Orchestra is stranded in Paris by airline strike
OrchestrasWe warn readers occasionally against putting their faith in budget airlines.
Here’s another cautionary tale.
The excellent orchestra of Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava flew from Prague to Paris yesterday to open the concert season at Les Invalides. While still on board, they were informed that their return flight had been cancelled due to a strike.
After a sleepless night, seats were secured for about 70 musicians on flights to Vienna and Prague – at vastly inflated prices.
Moral of the story: don’t fly budget. It usually costs more.
I no longer have the proper words to describe what airline travel has become. But I’ll give it a try. Basically, we are talking city buses with wings. No class whatsoever. However lots of crass.
Can you please explain what this has to do with budget airlines??
Or might it have something to do with this…
‘Multiple labor unions (in France) plan strikes and demonstrations nationwide Oct. 12-14. Labor unions are demanding improved salaries, gender equality, and other social measures.
Air traffic controllers (ATC) represented by the USAC CGT and UNSA-Civil Aviation unions have announced their intention to join the strike. The ATC strike will be observed from 17:00 Oct. 12 to 04:00 Oct. 14; significant flight disruptions are likely. The General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC) has asked airlines to reduce flight operations by 40 percent at Paris-Orly Airport (ORY), 20 percent at Marseille-Provence Airport (MRS), and 15 percent at Paris-Beauvais Airport (BVA). Lingering disruptions are likely at affected airports following the strike as airlines reposition aircraft and crew and airports work through passenger backlogs.
No airline is directly responsible, and it is out of their hands if the airport cancels the flights as a result of the strike action.
Huge sympathy for the orchestra though to be caught up in it all.
Of course, I’ve been stranded by a striking Air France and SAS. Not to mention air controller and general strikes. I wouldn’t call out the budget airlines specifically.
Canceled flights are a fact of travel these days.
If the flight is cancelled/delayed due to a strike, the people should get compensation from the airline according to EU law, and the airline should provide alternatives at no extra costs.
With all due respect, this is not a problem limited to budget airlines. Major airlines are just as likely to cancel flights for a variety of reasons. This being said, I would agree partially in that there are some budget airlines which are less reliable than others. Travelers should do some research online before booking and read reviews, which usually are a good indication of the level of service they might expect. Personally, I never had a problem flying EasyJet, and even Ryanair. But there are other names out there which might be more likely to create problems for passengers. Yet, to suggest that major airlines are immune from this isn’t quite accurate.
When will we accept the fact that orchestras shouldn’t fly. Trains yes, flying no. We’re losing our only planet.
I like your prescription for change: rail travel. Presumably, they were able to get home using Europe’s very robust rail network instead of waiting for their air flight
So we in North America should never hear orchestras, or see ballet or theatre companies, from Europe or Asia again? I suppose with these televised things for the cinema there is something of an alternative, but I would hate not to have seen Peter Brook’s Midsummer Night’s Dream in Toronto as a student, or the Peking Opera, or the Royal Ballet on tour in Toronto and Montreal, or the Kirov in Montreal and Ottawa, or the Bolshoi in Hamilton…among hundreds and hundreds of other international performances by artists and companies from every continent: Midori, the Mariinsky, the Bolivar…
Flying is a fact of life, though I would encourage the train in Europe, where distances are smaller, and in many less than continent-wide tours in North America — though some are as distant as transatlantic ones. In the meantime, perhaps our genius scientists could put some thought into whether there might some day be a sustainable method of flying.
Certainly true of short-haul flights. Transoceanic flights are another matter… unless people are willing to give up hearing the Berlin Philharmonic in Carnegie Hall, or the Boston Symphony in Tokyo…
The whole discussion about the supposed carbon footprint of aviation is misguided. All of aviation combined accounts for only 3-4% of global greenhouse gasses. Yet there is no viable green alternative for moving people and time sensitive goods across long distances. Meanwhile, the biggest greenhouse gas emissions come from power generation, construction and agriculture. For all of these, viable scalable more efficient or carbon neutral alternatives exist. They do however require collective political action to put in place. Please keep in mind that the personal “carbon footprint” is a term invented by BP’s PR department to stifle and sabotage public debate and collective action on large scale decarbonization, by encouraging finger pointing and recrimination. The post above is a case in point for the success of this strategy.
Agree. Where feasible they should set an example.
To those saying strikes affect all airlines not just budget ones, the difference is a budget airline has 1 plane flying out once per day to one destination, and it is not part of any Alliance, so if that 1 plane is out of commission, the next one is 3 days later with 10 seats available, the following is another 3 days later for another 10 persons…. Meanwhile, if you are the last 10 members of an orchestra, I hope you really really like Paris for the next month on your own dime
Air France can call reroute planes, call up its partner Delta, etc etc etc
Really, nothing to do with budget airlines, especially if flying to France where strikes are de rigueur at short notits. I’ve never had any trouble even with Queasyjet or Ruinair while Brishit Airwheeze have lost my luggage twice and condemned me to a full day lost in Heathrow (ugh), followed by a 2am arrival in Nice (practical for local transport!). Luftwanka lost my luggage, obliging me to buy everything new for a stay in Frankfart and the home country of Kuwait Airways ceased to exist as we flew in mid-Atlantic (1990), a stateless aircraft landing in NY!
I now fly as little as possible, have just taken the train to Barcelona (3hours) for the ferry to Civitavecchia (Rome -voyage of a nite and a day), a marvellous way to travel, if you have the time. And if you think you haven’t, make time! (Altho i admit, it’s more expensive than Ruinair!).
Then again, just a few weeks ago Deutsche Bahn couldn’t deliver the Munich Philharmonic to Berlin in time for their concert.
Budget airlines!! What a complete oxymoron.
May I recommend the excellent network for rail travel in Europe?
Excluding Germany
Point taken!! It used to be good.
Dear Mr Lebrecht,
I did think like you, and last june I flew with BA as I needed to be absolutely sure I would have no problem. On my return journey I was told as I arrived at Heathrow that my flight had been cancelled.
A long story short, the service has been despicable both at the airport and later on the phone, with no replacement before 3 days, BA claiming that there was no available seat before! I needed to go back home and had to buy a flight on another low-cost airline the day after (which of course at such short notice was also expensive). BA refused to refund.
Moral of the story: I will neverfly BA ever again.
Best wishes
Glad to note that you consider the Janacek philharmonic an excellent orchestra. An opinion with which I can wholeheartedly concur. The final comment however, “Moral of the story: don’t fly budget. It usually costs more” was unnecessary and, as demonstrated by many previous comments, untrue.
How was the strike the fault of the airline – you obviously have some inside info. And what airline was it? You warn us but don’t tell us who we should avoid.