Aer Lingus withdrawl of MCO service

[Vin Diesel]

Just saw on the RTE six one news that Aer Lingus have announced that they are to stop flying the Dub to MCO route from January 2006 I think.

EI management have blamed the decision on the cabin crew and the impact trade union refusing to agree to what I think were termed commercially viable work practices.

It seems a great pity to me. What were the work practices that the unions wouldn't agree to? They must have been pretty spectacular if the airline has outright decided to drop the route.

Aer Lingus fly to LAX, which is significantly longer than MCO, they also fly to Chicago which I would guess is approximately the same length of flight as MCO. So why are the work practices any different than would be required on other routes in the network?

It doesn't quite seem to add up. Is it because the route was operated on a charter arrangement that work practices were totally different to scheduled operations, or is it the case that management are not quite telling the truth.

How were loads on the route? I would have guessed that there would be sufficient demand year round to make that route a winner, but maybe it wasn't the case.

Either way I wonder what the truth, whole truth and nothing but the truth really is...

[apaddyinuk]

This comes as a huge shock to me. I no longer work for the airline (thank goodness) but many friends still fly for them and apparently it is one of the more successful routes with a very high load factor, even staff avoid it on staff travel because the chances of getting out are slim. Also it seems strange that the working practices are not viable as the crew already charge for food on the flight so it should be bringing in more money than the other US routes which dont charge for food. The airline obviously want the crew to operate a there and back on the same day!!! HAHAHA!

[FormerFlyer]

Holy poop - they charge for food, onboard, on a long haul?

Is this the first instance of this (other than Laker)?

cheers ;)
FF

[BrakesOff]

FormerFlyer

EI provide a meal two hours in to the flight, complimentary non-alcoholic drinks. Prior to arrival in MCO pax can buy snacks, sandwiches etc. Not bad for €149.00 each way to MCO :)

[The SSK]

Aer Lingus is scrapping its Dublin-Orlando route, citing industrial relations problems, in a fresh setback to its long-haul strategy. The airline announced last night that it was ending its service to Florida from early next year. It follows the termination of its Washington service in December.
Aer Lingus said cabin crews' refusal to make work practice changes meant the Orlando route was in danger of becoming unprofitable.
The trade union involved, Impact, strongly denied this and said cabin crew were now flying more routes than ever with fewer staff.
It is understood the airline wants to reduce the number of cabin crew per flight from 10 to eight. It also wants to change the "rest day" arrangements of cabin crew working on the route. The airline regards the service to Florida as an east coast route, whereas many cabin crew view it as more equivalent to a west coast route.
The airline flies about 1.2 million passengers to US destinations every year, but the rising cost of fuel and the failure to get a new agreement on work practice changes has made some of the routes significantly less economical.
Informed sources said the airline's most expensive route, to Los Angeles, would be under heavy scrutiny in the months ahead.
While routes to New York, Boston and Chicago contain a significant level of business-class traffic, routes to Los Angeles and Orlando are more leisure-based and consequently face bigger revenue challenges.
The airline is currently considering other long-haul options, such as South Africa, Dubai and Bangkok. But the airline said further long-haul expansion was unlikely under current agreements with cabin crew.
Chairman John Sharman said if a new agreement could be reached with cabin crew the Orlando decision might be re-visited.

[Vin Diesel]

Obviously there will be a lot of negotiation before the route is actually axed, but it definitely seems like EI management are putting it up to the crew.

My humble opinion, and I am not a union basher, would be that it seems reasonable that the route be operated on a par with the terms and work practices of the JFK or chicago routes.

The journey time cannot be that much greater than New York/ Chicago, it certainly will not be as long a route as LAX.

As regards out and back in one day, I doubt very much that any management would attempt that, although I'm sure there are some beancounters that lie awake at night pondering, if only...

If loads are so high on the route as mentioned in an earlier post, with fares being so low and no business travel to boost the yield, then maybe the low fares strategy has been squeezed so hard that its bleeding red ink on long haul, as the price of jet fuel has risen.

This one will run and run in private I'm sure, but it would be a great loss if the route was pulled.