Jet2 has stepped in to calm fears over the expected strike chaos threatening holidaymakers headed for a favourite European destination. The airline issued a reassuring update as worries about travel turmoil peak with the strike dates fast approaching.
Jet2 has confirmed it's on top of the imminent strike situation gearing up in Venice, where local ground handling services are planning industrial action on July 5. Their statement read: "We wanted to let you know that we are aware of Industrial Strike Action taking part in Venice on 5th July 2024, supported by third party handling services."
They further calmed passengers, adding: "We are not expecting this action to have any significant impact to our flights arriving or departing from Venice and all Jet2.com flights are expected to depart as scheduled. Rest assured, in the event of flight disruption our dedicated Operations teams are always working hard behind the scenes at our UK-Based HQ to get you on your way as soon as possible."
In addition to the Italian stall, travellers in Germany are also bracing themselves for a bout of industrial action this week (June 27 and 28), thanks to the train drivers' union GDL who have flagged a set of strikes. These railway walkouts are timed alongside walkouts by Lufthansa's ground crew this Thursday and Friday, setting the stage for a potential logjam affecting passengers.
Meanwhile, Aer Lingus is prepping passengers for a travel headache, axing 120 flights this weekend due to pilots flexing their industrial muscle with an eight-hour industrial showdown on June 29th.
The airline said that the industrial action will leave around 15,000 customers stranded, hitting short-haul voyages hard. This comes on the heels of Aer Lingus' previous call to cancel 124 flights in anticipation of a looming pilot protest starting June 26th where the crew will zip their pockets, snubbing any overtime or extra duty calls.
Adding to the surge of summer getaway gloom, Youtravel, a popular travel outfit, dropped the bombshell that it's wiping out all trips until 26 July inclusive. This 'tough' move to extend drops beyond the initial 5 July cut-off happens amid high-drama talks to ensure the company stays afloat.
Owned by FTI Groupthe German bigwig whose own label FTI Touristik recently went belly-up financiallyYoutravel's grim news could throw a wrench into a multitude of British holiday schedules. A raft of UK travel agencies depend on its portfolio for their bread and butter, spelling potential pandemonium for untold numbers of tourist treks.
In the coming days, affected customers are set to be contacted by their booking provider to discuss necessary alterations. Youtravel stated in a recent announcement: "We have made the difficult decision to cancel all bookings until and including the 26th July 2024. We understand the inconvenience this may cause and sincerely apologise for any disruption. Any active bookings in the Youtravel system for arrivals up to and including 26 July will be automatically cancelled without any charges by Monday 1 July."
On another note, Jet2holidays has revealed a new summer package holiday destination from Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA). Starting from the summer season of 2025, Jet2holidays will offer holidays to Spain's Costa de la Luz via Faro Airport in Portugal.
The 'Coast of Light', as it translates, is located just across the Portuguese-Spanish border in the Andalusia region.
Holiday-goers will have the option to choose from a variety of hotels across four resorts - Punta Umbria, Isla Canela, Isla Cristina and El Rompido. Known for its golden sandy beaches, the Cost de la Luz stretches along the Atlantic from Tarifa to the Portuguese border.
This region boasts seaside towns and "vibrant cultural experiences", alongside natural parks, historic cities like Cadiz and Huelva, and golf courses.
Steve Heapy, the boss of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, couldn't hide his excitement as he announced: "We are absolutely delighted to be giving customers and independent travel agents the chance to discover an authentic slice of Spain. As a result of this launch, customers can easily reach this stunning region and Spain's best beaches via Faro Airport."
He went on to attribute the expansion to the strong demand from their customer base: "This latest expansion comes on the back of strong demand from customers and independent travel agents looking to book with us time and time again on our award-winning flights and holidays out of Liverpool John Lennon Airport."
He concluded with confidence in the new service providing more opportunities for holidaymakers: "Thanks to the launch of this brand-new destination, we look forward to welcoming even more holidaymakers onboard and showcasing all the reasons why we continue to delight customers."