Qantas is fooling no-one with its positive spin

We keep hearing from new Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson about how the Australian flag carrier has turned the corner and is better catering to its customers.

I see no evidence of that.

Arrogance and complacency still rule on the evidence of my most recent flight.

Qantas today reported massive profits, and an intention to buy 20 new aircraft.

Hudson was full of bravado, talking of the airline “spoiling” customers.

“For everyone across the Qantas Group, this year has been all about delivery," she said. "While we are pleased with the progress we are making, we remain focused on further improving our performance and continuing to deliver for our customers, people and shareholders.

“Continuing strong demand across all market segments, combined with our dual brand strategy, helped the Group grow earnings. Qantas and Jetstar carried four million more customers during the year, while our loyalty business grew as frequent flyers engaged with the program more than ever before."

I call bull.

On Tuesday night I had a flight from Melbourne to Hobart with Qantas. I checked in online after arriving from Canada.

After struggling to get the self-service baggage machine to issue a tag, I finally was able to attract the attention of a Qantas staffer - there are no longer many of them around - to resolve the issue.

Then my phone started pinging in the departure lounge.

First message: 19:55 flight pushed back to 20:35. Instructions on how to get a refund, but no apology.

Second message: Flight will now depart at 21:00. This time an apology for the disruption.

Third message: Flight will now depart and 21:20. They look forward to seeing me on board.

The issue was that a flight from Canberra was late. But they started lying. The board showed that boarding was set to start before that flight from the capital had even landed. Clearly wrong. I pointed that out to the staffer at the departure gate. She admitted it was wrong, but it was never corrected.

The new air crew for the flight - obviously used to delays - hung around laughing and joking. No sign of a serious apology. No offer of a meal voucher. No compensation. Handing out some bottles of water? No chance.

It is as if staff have been formally instructed not to apologise for failures.

There were some free cheese and biscuits during the flight. Thanks guys!

The work ethic at Qantas appears to be as rotten as its defences against Cyber attacks, no matter what PR spin the highly-paid Ms Hudson seeks to put on it.

We finally took off just in time to land in Hobart as the airport was closing. There were still some cleaners around. And, fortunately, the baggage handlers had not checked off.

My Qantas experience came after four long-haul (12+ hour sectors) with Qatar Airways. All of those were early, or on time, and the air crew solicitous despite the flights being full.

Qantas is being left behind by global rivals but apparently doesn't realise it.

And it often escapes scrutiny because a lot of travel writers want to stay on the free flights bandwagon and will ignore its many faults.

Such a shame. It used to offer a great product and top-notch service.

I'm sure the shareholders are happy with the record profits. We plebs just better get used to the falling standards.

UPDATE: Unions representing over 30,000 Qantas employees have condemned the airline’s corporate greed, saying the $2.4 billion underlying profit margin is built on the back of an underpaid, disrespected workforce, and it’s long overdue workers received their fair share.

Six unions, including the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU), Australian Workers’ Union (AWU), the Electrical Trades Union (ETU), the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU), the Australian Services Union (ASU) and the Flight Attendants’ Association of Australia (FAAA) say the 28% leap in net profits come in the face of illegal sackings, threats to workers, cruel bargaining tactics, and a blanket refusal to negotiate fairly.

Time and time again, Qantas shows consistently how it puts profits before people and where the company’s true priorities lie. Its appalling track record of price gouging and phantom flights towards its customers is equally reflected towards its workforce.

Last week, Qantas was fined a historic $90 million for illegally outsourcing 1,800 ground workers, and was criticised by judge Michael Lee as an “aggressive” company driven by greed. Qantas employees were sent an apology by Hudson, claiming the airline was‘committed to building a workplace where workers feel supported, respected, and valued’. 

Just one day later, in bargaining with the Qantas Engineers’ Alliance (made up of the AMWU, AWU and ETU), Qantas threatened to remove the back pay of more than a thousand engineering workers, sending through a rejected offer back to vote. 

Qantas engineers remain the lowest paid in their industry, having experienced multiple wage freezes over the years. Qantas engineers are fighting to have their skills behind Qantas’ world-leading safety record valued and recognised.

