Posts Tagged ‘Gatwick Airport’

Unite, the union that represents BA cabin crew have just announced that their members will strike for three days from 20 March and for four days from 27 March.

Grounded Planes - Soon to be a common sight?

BBC News is reporting that British Airways has implemented extensive contingency plans, including training 1,000 staff to work as cabin crew to cover striking workers.  They are also looking to hire charter aircraft to keep as many flights as possible in operation.

A British Airways spokesperson has said that flights from London City Airport and 70% of flights from Gatwick, including all long-haul flights, should be operational.  He went on to say that Heathrow would be able to offer some long and short-haul services.

If you’re planning on travelling on the strike dates, be sure to check with BA for the latest information before you leave to find out if your plans will be affected.

Three major UK airlines have warned BAA that a £900 million improvement scheme for Gatwick Airport is futile in the face of dwindling passenger numbers.

BAA's £900m plan deemed "pointless" by airlines

Guardian.co.uk reports that, in a letter sent to BAA, British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair said that the business case for funnelling hundreds of millions of pounds into new facilities was “unproven”, especially in light of a fall in traffic of 12% since the start of this year.  The letter went on to state that it was pointless to make decisions about future developments at Gatwick when the airport is due to be sold in the near future.  The airlines are also very concerned that they will be the ones stuck with the bill for any improvements, and will ultimately have to pass on the cost to passengers by increasing fares.

We at GoSimply.com might not have control over the cost of flights, but we can assure our customers that we will always provide great deals on Gatwick Airport parking (and parking at 23 other UK airports) to help keep the cost of holidays down.

Today is the final day for companies interested in purchasing Gatwick Airport to throw their hats in the ring.

BAA is expected to receive three serious offers, which are rumoured to be for less than the £2 billion estimates suggested last year.  The interested parties are understood to be groups including General Electric, Manchester Airport and Vancouver Airport.

The Competition Commission ordered BAA to sell off Gatwick, Stansted and one of their Scottish airports last year, after an inquiry found that travellers were suffering due to a lack of competition between airports.  BAA has until the 19th of May to appeal against the Commission’s decision.

In a provisional decision announced today, the Competition Commission has advised BAA to sell Gatwick, Stansted and Edinburgh Airports.

BAA, who put Gatwick up for sale after the Commission’s initial report in August, have stated they believe there is no compelling evidence that Stansted should be sold.  They’ve also added that there was no justification for specifying which airport in Scotland should be sold.

There are several international firms who are said to be interested in purchasing Gatwick, and Virgin Atlantic has said it is preparing a bid as part of a consortium.

The Competition Commission is considering responses to today’s provisional decision, and will publish their final report in late February or early March.

Gatwick Airport’s runway was closed this morning at 06.50 due to what airport officials described as “exceptional weather conditions”.

Essential maintenance and de-icing works are taking place, and the runway will be reopened as soon as it is safe to do so.  In the meantime, approximately 60 inbound and outbound flights have been affected, with a number of flights being diverted to other airports.

As expected, anyone travelling today has been advised to allow plenty of extra time for their journey to the airport and for checking-in.  Passengers should also check with their airline for the latest flight information.

Recent research, conducted by Travelrobe, has found that using public transport, when travelling to Gatwick airport, is far more expensive than using airport parking.

This research flies in the face of advice to travellers that they should use public transport as it is cheaper and better for the environment. The facts are that public transport is actually much more expensive and far less convenient when travelling with heavy luggage and children.

The cost for a family of four travelling on the Gatwick Express train from London would be £86.40 return. If they chose to use a private cab the cost would be around £95 return to central London. When compared with the current cost of a Gatwick Airport Parking space of around £42 for one week or £55 for two, the airport parking option is clearly the winner.

Ref:
Airport Parking Trumps Public Transport at Gatwick Airport

Thinking of travelling over the Bank holiday?

We have been informed that there could be severe disruption if you are flying from Gatwick or Stansted Airport. Unions have said that baggage handlers and check-in staff at Gatwick and Stansted Airport are going on strike on Bank Holiday Monday 25th 2008 for 24 hours in a row over pay.

At Gatwick Airport, 318 Swissport workers will walk out, halting services at some airlines. A second strike is planned for Friday 29 August 2008 also.

After staff were offered a 3% pay offer it was rejected by Unite Union due to being below inflation – they said it was “an insult”. Workers from two unions at Stansted Airport also have voted to strike as well. Unite have hinted that industrial action could spread to other airports in the forth coming weeks.

Unite members working for Swissport at Stansted Airport will be joined by 30 members of the GMB union when they walk out on Monday 25th August 2008 and possibly Friday 29th August 2008.

If delays are imminent, it does not mean you have to completely cancel your plans, just check that you have a decent level of travel insurance that covers baggage delays and airport disruption.

UPDATE ON BAGGAGE STRIKE…

The strikes planned by airport workers that would have caused Bank Holiday travel misery have finally been called off. The dispute involved airport services business Swissport, and cabin staff and baggage handlers who are members of the Unite and GMB unions.

It would have affected Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester airports.

After hours of talks at conciliation service Acas, both unions suspended the planned strikes.