‘Not enough notice of airport closures’
Thursday 17th November 2011, 2:30PM GMT.
Taxi driver Mike Lohmeier said he probably would not work on the days the airport closed as it would affect business. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 1199519)
HUNDREDS of passengers have had to change their travel plans due to next year’s airport closures.
And taxi drivers claim they will lose more than a week’s wages as their main source of custom dries up.
Flybe said it was extremely disappointed that the Public Services Department had given it just four months’ notice before the first closure. ‘As such, Flybe will have to contact hundreds of passengers who have already booked flights on the days the runway is shut, which is costly and time-consuming for us and unfair on our passengers as this could have been easily avoided,’ said a spokesman.
Taxi drivers have also objected to the closure, which would eat into their business. Mike Lohmeier has been a driver for six years and said he would probably take the day off on the closure dates. ‘It will affect us, as everyone will be looking for other work,’ he said.
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Mr Flybe spokesman,
Just how much notice of the exact dates did you expect to be given?
The contract was only finalised a few weeks ago.
I’m sure Flybe was informed that these closures would be necessary months ago, would it not have made sense to put a notice to this effect on the website when this was first mentioned?
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I have a friend getting married in Manchester on one of the dates that the airport is closed, several of the people going are in education and cannot get more time off and now cannot go to the wedding. My friend has already had problems with the venue (getting double booked) and family, not to mention they are moving to France in january (which came up after the wedding was booked). This has just added more stress to what should be the happiest day of her life. They should have published the dates for the closeure a lot earlier than this (especially the earlier part of the year). Ok I apreciate that what ever dates they choose to close the airport will inconvenience people, but come on, Liberation Day – you’re joking right?? what about all the poeple who come over to to take part in the Celebrations. Come on Guernsey States just for once will you please THINK BEFORE you make decisions like this!!!!
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Dear Taxi Drivers, just take the day off, you don’t work 7 days a week so just shuffle your days off, easy!!!
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I have flown over on five occasions this year
and I have already book my accomodation for next year.
Where are the dates listed so I can view them now and re check from time to time,please.
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John
Written Press states closures are on …
20 & 21 March
8 & 9 May
27 & 28 November
4 & 5 December
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Ray,
my thanks to you for the dates,a pity they were not included on line for all to see.
Nocon, prompted me,to the correct site, as This Is GY might have.
Lets hope the work is done on time to put GY back on the map for all to visit.js.
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You dont get that much notice if it snows !!!
and NO time to make alternative arrangements.
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Taxi drivers, stop whinging. I have, on many occasions, had to wait over twenty minutes for a taxi to turn up at the airport and longer at the harbour.
Flybe and Aurigny, you know who has booked for your flights on those days of closure so get in touch with them and re-book or assist in arranging passage on Condor. A GOOD PR EXERCISE FOR YOUR STAFF.
Chieffie, If your friends are that desperate to attend the wedding then re-book on Condor and train it up from Weymouth or Portsmouth or even take your cars, easier still and more space to carry the prezzies.
This is such a trivial matter and as usual the whingers come slithering out of the woodwork.
It`s not difficult to work out unless you are totally incompetent.
Mind you, I can`t see why Aurigny can`t run a taxi service to Jersey links from the grass runway, after all the trilanders are built to operate on grass runways and a plane only takes 5 minutes to take off or land so the workers could be moved aside during this time.
Has anyone looked at this option?
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if you acutally read ALL my post not just what you feel like you will see that they work for education and CANNOT GET ANY MORE TIME OFF. So they cannot leave any earlier and dont you think they have looked into that – there ar NO fast cat sailings at the time they need to go! – hows THAT for incompetent
PS a wedding is not just about presents – its about the gathering of FRIENDS and family to celebate the best day of someones life
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The grass runway is no longer operational. The original plan called for the ability to accommodate emergency flights on closure dates, which presumably is still the case. Unfortunately for Chieffie, that would not include a wedding.
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I’ve yet to see a taxi waiting in the forecourt when a plane arrives.
As for the airline complaints, just treat these closure days like foggy days without the hassle.
I ask you; Flybe wanted improvements to the runway and then starts whingeing when the required improvements are announced.
Not that I agree with extent of the works, but that’s another topic.
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How very hypocritical of Fly(may)Be to complain of being given “just four months’ notice” of the airport closures.
They themselves have given me and 3 friends just 3 month’s notice that the flights we have booked from Southampton to Newcastle at the beginning of March are now leaving earlier than planned for the return leg of the journey.