Similarly, thousands of ASU members in Qantas’ service sector remain one of the lowest paid at the airline. Workers across check-in, call centres and freight operations have been seeking structural changes at Qantas to address pay disparity for its largely feminised services-orientated workforce. Meanwhile, thousands of FAAA members working in cabin crew have been locked in bargaining.

Ferry compo failures damage Tasmania's tourism image

Tasmania's image as a welcoming tourist destination has been hobbled by failures from ferry operator TT-Line. 

TT-Line cancelled ferry sailings by Spirit of Tasmania 1 from Devonport to the Australian mainland during the week, leaving some travellers high and dry. 

Worse, ferry passengers were denied overnight accommodation and food vouchers when they were forced to spend extra days on the island. 

Spirit of Tasmania 1 travelled to Singapore in July as part of its scheduled maintenance program. 

Its departure from Singapore was then delayed by faults and paperwork problems, meaning TT Line had to cancel several services. 

People booked to sail on August 5, for instance, told the Hobart Mercury their sailing had been pushed back to Thursday."

Remember that the Spirit ferries are the only option for people travelling between Tasmania and the mainland with a vehicle. Unlike with airline passengers, there are no alternative sailings. 

TT-Line refused the delayed passengers any compensation, leaving passengers to fend/pay for themselves for the period they were delayed. 

They did offer to refund fares - which was absolutely useless for those travelling with a vehicle. 

A spokesperson for TT-Line told the newspaper that "no compensation outside of refunds would be offered".  So basically an FU to customers.

    
Perhaps because caretaker Tasmanian premier Jeremy Rockliff has a totally unneeded stadium to pay for. And budget bottom lines are out of control in Tassie (see below). 

TT-Line Company Pty Ltd, trading as Spirit of Tasmania, is a Tasmanian Government-owned business enterprise that has provided ferry services between mainland Australia and Tasmania since July 1993.

As it refuses to accept any responsibility when it lets its customers down potential users might want to make sure they have travel insurance. 

The team at Tourism Tasmania must be pulling their hair out in frustration. 

* TT-Line and TasPorts are the entities responsible for the fiasco regarding the two new Finnish-built ferry vessels currently on their way to Tasmania from Europe. These vessels cannot be used until a new dock is completed in Devonport - at the earliest sometime next year. The budget for the dock project has blown out from $90m to $375m during delays. The two new ferries were originally promised for 2021. 

The Tasmanian Government last week increased the debt limit for TT-Line after learning it would exceed its existing cap.

Tasmanian Treasury advised presumptive treasurer Guy Barnett that the TT-Line would breach its $990 billion debt cap in September. The approval enables TT-Line to borrow up to $410 million more from state financier TASCORP.

Happy days. 

Travel agents offer crucial advice to flyers

Do you have a flight booked to Europe via the Middle East? 

With escalating tensions impacting global aviation routes, the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) is advising Australian travellers to remain informed and not to cancel their flights.

Airspace closures over Iran, Israel and Russia have significantly narrowed flight corridors into Europe, with delays and route diversions common particularly for passengers transiting through Middle Eastern hubs such as Doha, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. 

Major carriers continue to operate with adjusted flight paths, and travellers using Singapore Airlines, Qantas or Cathay Pacific are experiencing minimal disruptions via Singapore and Hong Kong, ATIA says.

Airlines have well-established systems in place to navigate such restrictions, and have been operating under constrained conditions since the start of the Ukraine conflict. Travellers should expect some delays, but not panic.

ATIA says travellers will be contacted by their accredited travel agent or airline of delays and cancellations. 

It urges flyers to not contact agents or airlines unless they are travelling in the next three days. That enables those travelling immediately to be assisted. 

There is an increased chance of delays so travellers should be prepared that they may be spending some time airports as a result of schedule adjustments.

Avoid cancelling flights independently. When an airline cancels your flights you are entitiled to a full refund.

ATIA urges flyers to monitor official travel advice, particularly via the SmartTraveller website.

It says the evolving situation "reinforces the importance of booking through an ATIA accredited travel business as accredited agents and businesses are best placed to manage disruptions, rebook flights and ensure clients receive their full entitlements under Australian Consumer Law.

