[Alex McWhirter]

Breaking news: French media reporting that Air France unions have called for two more strikes. They will be held on April 3 and April 7 and are in addition to the one planned for March 30.

BT readers are first to hear of this news which is just broken in France.

http://www.leparisien.fr/economie/air-france-appel-a-la-greve-pour-les-salaires-les-3-et-7-avril-26-03-2018-7629801.php

http://www.europe1.fr/societe/air-france-greve-pour-les-salaires-les-3-et-7-avril-en-plus-du-30-mars-3609779

https://investir.lesechos.fr/actions/actualites/air-france-appel-a-la-greve-les-3-et-7-avril-en-plus-du-30-mars-1752041.php

https://www.ouest-france.fr/economie/greve/greve-air-france-les-3-et-7-avril-en-plus-du-30-mars-5647850

The next few weeks will be a difficult time for travellers both to/from or through France.

As mentioned earlier a series of SNCF rail strikes is due to start on April 3 in protest against Macron’s plans to change SNCF.

[christopheL]

Dear Alex,
It looks very strange for me that you still are very interested in AF strikes as almost none of your readers travel with loose time reading a French newspaper and almost none travel with AF.
It is the 4th or 5th topic within the last two weeks re. strikes in France (1 for the rail strike and all others for the AF strike), none of them with any feedback re. the way both SNCF and AF managed to deal with the strikes.
As far as I am concerned I was travelling with AF on the 23th of March between Paris and London on a non refundable/non changeable ticket (I do pay my tickets myself). My flight has been cancelled (because of a strike !). I received an SMS from AF the day before and was able to rebook myself very easily on the next flight (departing 40 minutes after my original flight) simply using the AF app on my mobile phone. Great job by AF !
I thought the French bashing on BT forum was more BT readers driven but I have now realized that many of the last topics re. strikes in France (i.e. with few interest for many BT readers) has been either started or reactivated by either you or Tom O … (and kept alive by my dear very old friend Capetonianm) !
As all other readers I noticed that the BT forum is less used in the present days than it used to be some times ago. However I’m Wonder if French bashing is the best way to make it more appealing…

[AMcWhirter]

christopheL – I was only trying to inform readers of disruption in case they had booked/or were about to book flights on the strike dates.

The separate SNCF strike dates are also worthy of mention. I say that because not only will some London-Paris services be affected but London-Brussels services too as they operate for part of their journey through France.

[christopheL]

Dear Alex,
I may be wrong but I have been told that Eurostar are not a SNCF brand but a separate company with there own rules.
This may explain why you can travel by train between any French city pairs on Christmas day when it is not possible between London and both Paris and Brussels as Eurostar doesn’t operate any train on Christmas day.
This also may explain why Eurostar strikes never occur on the same day as SNCF strikes.
I can see your point re. informing readers but I’m sure one single topic would be enough to give this piece of (half fake) information to people who by the way doesn’t seem to be very interested in.

[AMcWhirter]

christopheL – Before I read your above posting I had already started a separate thread on Eurostar.

I am sure many of our readers patronise Eurostar and some of those heading for Brussels may not realise that they too may be affected.

As you say Eurostar is a separate company to SNCF. But the latter is the majority shareholder.

[capetonianm]

I think what’s happening here is that BT are providing a useful service by pointing out strikes in France. France is a crossroad for many international rail and air routes and as such its actions affect people travelling throughout Europe, not just those travelling in, to or from France.

You may think that I have an axe to grind about France and you may be right, because of the inconvenience that I have suffered as a result of the frequent strikes. You probably don’t think that my point of view is objective and i don’t think what yours is objective either so perhaps we just have to agree to disagree. This is after all a forum where people may express opinions

Bonnes Fêtes.

