[LaundryMan]

So a work colleague was travelling from DUS to LHR yesterday with Eurowings – turned up at DUS three hours before the afternoon flight to join a very long queue for security with no Fast Track open even though he paid for it. Got to the gate with 30 minutes to spare, aircraft at gate and was ready to board. 10 minutes before scheduled departure to Heathrow flight is cancelled for no reason and he was lucky as he got re-routed via Zurich and arrived at Heathrow at 2200 instead of 1640 – travelling 14 hours door to door for a one flight – is this really acceptable ?

…and next week he flies to Atlanta from Hannover via Frankfurt with a 0600 departure – he is not looking forward to it !!

Crazy but signs of the time and not really acceptable

[AMcWhirter]

LaundryMan – This example shows why a growing number of people are switching from air to rail at the present time.

Problem is some rail companies (here I refer to Thalys and Eurostar) find they cannot cope with demand.

Their services are full/almost full for days ahead.

[RoyJones]

I have been using rail for the last 3 months, takes abit longer but much more convenient. HOWEVER every one of my DB IC and ICE trains were between 20 minutes and 1 hour late. All connections but one was made as the connecting train was almost as late as the train I just got off. Worse still, in each of my last three trains Hamburg to Cologne to Brussels to London at least one caoch had no air conditioning [in 30c plus temperatures]. The DB train from Cologne blocked the non air conditioned coach, the Eurostar train moved all passengers to another coach but the Hamburg to Cologne train was full and needed the defective coach. Looking at DB they have ahabit of cancelling or partially cancelling trains at the last minute. I have had to go by local train to Liege to join an ICE allegedly from Brussels, Heidelburg to Stuttgart trains are not running, late running trains are terminated short of final destination, etc. etc.

But there are no security queues, seating is comfortable and luggae travels with you

[AMcWhirter]

Yes DB is a good operator overall RoyJones.

But as I have many times rail users outside Germany are in awe of DB believing it can do no wrong.

In reality though not everything is perfect.

This morning one of my social media followers is taking DB from Vienna to Frankfurt. He travels regularly right across Europe by train. He is travelling first class. It is a prestigious ICE and fully booked.

He says “Deutsche Bahn being Deutsche Bahn again. No food available in the dining car of this fully-booked and crowded train apart from croissants. But at least there is proper beer.”

There is a photo of a packed first class coach on the ICE with a large glass of (Germany) beer on his table !

1 user thanked author for this post.

Bath_VIP

[Tom Otley]

Not just the airports

Travellers warned of five-hour delays at Dover
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-62260474

apparently people are now arriving on foot to avoid the queues….

[Tom Otley]

American Air, Rivals Limit Flying as Disruptions Hinder Recovery

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-21/american-air-limits-flying-plans-on-challenging-conditions?sref=mmmxhwrQ

“US carriers have been hamstrung by costly flight cancellations and delays amid labor shortages and air traffic congestion, limiting their ability to take full advantage of unprecedented demand. Cutting flights could help restore reliability, but it means turning away passengers willing to pay higher fares and higher unit costs for airlines.”

[SimonS1]

They only had one job to do…..

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62289056

[AMcWhirter]

Deutsch Bahn is having issues running its ICEs between Cologne and Brussels. The ICE units which DB uses into Belgium are unreliable and have problems coping with Belgian infrastructure.

This issue has has occurred every so often as I have previously reported.

But the situation has deteriorated now.

Yesterday and today a number of ICE’s had to be cancelled.

Some only got as far as Aachen at the German-Belgian border.

SNCB (Belgian Rail) is providing an ancient and graffiti-covered multiple unit in place of DB’s comfortable ICE which was unable to operate the service from Brussels.

Tweet from Keith Barrow who edits Today’s Railways.

Chaos at Aachen Hbf and an ancient 2-car SNCB doing the heavy lifting on behalf of DB due to cancelled Brussels – Frankfurt ICE services this morning. Maybe DB could sponsor the repainting of one of these in ICE colours. pic.twitter.com/wOhHgd4s9q

— Keith Barrow (@keithbarrow80) July 25, 2022

[Tom Otley]

I was stuck there last year because of DB.

Spent rather a long time in the ‘beneath the tracks’ McDonalds.

[EU_Flyer]

I wonder how much this won’t be forgiven by passengers.

Airlines are banking on passenger goodwill right now as flights are delayed, cancelled and holidays often ruined. After 2 years of fearing travel due to the virus, it’s as if the industry and all those planes are taking their revenge on those who didn’t fly during the the last 2 years by making what is a meant to be a relaxing summer break into a wholly stressful proposition.

I doubt things will calm down until after summer ’23, by which point the damage will have been done. But I also wonder whether the airlines will see their full planes and hold back growth plans so that routes regularly 70% full are now 95% full with less seats available to sell.

The glory days of free (or even biddable)upgrades may be fading as they’re replaced by merged flights, cancellations and overall disappointment with an industry fighting to contain losses and other reputational damage.

Until airlines, airports and providers can recruit the right people at 2019 levels and spend the money to bring them up to speed – then I doubt chaos can be avoided. And I wonder how much goodwill the airlines will be extend to win pax back. financially.

I have low expectations.

3 users thanked author for this post.

Jacob, GivingupBA, Bath_VIP

[Bath_VIP]

Tom Otley, it was me who accidentally hit the report button, so please ignore that. I can’t see how to undo that.

EU_flyer, with short haul travel, I think you could be right. The hassle factor relative to the length of the journey will play a part in my decision to travel.

Long haul may be different. Such travel was always an investment of time so I think additional hassle may be seem small in relation to this.

[AMcWhirter]

I have been reporting on DB’s problems with running its ICEs into Belgium

I had thought Thalys to be superior.

But Brussels Times reports that Thalys has failed twice recently. And with no air conditioning onboard the conditions were sweltering.

https://www.brusselstimes.com/belgium-news/261783/coincidence-passengers-stuck-for-hours-on-thalys-for-second-time-in-a-week?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1658764060

[Tom Otley]

British Airways pilots poised to launch strike action

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2022/07/25/british-airways-pilots-poised-launch-strike-action/

[RoyJones]

Air conditioning has been a problem recently, although I guess understandable during this recent heatwave.
DB IC from Hamburg to Heidelburg (scheduled to continue to Stuttgart, but scetor cancelled due to track repairs) one First Class coach (out of 2.5) had no air conditioning.
DB ICE from Cologne to Brussels one coach was “roped off” because the air conditioning was not working
Eurostar from Brussels to London one Standard Premier coach was closed due to no air conditioning. We got lucky and upgraded into Business Premier but the meal with a desert and a bit of cheese was not much better than Standard Premier and definitely not worth the additional cost (if I had to pay).

On a different note the Belgian customs closed off the exits from Eurostar platforms by coaches 9 & 11 meaning one had to go the long way round and with the queues the 18 minute connection to the ICE to Cologne and Frankfurt was impractical.

[Tom Otley]

News from Australia

Dozens of flights cancelled at Sydney and Melbourne airports as industry struggles with staff shortages

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/01/dozens-of-flights-cancelled-at-sydney-and-melbourne-airports-as-industry-struggles-with-staff-shortages

[Author]

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