“Australians flying to Europe via the Middle East should be prepared for some delays, but it's important to know that global airlines have systems in place to manage these disruptions," says ATIA CEO Dean Long. 

"We’ve seen this before, and the travel ecosystem is built to respond.

“The closure of airspace is not new. Airlines have been rerouting around Russia and Ukraine for more than two years, and are now adjusting again. The airlines that fly to Australia have world leading safety protocols and route management.

“Travellers shouldn’t panic or cancel unnecessarily. The one thing we learned through Covid is don’t cancel as it reduces the number of rights you have. Let the airline make that decision. This approach ensures your rights are protected and you get the support you need.”

See www.atia.travel

Image: Kaydir Mumyakmaz, Scop.io

Ferry, ferry dumb: Tasmania botches major project

If you order two new high-tech ferries to boost tourism to your island then the first thing you need to do is ensure that you have somewhere suitable for them to dock.

Unfortunately for the tourism industry in Tasmania that did not happen when ferry operator TT-Line ordered two new ferries to run from Devonport, on the north coast of the island, to Geelong, outside Melbourne.

The new Spirit of Tasmania ferries, Spirit IV and V, have been built in Finland by shipbuilder Rauma Marine Construction and have been undergoing testing and preparations to travel to Tasmania after several delays. 

IV has spent several months docked at Leith in Scotland with nowhere to go, and now V is also homeless. 

TasPorts, which operates docking facilities around Tasmania, did not begin construction on the new berth in Devonport until last year and it is not expected to be completed until late 2026 at the earliest.

That left the two ships with no role - and nowhere to berth. The government was left with huge bills to dock the ships in Scotland, It investigated leasing them out but could not find anyone willing to do so.      
Both ships, which will add 40% to freight capacity between Tasmania and mainland Australia, were originally due to be delivered to Tasmania in late 2024.

Former minister for infrastructure and transport Michael Ferguson resigned ahead of a no-confidence motion over his handling of the saga - but he remains a member of the government. 

The former TT-Line chairman Michael Grainger and chief executive Bernard Dwyer also left the company. 

Earlier this month, the government revealed one of the projects central to the cost blowouts and delays - the construction of the new berth - had blown out by over $100 million on the most recent estimate. 

Initially quoted at $90 million prior to 2024, the berth construction cost was estimated at $375 million last year, and that figure has now been revised to $495 million.

Last week, the flailing Tasmanian Government revealed that both new ships have issues with their LNG (liquefied natural gas) systems.

The state’s Minister for Transport Eric Abetz said TT-Line has advised the problems will “take some time” to fix, and will again delay the duo of vessels’ arrival in Australia from Finland.

"RMC has advised TT-Line that the issue needs further assessment and rectification, and as a result Spirit IV will not depart for Australia until the work is completed," Abetz said.

"The government is awaiting further details in relation to a new expected departure date, but it is understood that this work will take some time."

Abetz said that any necessary repair costs will be covered under warranty with RMC, and that TT-Line had representatives on the ground in Finland and was engaging with the company.

Abetz had previously said in June last year: “All going well, we expect that the first of the new ships will be ready for delivery in Q3 of 2024, commencing its journey to Tasmania not long after.”

That proved wildly optimistic.

 
Repairs are also being made after a gas bottle was sucked from the seabed into the thrusters of one of the new ferries during testing

The LNG blow has added to delays previously caused by port construction blowouts and bad weather, delivering a sizeable hit to the Tasmanian tourism economy and anger among those exporting goods from the island state.

 It has also sparked comments that Tasmania should change its slogan to "State of Inertia" and has been described by an opposition MP as "the biggest infrastructure stuff up in Tasmania's history".    

Pilot forgets passport; delays international flight

A United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai diverted to San Francisco over the weekend after a pilot realised "they forgot their passport"

The Boeing 787-9 left LAX on Saturday for a 13 hours and 50 minutes flight to the Chinese city, Airlive.net reported.

The aircraft flew for about 1 hour and 45 minutes before the crew decided to turn around over Pacific.

The airline initially cited the incident as a “crew-related issue” but CNN reportedone of the pilots realized he forgot his passport. How he was able to depart LAX without a travel document was not explained, but this is the 'new" US.