[GivingupBA]

[quote quote=859390]Dear Alex,
It looks very strange for me that you still are very interested in AF strikes as almost none of your readers travel with loose time reading a French newspaper and almost none travel with AF. …… I thought the French bashing on BT forum was more BT readers driven but I have now realized that many of the last topics re. strikes in France (i.e. with few interest for many BT readers) has been either started or reactivated by either you or Tom O … (and kept alive by my dear very old friend Capetonianm) !
However I’m Wonder if French bashing is the best way to make it more appealing…[/quote]

I do not see any French bashing on this forum. BT is helpfully reporting strikes, which is helpful to many readers.

[capetonianm]

Air France has cancelled a quarter of its flights due to a day-long strike over pay.

The company said in a statement that 20 per cent of its long-haul flights were cancelled on Friday as well as 30 per cent of its medium-haul flights arriving and departing from Paris-Charles de Gaulle.

Air France recommended that passengers check their flights before going to the airport and has offered to change tickets for free.

[Tom Otley]

Golly, this #fakenews accusation is getting tired, isn’t it? Anything anyone disagrees with and we reach for it…

[CathayLoyalist2]

I have found the notifications very helpful as my wife is flying to and from LHR through French airspace from Spain to Singapore and fortunately her return trip late next week will not be impacted. Had it been we would have had time to make alternative arrangements

[CathayLoyalist2]

..I should add I read that French ATC are at it again

[AMcWhirter]

It’s not a good time to be visiting France right now. via Times.co.uk (Paywall)

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/world/france-paralysed-as-unions-revive-the-spirit-of-1968-6lslz5j90

[MarcusGB]

Yet again, the selfish staff at AF, will be digging into the KLM profits, that are made by the efforts of KLM staff, and have raised the Company from losses to record profits in the last 3 years.

Many posts have been written about the two Airlines, that could not be further apart in their attitude, culture, or care about hurting “the Group”, of AF / KLM.
You can see the difference at CDG Airport, and Schiphol, between AF staff, and KLM staff. I never see KLM staff sitting around the terminal, or going into the passenger lounges to take food or drink, as i have seen in CDG.

Great anger is building up on the KLM side, who, as i have said before, i know several senior staff within the Airline. They run as a “Family”, and would not strike to hurt themselves or their own employers. The demise of AF will go on, they make the losses, KLM the profits. AF services have been cut Inter-continental routes, and domestically, and “Joon” is replacing AF medium haul flights (“aimed at the millenials”), but a shaded program to get a Low cost Airline up n running, as they will not accept KLM’s version Transavia. Transavia in NL’s, actually runs at a 93%+ load factor and is making good profits, and expanding.
KLM CityHopper routes (eg AMS- LCY), is a “lesser cost model” for KLM, with a brand new fleet of Embraer jets. KLM took over the LCY route with one aircraft Feb 2017, now they run 8+ flights a day, and they are almost always full, leaving the old Cityjet aircraft behind, almost gone from LCY.
Many pasengers are leisure travellers connecting to Long haul flights in AMS, and some like myself, Business, as they do have a few rows of Business class on these very short 45 minute flights. they are excellent very popular, and well regarded. Amsterdam is the busiest route out of LCY than any other.

I am saddened to see and hear of AF coming in, yet again, to ruin the profits made by the group, in one year 2 weeks of strikes took out the whole years profits for the KLM/AF group.

It is about time AF went off on their own, and left KLM to stand for the excellence their staff work for, and show their own demise, and stop being propped up by KLM. AF is in a downward decline, rather strike than save some of their own jobs as we discovered last year, and show that most atricious behaviour publicised Worldwide, attaching each other, and Management staff.
AF staff, are writing their own story of demise, and are responsible for it.

Thank you BT for keeping us informed, as always, i find nothing offensive about reporting the facts.
If you really knew how badly AF drag down KLM and the facts that i hear from within, it really would be scandelous!

[CathayLoyalist2]

HOT OFF THE PRESS . BA to buy Air France. BA Alex Cruz said ” We are a perfect match in every respect”!!

[capetonianm]

Marcus +1

I worked on a project with KLM at the time of the merger with Air France and I am far more aware than a lot of other people of the level of antipathy between the two nationalities and the two airlines.

I have enormous respect and liking for the Dutch and the way they do things, I’m afraid I can’t say the same about the French.

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