNL)
Programs: BAEC Gold [>20k Lifetime TPs] | Hilton Honors Lifetime Diamond [as is Mrs PtF] | Various Others
Posts: 6,156
Oct 13, 2008, 2:11 am
#36
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: London, Sydney
Programs: Muccihood de la Rotisserie Doree, BAEC Gold, SAS Eurobonus basic, Ansett Golden Wing :-(
Posts: 3,114
Oct 13, 2008, 2:14 am
#38
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: London, Sydney
Programs: Muccihood de la Rotisserie Doree, BAEC Gold, SAS Eurobonus basic, Ansett Golden Wing :-(
Posts: 3,114
Oct 13, 2008, 2:15 am
#39
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: London, United Kingdom
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold;BA GGL; hhonors lifetime diamond; Marriott lt Gold; IH Plat Amb; Amex Centurion
Posts: 4,739
I absolutely agree Pucci (and who on this forum would not agree with La Pucci on all matters without question 
). Every country needs a general holiday.
My point was on the unnecessary respect given to easter, a festival of ever diminishing importance to an ever diminishing number of people....
). Every country needs a general holiday. My point was on the unnecessary respect given to easter, a festival of ever diminishing importance to an ever diminishing number of people....
Oct 13, 2008, 2:17 am
#40
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold, LH Sen, MUCCI, Junior Jet Club.
Posts: 8,101
Oct 13, 2008, 3:48 am
#41
Fontaine d'honneur du Flyertalk
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Morbihan, France
Programs: Reine des Muccis de Pucci; Foreign Elitist (according to others)
Posts: 19,179
I absolutely agree Pucci (and who on this forum would not agree with La Pucci on all matters without question ). Every country needs a general holiday.
My point was on the unnecessary respect given to easter, a festival of ever diminishing importance to an ever diminishing number of people....
). Every country needs a general holiday. My point was on the unnecessary respect given to easter, a festival of ever diminishing importance to an ever diminishing number of people....
Phil - I bet you stand in for Rudolph with your (censored) so bright!! It always shone at night but I thought that was the drink?
Oct 13, 2008, 4:04 am
#42
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: 15 minutes west of LHR, Stockholm, or somewhere inbetween.
Programs: BAEC Gold GGL, CCR, GfL, Mucci des Recherches des Consommations Exotiques.
Posts: 2,463
For us, the 'no shorthaul flights on christmas day', causes an annual inconvenience.
My wife flies over to Sweden a few days before christmas, to spend christmas eve with her mother (The main day in Sweden is christmas eve).
She then flies back on christmas morning, to spend christmas day in the UK.
Because there are no BA flights, she has to fly SAS.
Perhaps I should suggest she catches a lift with santa instead.
bjorns
My wife flies over to Sweden a few days before christmas, to spend christmas eve with her mother (The main day in Sweden is christmas eve).
She then flies back on christmas morning, to spend christmas day in the UK.
Because there are no BA flights, she has to fly SAS.
Perhaps I should suggest she catches a lift with santa instead.
bjorns
Oct 13, 2008, 4:10 am
#43
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: LHR
Programs: BA Gold, TG Gold, HHonors Diamond, SPG Plat
Posts: 8,665
Public transports shuts down on Christmas Day because there is little for it and most of the staff want holidays to be with their family, for religious and non-religious reason, if only for the excuse to get drunk and argue with each other. Offices shut down for a long period (remember that UK businesses generally give more holidays than in the US).
Public transport runs on Easter since it is less customary to gather the family as they may still be annoyed with each other since Christmas was not long gone. Hence, there is more demand for public transport and more staff willing to work (suspect extra pay is involved).
Public transport runs on Easter since it is less customary to gather the family as they may still be annoyed with each other since Christmas was not long gone. Hence, there is more demand for public transport and more staff willing to work (suspect extra pay is involved).
Oct 13, 2008, 11:41 am
#44
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: London, United Kingdom
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold;BA GGL; hhonors lifetime diamond; Marriott lt Gold; IH Plat Amb; Amex Centurion
Posts: 4,739
Last edited by hsmall; Oct 13, 2008 at 12:18 pm Reason: getting the markup language right
Oct 13, 2008, 11:59 am
#45
Moderator, Hilton Honors
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: on a short leash
Programs: some
Posts: 71,422
Public transports shuts down on Christmas Day because there is little for it and most of the staff want holidays to be with their family, for religious and non-religious reason, if only for the excuse to get drunk and argue with each other. Offices shut down for a long period (remember that UK businesses generally give more holidays than in the US).
For tourists (and yes I've had my share of Christmas' in UK) the almost complete shut down is a major annoyance.