Not only that, but if we didn’t accept the alternative flight they had offered us, then they would charge us to pick a different one!
And what excuse have they given us for this? “Operational changes”. Brilliant! That explains everything!
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Airport closures; oh what a terrible bore! Does anybody really care? Poor taxi drivers though, as if that’s a proper job! “More tea, biscuits, a sofa, you lofa, on the wild cliffs of L’oma, and thy be in a coma dear vicar, dear vicar” as my friend Rev. Marten ‘the’ Le poideveioein used to say. ‘Good man, hands as soft as yo’r kilt sir.’
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John Stranger,
Try here:- http://www.channelonline.tv/channelonline_guernseynews/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=497032
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Many thanks to ‘nocon’ for coming to my rescue,just what I needed to see.
The actual dates.js.
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Yes it’s going to an inconvenience but there could’ve been fog on the days concerned, so no planes would’ve been moving anyway. The work is needed so when would anyone expect it to be done?
Perhaps using the ferry is an option as there is more than one way to get off the Island.
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Usual guernsey moan moan moan. Accept it get on with it & stop moaning about it.
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@Kevin
Yes the airlines knew that there would be closures but they only found out when they were about 3 minutes before the public did.
What exactly were they meant to put on their websites before that?
Guernsey Airport will close at times in 2012 but we don’t know when yet??
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Taxis should be banned from the airport and a busy bee bus service taking over.Will cut prices considerably.
Vote Yes for busy bee minibus services
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pb
Had to look up the UK Busy Bee service which seems to be based on a fourteen seater minibus which can be booked in advance by groups (school / scouts/sports teams etc) for a starting price of £50 depending on distance travelled
Seems like a good idea and could probably be adapted by our local Taxi firms.It would be like sharing a taxi with a stranger who is going the same way and splitting the cost
A Busy Bee system at the airport could cater for people heading to say Castel,Vale & St Sampsons while another would cover Forest, St Martins & St Peter Port etc
A full load at £50 would cost just over £3.50 per head
Good thinking pb
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. . . and what would you do if you arrange your travel away, and find on the day you need to travel that there is a really bad fog bank – doesn’t clear all day/maybe lasts for a few days.
That is very possible and HAS HAPPENED this year. You don’t get any notice of that so whats the difference. At least you have a few months and its only a couple of days.
Surely as in one example above if the school wouldn’t originally let a child off that much earlier, they would make allowances given the closure.
You can work around any challenge – just stop whinging about it!
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Learn from the incinerator, we dont need an Airport use Jerseys and ship em in,save loads not fixing the runway.
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GCI,
Yes, the airlines should have warned of the possibility of closures during 2012 then at least the public would have been aware of potential travel problems and been able to decide on either taking their chance or travelling by sea.
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Think Busy
Think Bee
Ban The Taxis
You know it makes sense
Lets clear guernsey from being a rip off place
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TODAY TO MAKE YOU FEEL PROUD
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Bring back the horse and cart eh Mr/s Falla!
Sorry – what have YOU done today to make you feel proud, just as an aside?
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“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TODAY TO MAKE YOU FEEL PROUD”
That’s a lyric from M-People PBFalla. Heather Small isn’t local.
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Sarnia Expat
I innovate
NOT
Immitate
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What is immitate sorry?
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Oh Chieffie,
What a turmoiled world you and your teacher friends live in.
Perhaps they can negotiate with the Education Department to move their holidays for a couple of days out of the twelve or so weeks off they get in a year at tax payers expense.
It`s only a wedding, some idiot losing his manhood and getting hooked by another female who wants to change a man`s life. Maybe it`s an omen and he`ll manage to wriggle out of it.
By the way, do you really think Condor are going to miss an opportunity to grab passengers from the airlines? I`ll bet you there`ll be ferries queueing up at the harbourmouth on those designated days. Maybe even two trips for both The Vittesse and the Rapide on each day. They would be stupid to miss such an opportunity both in the economic and public relations aspects.
TAKE NOTE CONDOR, THE ISLAND NEEDS YOU TO RESPOND, even if it is only for the hard done by teacher friends of frustrated Chieffie.
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Chieffie,
Perhaps you`d like to retract your statement about Condor having NO sailings on the days of airport closures after reading the statement on the Condor websight link I`m sending here:- http://www.condorferries.co.uk/news/default.aspx
I checked it this morning and as I said they would have been stupid to miss such an opportunity.