The flight UA198 was diverted to San Francisco. Passengers were given $15 meal vouchers to make up for the inconvenience.

The flight with the new crew took off around 9 p.m. and landed in Shanghai about six hours behind schedule.

A replacement crew boarded the aircraft later to resume the flight to Shanghai.

United Airlines said in a statement: “Your flight diverted to San Francisco due to an unexpected crew-related issue requiring a new crew."

Airport chaos from Heathrow to Bali

From London to Denpasar, flights around the world are being delayed and rescheduled.

London Heathrow Airport (above) will be closed all day Friday as emergency services deal with a significant fire in the vicinity, local media reported.

All flights in and out have been cancelled or diverted after a fire at a nearby substation caused a major power outage.

In Bali, meanwhile, flights have been cancelled due to a volcano erupting.

"Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport and should contact their airline for further information. We apologise for the inconvenience," Heathrow Airport said on Facebook.

At least 120 flights bound for Heathrow have been diverted, flight tracking website FlightRadar24 recorded.

Flights were to land at nearby airports, including Gatwick.

Meanwhile, travellers have been stranded after flights to and from Bali were cancelled and delayed due to volcanic ash caused by the eruption of Mount Lewotobi on the south-eastern part of the remote Indonesian island of Flores.

The volcano was sending rocks, lava and ash about nine kilometres into the sky, Indonesia's Centre for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation said.

Visitors and tourists were ordered to maintain an eight-kilometre distance from the volcano.

There is also a threat of rain-induced lava floods in rivers that originate at the mountain's peak. 

As of Friday morning "several international flights had been cancelled, six of them Jetstar flights bound to Australia and one Air Asia flight to Kuala Lumpur,” Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport spokesperson, Andadina Dyah, said in a statement.

Several other flights - domestic and international and including to Thailand, Singapore and Australia - had been delayed.

How Elon Musk is inconveniencing Qantas customers

Multi-billionaire Elon Musk is the man to blame for delaying multiple Qantas flights to South Africa.

Flights operated by the Australian flag carrier have been disrupted by falling space junk.

Qantas says its Sydney to Johannesburg flights are being delayed because of debris entering the atmosphere in part of the southern Indian Ocean, news portal Travel Mole reports.

The flights cross a section of the southern Indian Ocean that Musk's SpaceX operation uses for re-entry into the atmosphere.

Qantas says it has had "repeated" delays in recent weeks to avoid deliberately decoupled parts of rockets as they return to earth.

Qantas says it gets little notice of this from SpaceX that it is unable to reschedule in advance.

Qantas operations centre boss Ben Holland told Travel Weekly that the unpredictability of the re-entries poses significant challenges for flight scheduling.

“Over the past few weeks we’ve had to delay several flights between Johannesburg and Sydney due to advice received from the US Government regarding the re-entry of SpaceX rockets over an extensive area of the Southern Indian Ocean,” he said.

“While we try to make any changes to our schedule in advance, the timing of recent launches have moved around at late notice which has meant we’ve had to delay some flights just prior to departure. Our teams notify customers of changes to their flight as soon as we know it will be impacted.”

South African Airways flights have also reportedly been impacted by SpaceX’s operations. 

Arrogant Americans thinking they own the planet. Nothing new there. 

Multiple cruises cancelled as new ship will not be ready

When you book a cruise on a brand-new ship you are taking a big risk: as thousands of would-be cruisers discovered this week.

Princess Cruises has announced new ship Star Princess’ debut will be delayed by months - and that nine planned cruises have had to be cancelled, Travel Mole reported.

Princess and leading Italian ship builder Fincantieri announced a mutual decision to postpone the delivery of the Sphere Class ship from July 29, 2025, to September 26, 2025.

So bad luck if you have a booking.

“Despite our relentless pursuit to deliver the ship in late July, it has become evident that additional time is required,” said John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises.

The new inaugural sailings of Star Princess will be round-trip from Barcelona and include an 11-day Mediterranean cruise on October 4, 2025, and a seven-day Mediterranean cruise on October 15, 2025.

