This week in travel 03/06/2019

Delta Airlines

Delta Airlines have been accused of trapping their flight attendants on board a plane that was delayed due to a maintenance issue. The attendants were over their maximum working hours and would have had the right to walk off the plane but Delta management had other ideas. They instructed gate crew to keep the doors locked forcing the staff to remain on board. The crew stayed on board and completed the flight but many were angry at the way they were treated and for the loss of earnings whilst the flight was grounded. Delta was unable to find a replacement crew and considering the cost of cancelling a flight decided to hold its crew hostage was the best course of action. 

SAS warns of waning demand by Swedish travellers

Swedens largest airline has blamed a growing concern about climate change for the drop in passenger numbers in Sweden. Despite an increase of almost 5% in passenger numbers in Europe the Scandinavian country has suffered a near identical drop in passengers for the first half of 2019. The "flight shame" movement has been gathering pace in Sweden with many celebrities promising to stop flying. A similar campaign by Flight Free has recently launched in the UK with the aim of convincing 100,000 people to not fly for a year. Does anyone know when the next train to Mallorca is?

Boeing 737 Max problems continue

After two crashes and a ban on the aircraft entering the UK and European airspace, there seems to be no end in sight for the 737 Max. Most airlines using the aircraft have grounded them till the end of August at the earliest. In a further blow to Boeing, they have also announced that some part of the wing assembly is faulty and possibly prone to failure. Although this wouldn't cause catastrophic failure airlines are being advised to check the parts and replace where necessary. Chinese airlines which own the largest fleet of 787 aircraft have joined other airlines in seeking compensation from Boeing for loss of earnings during the period the aircraft have been grounded.

British Airways resumes flights to Pakistan

British Airways resumed flights to Pakistan yesterday after a hiatus of over 10 years. BA stopped flying to the capital city of Islamabad in 2008 after a bomb was exploded outside the Marriott hotel. The flight which departs from London Heathrow gives passengers to Pakistan another option for direct flights with the much maligned Pakistan International Airline (PIA) being the only other option from the UK. Prices start from £450 return.

€100 and €200 notes warning to British travellers

Brits have been warned to check their wallets for 100 and 200 euro notes for fear that they will face higher fees if converting them back to sterling when back in the UK. Some travellers have also complained that some smaller shops in Europe are refusing to accept the large notes for fear of losing all their change and the cost of potential forgeries. The advice is that if you have one of these notes that it is best to spend it in Europe than to bring it back.