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Has anybody with a pre-existing booking checked with their travel insurers whether the cost implications of changing a booking due to the airport closures are covered?
I can foresee a commercial helicopter operator applying to run a service between here and Jersey to link with Jersey flights as a faster option to using Condor.
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Nocon, When I called condor to ask about this they said that there would be no extra sailings, the only ones they are running are the slow boat which will not allow people to have enough time to get 6 hours to their destination.
You have NO idea as to the system for holidays for teachers its just a difficult situation that the wedding happened to be during term time – when they CANNOT get time off without special permission from the Education department.
ONLY A Wedding? ? Obviously you have no respect for the sanctity of marriage and comments like that should be not posted on what is meant to be a CONSTRUCTIVE site.
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Lu Lu,
I refer you to the same Condor news site and suggest you wait till the new time table is issued where I have full confidence that you will find there WILL be fast ferries on the dates mentioned.
If it`s such a difficult situation and the wedding is in term time then you`ll, or they`ll, have to bite the bullet and just not go.
You, or they, chose the profession they are in and, as they are finding out, the world does not revolve around people`s personal occupations, even if they are teachers. Planning by the bride and groom to satisfy everyone invited cannot centre on one set of guests either so it`s just a tough break and I`m sure lots of others will be inconvenienced but are not whinging about it.
You are perfectly correct about my views on the “sanctity of marriage” whatever that means.
In today`s modern lifestyle marriage is an unneccessary expense and the money wasted would be better spent on a morgage and future for the couple. The woman can buy a very good kennel for her man for the price of a wedding.
A wedding is just an excuse for women to waste money by buying a dress she`ll never wear again for hundreds of pounds and all the other rubbish it entails just to sign a bit of paper. Let`s face it, it`s all done for the woman`s sake because the man`s life would be hell if he didn`t do it her way.
What about the extra expense to the guests who may be unemployed, on benefits, underpaid, Pensioners and those with families all of which are expected to find transport, accomodation and wedding gifts for two people they rarely have contact with, and they probably don`t even know one of them. I`m sure they can do without throwing money away in today`s economic climate?
It`s people like you and Chieffie that can`t think for themselves and expect compensation for the slightest thing that goes awry in your lives and others to organise your lives for you when your plans are disrupted.
If you, or they, make it to the wedding I hope you don`t have to long to wait till the debts are paid off when it would have been so much easier to phone and say, “Sorry, we can`t make it, it costs too much”.
I bet they won`t offer to pay for you to attend or send a helicopter for you.
In case you missed it here`s the Condor News Site again :- http://www.condorferries.co.uk/news/default.aspx
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Nocon,
That is YOUR opinion, Not mine.
Get a life and keep your opinions about Marriage to yourself.
I have nothing more to add.
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Lu Lu,
Usually when someone makes that kind of statement it means they can`t put up a constructive arguement to the points made and instead they should really say, “I see your point and admit that I was wrong, sorry.”
Aren`t you at least going to tell us your opinions on “The sanctity of Marriage” and it`s values in today`s economical climate?
We wait with bated breath.
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I’m not sure it makes a lot of sense going onto an internet forum and insisting people keep their opinions to themsleves.
Kind of defeats the purpose really.
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I have better things to do with my time than to write long posts explaining my opinions.
I will not be responding to any more remarks on this site from anyone.
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Lu Lu,
Qoute:- “I have nothing more to add.”
Were these not your own words?
We await your next words of denial.
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I agree with you … sort of! Like this post – but as an aside re marriage – problem is that a lot of young kids who get married do it entirely for the wrong reasons. For them it is just an excuse for a very expensive party. The actual cost to “get hitched” is not that great, it is just the extras which spiral out of control and which have no bearing on the sort of lives which are lead after the event. I don’t want to be judgmental, but some of the most tackiest “dos” are those who a) never set foot in a church before and who never will again but think its OK to get wed in one and don’t think this is any way hypocritical and b) those folk who can least afford it in the first place. There are some people who think owls delivering rings, over tanned bridesmaids and huge frocks which make the bride look hideous are important. They are not. If you want to be married, then two witnesses and each other is all you will ever need.
Back to not enough notice of airport closures – and I am with one of the first posters. How much notice do you need for goodness sake? We are talking a couple of days, that’s it. And then we will be cut off from the rest of the world. As one Mr/s P B Falla would shout “RIP THE OLD GUERNSEY”
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Flybe..puh-lease…”costly and time consuming to us”….sounds a bit like your useless service! Karma….
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