They will precede a 14-day transatlantic crossing to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on October 22, 2025, for the ship’s first Caribbean season.

Guests booked on any of the cancelled voyages will be given three options: book any Princess cruise worldwide, including aboard the new Star, sister ship Sun Princess, or any other Princess ship.

Guests who elect to re-book will receive future cruise and onboard-credits depending on the cruise they select.

But customers will also have the option to cancel and receive a full refund, which you'd expect many of them to take.

Star Princess is the second in the new Sphere Class of ships for Princess, following sister ship Sun Princess, which debuted in February.

These ships feature The Dome, an industry-first geodesic feature on the top deck, and The Sphere, the suspended glass Sphere Piazza at the centre of the ship.

Australian airlines must do better, CHOICE demands

Australians are sick and tired of shoddy service from airlines, consumer group CHOICE has revealed.

A new survey of almost 9000 supporters has found 40% of respondents had a flight cancelled or delayed in the past 12 months.

My experience indicates a much higher level of delays - and a lack of concern from the carriers.

“As we head into the Christmas season, a huge number of people will be relying on flights to visit family and friends," says CHOICE Senior Campaigns and Policy Advisor Bea Sherwood.

"Unfortunately, our survey of almost 9000 people from across the country has found consumers still face a number of difficulties when dealing with the aviation industry.

“Our survey found two in five respondents had their flight cancelled or delayed in the past year - and this does not bode well for the upcoming busy Christmas and New Year period when airports will be flooded with travellers flying to visit loved ones.

The survey also found: 63% of respondents who had a flight cancelled said there was no reason provided for the cancellation, and 65% said they found the cancellation process somewhat or very hard.

Of those who pursued a refund for a flight cancellation, 47% received it within a month. Others faced significantly longer wait times, with 20% having to wait over six months for a refund.

Meanwhile, 85% of respondents who had a flight delayed were not offered accommodation or meal vouchers.

“The fact that people continue to experience such significant difficulties with air travel is simply not good enough," says Sherwood. "Our survey found people are feeling frustrated as flights continue to be delayed and cancelled, often without reason or sufficient warning.

“To make matters worse, many customers do not receive satisfactory refunds or compensation when their flight is delayed or cancelled. For those who do actually end up receiving a refund, they often have to fight tooth and nail with the airline for months.”

CHOICE has been advocating for reform to the aviation sector for many years, and together with the Consumers’ Federation of Australia have recently made a submission to the Federal Government’s Aviation Green Paper, calling for new airline specific consumer protections.

These protections include the establishment of a new independent travel and tourism industry ombudsman scheme, minimum compensation arrangements for delayed or cancelled flights, clearer rights for refunds, and minimum requirements for travel credits.

“CHOICE looks forward to the Federal Government’s final Aviation White Paper," says Sherwood.

"We hope it will set out a clear plan to strengthen consumer protection in the aviation industry. Sensible reforms such as an independent ombuds scheme will ensure people no longer have to deal with the emotional, financial and logistical hardships so many travellers have experienced over the past few years.”

Image: Antony Trivet, Scopio. 

Britain is not so great when it comes to travel technology

If there was a world championship for travel cock-ups then post-Brexit Britain would be a near certainty for a gold medal.

The past 48 hours have been particularly impressive.

British Airways, as is often the case, led the way with ‘chaos’ with a second day of flight cancellations following an IT issue.

BA cancelled at least 42 flights on Saturday due to knock-on effects.

Most were on short-haul routes from and to Heathrow Airport. The IT glitch grounded around 80 flights on Friday.

All passengers have been advised to check their flight status before leaving for the airport

“While the vast majority of our flights continue to operate, we have cancelled some of our short-haul flights from Heathrow,” BA said.

BA says most cancellations are on routes where there are multiple departures a day, Travel Mole reported.

In-coming passengers, meanwhile, suffered delays of up to four hours after passport e-gates failed.

Travellers were stuck in queues at airports including Heathrow, Manchester and Gatwick.

All airports across the country using the technology were affected.

The e-gate system speeds up passport control by allowing some passengers to scan their own passports. It uses facial recognition to verify identity and captures the traveller's image.

People flying into the UK had to have their passports checked manually, with larger airports with e-gates most affected.

