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Showing posts with the label flights

All flights CANCELED: Travelers told to 'go home'

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Passengers have been told to go home after all flights were canceled at Perth Airport due to power outages “out of their control”. Travelers sitting in the dark with only torches to light their way got bad news just before 6.30pm on Monday, that all flights—except for direct flights QF 9 London to Perth—had to be cancelled. The violent storm that hit Perth cut off all electricity at the airport which some experienced staff had never seen before. Perth Airport announced the news at around 5:15 p.m., warning that the blackout would result in lengthy delays over the next two hours. The airport apologized to passengers, some of whom were found stranded at other airports because they could not land in Perth. “The safety of everyone working or traveling through our airport remains our top priority,” the airport said. “We apologize to our passengers and customers for the inconvenience.” It said the decision was made on advice from Western Power. “Perth Airport has made the decision to suspend

Why are flights to Europe so expensive? Blame China

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China Eastern flight attendant in Brisbane. Before the pandemic there were nine mainland Chinese airlines flying Australian routes. Photo: Glenn Hunt Want to fly to Paris in mid-September for a three-week getaway to experience the wonders of late summer in Europe? From either Melbourne or Sydney, you can pick up an economy class airfare on a budget airline for around $2200 but fly on a major league airline and you can expect to pay between $3500-$5000. The plane ticket has gone through the roof. In July 2022 you pay for a long-distance economy class seat which almost gets you into premium economy before the pandemic. Premium economy seats? Expect to pay close to what the business costs in 2019. What happened? Rising fuel prices are part of the reason we pay more to fly to Europe, but another big factor is the lack of low price competition. As of May 2022, a total of 51 international airlines operate scheduled passenger services to Australia. That’s 10 less than in Ma

Qantas rearranges London flights to avoid Heathrow's hats and chaos

Qantas was forced to reschedule two flights from London’s Heathrow Airport this week, following the airport’s decision to impose a limit of 100,000 passengers per day in hopes of easing congestion amid extended delays. The London-Singapore-Sydney QF2 service will now depart nine hours earlier than usual – at 12pm, and from Heathrow’s Terminal 4 instead of the usual Terminal 3 – in a bid to avoid rush hour crowds. However, this will leave hundreds of passengers on the Airbus A380 superjumbo facing an 11-hour stopover in Singapore – with Qantas saying it will provide accommodation for passengers – before flights continue to Sydney on their regular schedule. The airline said it was contacting all passengers booked on Tuesday’s QF2 flight to warn them of the change. “Like all airlines, we are disappointed by the decision made by Heathrow Airport to suddenly reduce passenger capacity and we are doing everything we can to minimize this impact on our customers,” a Qantas spokesperson said. E

These tourists have their flights canceled. Almost a week later, they are still stranded in Darwin

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After coming to Darwin for what was supposed to be a weeklong visit, Melbourne residents Erin Watkins and Mick Porter are still stranded, almost a week after they were supposed to fly home. Key points: Travelers stranded in NT for up to a week due to flight cancellations The tourism industry is concerned about the “reputation damage” that the cancellation of the NT as a tourist destination Qantas Group says the cancellation is due to “ongoing resource challenges” “I was the bridesmaid for the wedding on Friday and then the reception on Sunday and I miss both,” Watkins said. “That’s pretty devastating.” They are among hundreds of people stranded in the NT due to numerous flight cancellations by Qantas and its budget subsidiary, Jetstar. And like many others, they are stuck waiting up to a week for the next available flight home. The couple received a text from Jetstar last Wednesday afternoon to inform them that their flight – which was scheduled to depart in the early hours of Thursday

Qantas: One in ten bags are lost on domestic flights at Sydney airport, workers claim

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A worker at an outsourcing firm Qantas has registered to replace Aussie staff has claimed the national carrier lost ‘one in 10’ baggage bags – although the company vehemently denies that figure. The ‘spirit of Australia’ was brought to justice by the Transport Workers Union in late 2020 when it was ruled that the airline had illegally fired nearly 2,000 baggage handlers, cleaners and ground staff before shifting their jobs to foreign-owned providers including Swissport. The Swiss company has since been forced to seek employment firms, some of which are not aviation-specific, to manage worker shortages for Qantas and Jetstar flights – a decision that infuriated company staff who accused them of being poorly trained and up to 10 percent of all misplaced luggage. “I would tell everyone, don’t check-in bags when you fly with Qantas now, or even better if you can avoid it, don’t fly Qantas at all,” an anonymous Swissport worker told The Guardian. A Swissport baggage clerk who works at

Free hotels, discount flights: Airlines offering deals to woo stopover passengers

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Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi. Etihad offers discounted stays at luxury hotels in Abu Dhabi. As Qantas moves forward with its plans to eliminate stopovers on long-haul flights, other airlines are offering passengers heavy discounts to get them to stop their journey. Among these offers are free luxury hotel stays, free domestic flights and exclusive fares on city tours and activities. United Arab Emirates airline Etihad Airways is the latest to relaunch its stopover program in time for the northern hemisphere’s busy summer period. Among the offers available to Australian travelers are a 40 per cent discount on hotels in Abu Dhabi, including five-star properties, and free stays around three- and four-star hotels. The airline also offers a “Transit Connect” stopover option which allows guests with a transit time of between 10 and 24 hours to book a free hotel near an international airport. UAE airline partner Emirates launched its stopover programme, Dubai Experience, in A