Spanish Air Traffic Control Strikes - advice please

Forgetting the politics (these guys earn £200,000 a year, some earning £800,000), the ****ers are going on strike later this month affecting some 2 million holiday makers.

I am due to fly to Barcelona on the 22nd to catch a cruise ship. Although strikes are planned for 18th to 20th August, this is an expected minimum. These things tend to drag on and at the very least, there will be massive disruption / cancellations.

Therefore, should I wait and see what happens or try to switch my fights southern France (Toulouse, Montpellier, Marseille) a day or two earlier and then car/bus/train it down to Barca?

Don't want to arrive late in Barca and find we've missed our boat.

Your thoughts are appreciated.

Forgetting the politics (these guys earn £200,000 a year, some earning £800,000), the ****ers are going on strike later this month affecting some 2 million holiday makers.

 

I am due to fly to Barcelona on the 22nd to catch a cruise ship. Although strikes are planned for 18th to 20th August, this is an expected minimum. These things tend to drag on and at the very least, there will be massive disruption / cancellations.

 

Therefore, should I wait and see what happens or try to switch my fights southern France (Toulouse, Montpellier, Marseille) a day or two earlier and then car/bus/train it down to Barca?

 

Don't want to arrive late in Barca and find we've missed our boat.

 

Your thoughts are appreciated.

Do they have any vacancies?

Oh kin ell. Am flying with kids to Alicante on the 18th. Joy.

This isn't the first time the Spannish ATC have been on strike and wont be the last either. Generally though aviation recovers pretty quickly from these things. For example I once had my flight cancelled due to French strikes, but the flight I managed to get the next day was running on time. Perpignan is easily the nearest major French city to Barcelona I can think of. Failing that Bezier isn't far from the border, a good 2 hours driver nearer than Marseille. Be wary though, the French are just as liable to striking as the Spannish. If I were you I'd stick to your original plan and got to Barca as planned.

Oh kin ell. Am flying with kids to Alicante on the 18th. Joy.

Strike starts on 18th for a minimum of 3 days..... which is not good news for you!!!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/7925337/British-holidaymakers-face-travel-chaos-as-Spanish-air-traffic-controllers-threaten-strike.html

http://gospain.about.com/b/2010/08/04/air-traffic-control-strike-in-spain.htm

http://www.easytravelreport.com/

If you get there, and I hope you do, then you've got to do battle with the Jellyfish!!

http://www.spanishvida.com/2010/08/02/alicante-attacked-by-jellyfish/

Strike starts on 18th for a minimum of 3 days..... which is not good news for you!!!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/7925337/British-holidaymakers-face-travel-chaos-as-Spanish-air-traffic-controllers-threaten-strike.html

 

http://gospain.about.com/b/2010/08/04/air-traffic-control-strike-in-spain.htm

 

Athough I fly the day after the minimum 3 days, I don't trust these militant ****ers to get back to work and get through the backlog. Flying to S France seems appealing at the moment as Barca is not too far south of the border - 2-3 hours at the most.

Thanks Johnny. Think I might check which French cities have direct rail links to Alicante. You might want to do the same for Barca. Nearest airport might not be the most accessible.

You can get to Perpignan from Stansted on any given day. Sometimes there are 2 flights.

You can get to Perpignan from Stansted on any given day. Sometimes there are 2 flights.

Cheers Arizona.

Alternatively, you can fly to Toulouse, get the train to Narbonne and then a train to Barca. There is also a direct train from Montpellier to Barca. Sleazyjet fly to both these destinations. As I have booked with Easyjet, it may be easier to switch my booking to these destinations rather than go with another airline.

Do they have any vacancies?

Are you sure you can afford the pay cut?

I'm going to Wales for my family holiday this year.

Every silver lining....

Are you sure you can afford the pay cut?

Ha Ha!!! Good point. I don't get of bed for that sort of pittance.

I'm going to Wales for my family holiday this year.

 

Every silver lining....

Whatever you do, don't go via Barcelona.

HTH

Off to Majorca on the 14th for a week. It maybe wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if I got stuck there....

The wife said only pikeys go there!!!!

The wife said only pikeys go there!!!!

Where Barcelona??? Don't tell the missus. Anyway, we will only be there for a few hours before we set sail (that's if we ever get there!!!).