More Heathrow chaos predicted in time for coronation

I personally have zero interest in the coronation of a rather dweebish king.

I just think he and his equally unappealing consort should pay for their own ghastly extravaganza and not expect struggling British taxpayers to foot the bill.

If you are heading for the Charles and Camilla show, however, you might want to make sure you get to London in plenty of time.

Because, as certain as the fact that night follows day, there is talk of another transport strike.

Travel Mole reports that more "Inevitable disruption and delays" are expected at Heathrow Airport next month as 1,400 security officers plan yet another an airport strike.

The industrial action is likely cause some disruption for travellers arriving for the ghastly event.

Security guards also took part in a 10-day airports strike over Easter.

“This dispute is bound to escalate with more workers being balloted and disruption set to continue throughout the summer,” said Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham.

The last strike involved the security officers based at Terminal 5.

Heathrow is acting all defiant.

“We will not let Unite disrupt the flow of visitors to the UK during such an important period for the country,” it said in a statement.

Airport management says it has offered a 10% pay increase plus a lump sum.

The strike could overlap with more industrial action at Passport Office locations.

Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union members plan strikes from May 2-6.

Thanks Brexit: chaos continues at British port

Thousands of travellers have spent the past two days stuck in queues at the British port of Dover.

British Home Secretary Cruella Braverman denied that post-Brexit checks were to blame for the chaos, even though such delays were rare when Britain was part of the EU.

Despite extra sailings having been put in place, P&O Ferries said on Sunday afternoon that coaches arriving at the cruise terminal would be likely face a total wait of over 10 hours owing to the border formalities required and a lack of border staff.

Angry customers bombarded ferry companies and the port with complaints, British media reported.

The port said ferry companies received 15% more coach bookings for the Easter period than had been expected.

Boarding coachloads of passengers is much slower than boarding cars

Speaking on Sky News, Braverman said operations at borders crossings had been “very good” since Britain exited the EU.

“I don’t think that’s fair to say that this has been an adverse effect of Brexit,” she said. “We’ve had many years now since leaving the European Union and there’s been, on the whole, very good operations and processes at the border.

“At acute times where there is a lot of pressure crossing the Channel, whether that’s on tunnel or ferries, then I think there’s always going to be a backup. I just urge everybody to be a bit patient while the ferry companies work their way through the backlog.”

Later, speaking to the BBC, Braverman denied the situation at Dover would repeat itself and blamed “bad weather” and heavier than expected bookings.

She was lambasted by opposition politicians for being "out of touch".

Now Britain has left the EU, French officials need to do individual passport checks, which wer not needed before.

Caroline Lucas, a Greens Party MP, described Braverman as being “on another planet as usual”.

Travellers to Europe get a reprieve on new red tape

Good news for anyone planning to visit Europe over the next 12 months or so. You've just saved €7. 

The ETIAS visa waiver system that is being introduced by European Union nations has been delayed again, Travel Mole reports.

The European Travel Information and Authorisation System had already been pushed back to November because of technical issues, but will now not be ready until sometime in 2024.

It was originally scheduled to begin in 2022.



The scheme’s website now says simply "starting from 2024", but no specific date has been announced.

The ETIAS scheme, which was approved back in November 2016, will require non-EU citizens to register for pre-approval to visit EU countries, with a charge applying.

The authorisation lasts for three years, and allows multiple trips to different countries in the bloc.

It is required for UK nationals and American citizens as well as Australian and New Zealand passport holders and other non-EU citizens.

The EU wants to strengthen its border security, as well as digitally screen and track travellers entering and leaving EU countries.

The system rollout has been pushed back several times as member nations fear the system will severely increase delays at border checkpoints. Which, of course, it will.

Brits get more of the Brexit chaos that they voted for

The Brexit "triumph" that bumbling buffoon Boris Johnson delivered for British racists just keeps delivering more and more well-deserved chaos.

The Port of Dover has warned cross-Channel travellers to expect "monumental" waiting times after it declared a ‘critical incident’.

Holidaymakers on ferry sailings to France have said they have been waiting five hours to pass through border checks, Travel Mole reports.

