We were due to make a pre-Christmas visit to our son and family in Austria on 22 November.  Now it's ALL OFF as the airline has axed all flights from NW England to Salzburg prior to 25 November.  Granted, we were offered a transfer free of charge or full refund (which we've got), but that's not the point.  We had to get back to the UK on 29th as my hubby is back in work the following night.

Feel disappointed and fed up that we won't see them till at least January/February subject to schedules, holidays.

Rant over

Sheila :sad:

**Why has the airline "axed all flights from NW England to Salzburg prior to 25 November"???  Is there a strike or something?
**

Hi Randym,

** the email said they were "harmonising" their schedules!  Sounds suss like Euro-Speak to me.  The airline is based in Bratislava (Hungary), and up to now we've had v satisfactory service from them.  They're only a small outfit tho' so that may be some part of the problem**

Sheila

Sheila,
I'm a born "smart ass", so I can't resist ..... Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia.
Seriously though, it sounds like very poor PR on their (the airline's) part. In some quarters, that would be considered illegal what they did.

Hi Mathman

**I've simmered down now - as I say, at least we got offered a free transfer to other flights/refund etc.  It just wasn't possible for us to go on any other dates.  We've got our cash back anyway.  I've found a viable flight (with our regular carrier) in January, so maybe that'll lighten the post Christmas blues. **

It isn't illegal for the airline to do this - you agree to its T&C when you book.  It's almost all by e-ticket nowadays (cheaper but there's a risk involved!)

Sheila

PS you're right, Bratislava is in Slovakia!  Doh!  And I'm the geography whiz in our house, lol.  Was thinking of Budapest .....................

For those who don't know it, there's currently som ereal issues between European international flight providers and the US. The US Governemnt has demanded that all airlines provide them with details of all their customers, including what flight they're taking, what they ate on the flight, and all manner of other personal details that can be gleaned from their booking and activity during the flight. This is apparently in order to help 'combat terrorisim', although how what someone eats can help deter terrorists is something I'm still not sure about. Anyway, there's been a lot of hoo-ha over here, with the EU stating that such a deman is unlawful, and the US Government saying that unless it is complied with, it will sanction that's airline's incoming flights. Negotiations have been going on, and there seems to be some resolution now, although quite how far Europe has agreed to bend over and submit is being left (deliberately?) unclear.

Whether this has anything to do with your airline 'harmonising' its flights until mid-November, I'm not sure: but it's certainly something to consider if you're 'flying the friendly skies' these days.

jonthecelt

only an airline could screw up something 2 months in advance..;)

THere's also some shakeups happening in the airline industry there, mergers, acquisitions, etc. Not sure how much the security procedure is the problem. Do you have to book that far in advance? well, no problem on that, it just seems odd.

Hi Pakled

the airline in question was running a promo at the end of August on these flights, so of course I jumped in and booked - who wouldn't?  Full price would've been abt 200 GBP as opposed to 54 GBP.  Anyway, it's all done and dusted now, though I still wonder why.  Can't believe there wouldn't have been sufficient take up

Sheila

Attached Link: Bratislava

Quote - For those who don't know it, there's currently som ereal issues between European international flight providers and the US. The US Governemnt has demanded that all airlines provide them with details of all their customers, including what flight they're taking, what they ate on the flight, and all manner of other personal details that can be gleaned from their booking and activity during the flight. This is apparently in order to help 'combat terrorisim', although how what someone eats can help deter terrorists is something I'm still not sure about. Anyway, there's been a lot of hoo-ha over here, with the EU stating that such a deman is unlawful, and the US Government saying that unless it is complied with, it will sanction that's airline's incoming flights. Negotiations have been going on, and there seems to be some resolution now, although quite how far Europe has agreed to bend over and submit is being left (deliberately?) unclear.

Whether this has anything to do with your airline 'harmonising' its flights until mid-November, I'm not sure: but it's certainly something to consider if you're 'flying the friendly skies' these days.

jonthecelt

Moslem adhere to certain dietary laws.  Knowing the eating habits of passengers might discover someone traveling under an assumed identity. DPH

It might also uncover those dangerous vegetarians...

:P

Far as I know, Islam and Judaism have similar diet restrictions. And it's not legitimate in American law to discriminate on the basis of religion, even though it happens all the time...

Quote -
Far as I know, Islam and Judaism have similar diet restrictions. And it's not legitimate in American law to discriminate on the basis of religion, even though it happens all the time...

  They're similar, but different.  Just as an example: Mixing milk and meat in the same meal isn't kosher, but AFAIK, it's not a violation of Muslim dietary law.  Kosher wine is obviously, kosher, but isn't halal.

  I don't think ordering a Muslim meal on a flight bars you from entry, so it's not like it's being used to discriminate.

  take care,

 Scott

No, but it's less likely your name will be Tom Smith in real life if you're ordering a Muslim diet and that's the sort of red flag inconsistency they look for.

Funny that, I knew a muslim named Tom...

That sort of pickyness is also a bit of ethnic stereotyping.

When I fly, I tend to order the Indian dish because its usually a better vegetarian item than the western or chinese option. I also refuse the free wine because both Shakyami (Buddha) and Lao Tzu, as well as the Prophet all said alcohol and other mind altering substances were disruptions to the spirit, and having seen enough drunks from living for years in a red light district, I agree...

But I'm not muslim, nor hindu for that matter, even if my favorite variety of food is Pakistani.

If you order Chinese takeout, does that make you a potential communist spy? The only person I ever met who believed that kind of logic was my former NCOIC when I was in the US Air Force... but then he referred to Asian women as 'little brown [insert less than polite reference to sex] machines.'

• Which tells you what -I- think of people who make such broad ethnic stereotypes...

wow, this thread has sure gone off on a tangent!

**AFAIK, the changes were purely do to rescheduling of flights, nothing more (but then, that's all any airline would tell you).  This is me with a good English name dating back 100s of years.  Hubby's family was involved with Gunpowder Plot in 1605.  I can claim Irish/Jewish ancestry but otherwise I'm quite ordinary, lol. **

Sheila

LBFM's...man, I haven't heard that one in years..;)  I think it referred to the Malaysian/Phillipines area (the Legends of Subic Bay, who knows what to beleive..;)

What gets me is that with 2 months to go, they can't reschedule something.