I was planning to fly out sunday morning which means I make the Orient game and as I am missing the Plymouth game, I really don't want to miss Orient. Obviously if I have to go earlier (i.e. on friday or saturday) then you will have a spare seat next to you for two games running.... you will obviously suffer a poorer match day experience without me to keep you entertained.

If you are going with others then just drive. Will take about 24 hours. Just swap drivers after about 12.

The only problem is that there are 6 people going (all the others are female, as I am taking two child minders with me) so would need to hire something pretty big to hold 6 people (with 2 child seats) and a shed load of luggage. You fortunately haven't met my daughters and the thought of being couped up in a car for 24 hours with them two doesn't bear thinking about (1576 will testify to that). The other option is to fly to Nice and pick up the ship a day later (thus missing one days holiday).

Can you not just fly to Gibraltar - presumably they have English ATCs - and get the train / hire a car from there?

And next time you book a cruise, why not consider going from Southampton? Surely you can't have missed the fact that EVERY CRUISE SHIP IN THE WORLD [well, nearly!], docks at Southampton over the summer period!!!

Can you not just fly to Gibraltar - presumably they have English ATCs - and get the train / hire a car from there?

 

And next time you book a cruise, why not consider going from Southampton? Surely you can't have missed the fact that EVERY CRUISE SHIP IN THE WORLD [well, nearly!], docks at Southampton over the summer period!!!

Presumably the strike is also by en route sector controllers and not just those at the airports, so you wouldn't be able to fly through Spanish Airspace to get there.

Can you not just fly to Gibraltar - presumably they have English ATCs - and get the train / hire a car from there?

Gibraltar to Barca = 543 miles

Montpellier to Barca = 176 miles

And next time you book a cruise, why not consider going from Southampton? Surely you can't have missed the fact that EVERY CRUISE SHIP IN THE WORLD [well, nearly!], docks at Southampton over the summer period!!!

Went from Soton in the last half term. Weather for the first couple of days was a bit crap and the Bay of Biscay was fun.....not. If it was a 2 week cruise, would definately go from Soton, but for 7 days, I would rather go straight to where the sun is at.

Presumably the strike is also by en route sector controllers and not just those at the airports, so you wouldn't be able to fly through Spanish Airspace to get there.

Correct

Which cruise line are you sailing with Johnny?

Bit of a daft question but have you contacted the cruise company and asked their advice?

Get flights a day or two before the strike and spend a few days in barcelona.

Flybe certainly used to fly to Perpignan from Southampton I haven't seen that it's been discontinued but possible. Not a long drive/train from Perpignan.

Which cruise line are you sailing with Johnny?

This time going with Royal Carribean on the Voyager of the Seas on the 7 night med.

Bit of a daft question but have you contacted the cruise company and asked their advice?

Didn't know you cared, comrade. Haven't contacted them yet (as I only found out about the strikes last night), but will do so.

Get flights a day or two before the strike and spend a few days in barcelona.

That is another viable option.

You want to book your cruises through someone who can get a discount.........

Forgetting the politics (these guys earn £200,000 a year, some earning £800,000), the ****ers are going on strike later this month affecting some 2 million holiday makers.

 

Why shouldn't they earn this if this is the rate the market will bear ;-) ( By the way i think it's a ridiculous amount to be earning for that job, nearer €100,000 more like it.

Someone in the Spanish airports agency has ****ed up big time but they can't expect the controllers to take a massive pay cut, they will have to live with it until the existing controllers retire )

You will be pleased to know that the August strike has been postponed and union - management talks have restarted....

'The Spanish Air Traffic Controllers have decided, in a meeting this (Tuesday) evening that they will not call a strike in August. The USCA union says they have taken the decision following requests from the tourist sector and the airlines, underlining that they understand the concerns voiced by the industry.

USCA Spokesman, César Cabo, said the decision was ‘a demonstration of responsibility’ by the controllers.

Airlines, hoteliers and travel agencies have been quick to welcome the decision.

The Spanish Airport Authority, AENA, has responded to the news by saying that they will restart talks with the union tomorrow, Wednesday.'

Read more: http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_26945.shtml#ixzz0wJhg8twW

I'm going to Wales for my family holiday this year.

 

Every silver lining....

We went to N Wales earlier this year and shortly we're off to Somerset.

I'd never, ever fly anywhere for a holiday again. Way too much hassle and risk of disruption. We go by train if we're going anywhere in Europe but we're learning to love the UK again.