Port of Dover CEO Doug Bannister blamed French border control authorities.

He told BBC Radio Kent travellers have been ‘badly let down’ by ‘insufficient resources’ for border checks.

It might be noted that a majority of Brits voted to leave Europe, promised all sorts of benefits by Johnson and his team of charlatans.

Since Brexit, all Britons leaving for the continent have to have their passports stamped. Something that Britain insisted on when it left the EU.

This takes far longer than the previous checks when people typically just waved their passport at the guards and they were waved through. This weekend is expected to be one of the busiest of the year for travel.

“The Dover route remains the most popular sea route to France and France remains one of the key holiday destinations for British families,” Dover port officials said.

“We know that resource is finite, but the popularity of Dover is not a surprise.

“Regrettably, the Police aux Frontieres resource has fallen far short of what is required to ensure a smooth first weekend of the peak summer getaway period.”

Dover said it had shared data on expected passenger numbers and UK officials had been in discussions with the French in recent days.

“We will continue to work with all Kent partners to look after those caught up in the current situation, which could and should have been avoided,” the Port added.

Snigger. 

# I just saw a report that both French border control and the Port of Dover asked in 2020 for funding for an adequate numbers of booths to be installed at the port. The Conservative government refused.

Heathrow wants passengers to stay away

London's Heathrow Airport - one of the busiest in the world - has an unusual message for travellers: Stay away.

Heathrow has told airlines to stop selling tickets for the remainder of summer and has plans to limit passenger numbers to a maximum 100,000 a day.

It is the airport’s latest desperate move to limit ludicrously long queues, baggage delays and flight cancellations, Travel Mole reports.

“Some airlines have taken significant action, but others have not, and we believe that further action is needed now to ensure passengers have a reliable journey,” CEO John Holland-Kaye said.

“We have therefore made the difficult decision to introduce a capacity cap to September 11.

“We recognise that this will mean some summer journeys will either be moved to another day, another airport or be cancelled and we apologise.”

Heathrow said the move potentially affects up to 4,000 passengers a day.

“There are some critical functions in the airport which are still significantly under-resourced, in particular ground handlers,” Holland-Kaye said.

Sounds like he should look for another job.

And sadly for Mr Holland-Kaye not all the airlines are willing to play ball. Emirates is one airline that has said it is not willing to cut its slots.

Emirates has rejected Heathrow’s demands for airlines to stop selling summer tickets, calling the move "unreasonable and unacceptable".

The airline accused the airport of having a "blatant disregard" for customers. Sounds about right.

Thai tourism reopenings pushed back

Thailand's reopening to tourists has hit a snag.

Chiang Mai, Chonburi, Phetchaburi,and Prachuap Khiri Khan were all set to open to tourists from October 1, but that is likely to be delayed by at least a month until November 1.

The impending delay was revealed after meetings between the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Public Health Ministry.

Officials were concerned by the sluggish vaccination rate which had already led to a short delay in reopening Bangkok, Travel Mole reported.

The capital will also not likely open until November along with the other provinces.

Pattaya City's mayor said the tourist hotspot was ready but expects a delay while Bangkok's mayor had already said the capital would not be opening in early October as originally signalled.

Bangkok officials had sought more time as many shuttered hotels still need to be reactivated and certified as Covid-safe.

There is, however, some good news for anyone planning to visit the Asian nation.

Thailand's disease control committee has proposed a halving of a two-week hotel isolation requirement for vaccinated arrivals.

Thailand is keen to welcome back foreign visitors, after nearly 18 months of strict entry policies caused a collapse in the tourism industry, a key sector that drew 40 million visitors in 2019.

"Reducing the quarantine is not only about tourism, but will help business travel and foreign students," senior health official Opas Karnkawinpong told a news conference, adding tests would also be required.

Under the proposal, to be presented to the Government on Monday, those without vaccination proof would be isolated for 10 days if arriving by air, and 14 days if by land.

Only Phuket and Koh Samui currently waive quarantine requirements for vaccinated tourists, as part of a pilot scheme.

Less than a quarter of the estimated 72 million people living in Thailand have been fully vaccinated.

The country is still fighting a severe wave of infections. 

Image: William Summers/Scopio