Posted on 10/29/2007 7:42:15 AM PDT by 3AngelaD
PARIS Cabin crew members at Air France said on Sunday they would continue with a strike that brought misery to thousands of travelers at Paris airports over the weekend. The company said it expected "major costs" as a result of the dispute.
"The cost is very important," Air France Chief Operating Officer Pierre-Henri Gourgeon told French TV station LCI. He added there were no precise estimates at the moment for what the financial cost might be.
A joint statement by various trade unions representing more than 60 percent of Air France flight attendants said the strike would go on until midnight, local time, on Oct. 29.
The strike began on Oct. 25. The dispute centers on renegotiating a framework agreement on salaries and working conditions that is due to expire at the end of 2007. The situation became serious enough for the French government to intervene over the weekend. Transport Minister Dominique Bussereau issued a statement demanding a speedy resolution to the affair and Bussereau himself went to Paris' Orly Airport on Sunday to assess the situation....
A friend of mine was stuck in that, standing in line for some 9 hours before she was able to get on a flight out.
At least she wasn’t trapped in the plane for five hours waiting for it to be cleared for takeoff. My point in posting this is that U.S airports are like this EVERY DAY.
You mean more than usual?...................
I decided I would never fly Air France when I was in ilne at a ticket counter next door to Air France’s space. I watched as the ticket rep at Air France waited for a passenger to leave, then unceremoniously hurled the poor guy’s luggage against the wall and onto the conveyor belt. Ok, so probably every airline does that to the passengers’ bags at some point, but most of the time we don’t see them do it. This rep didn’t even try to put the luggage on the belt with even a modicum of gentleness. He just tried to bounce it up against the back wall. If it were my luggage, I would have climbed over that counter and throttled that rep.
LOL Beat me to it. I was going to ask how to tell the difference.
Whoever is responsible for the design of CDG should be stood against a wall.
Strikes are a way of life in France. In Paris on a visit there was a rail strike. Many of the Tourist sites were free since the people manning the ticket offices could not get to work. Night security personnel had to stay until replacements came in.
I don’t think you have a clue as to how bad air travel is in France even without a strike.
My fiance was stuck in it, too, on his way back from India. He used to be amused at my disdain for the French, but the minute he came through the arrivals gate at Dulles he started cursing up a blue streak with the words “France” and “French” interspersed throughout. His luggage still has not shown up, and he was bringing me birthday and pre-wedding presents! (angrily pouting)
Why? so it would fall on them?...............
I believe you're over-reacting. I've flown about 12 times in the past 9 months, going through some of the busiest airports in the nation - ORD (twice), LGA (twice), SLC (twice), ATL (4 times), CVG (4 times) I had one 2 hour delay in Atlanta and that's it.
I would go through US airports a thousand times before I ever go through another airport in France.
You know, CDG wasn’t bad for me. Been there 4 times. EZE (Buenos Aires International) and MIA were nasty!
“Why? so it would fall on them?...............”
Being stood against a wall is generally a prelim to being shot, in the minds of some of us older folks.
Just a terrible airport, isn't it? Endless, endless walking to get from one place to another. And the lack of amenities makes JFK look downright luxurious.
On the other hand, Air France is a nice airline to fly. A couple of years ago we flew to Paris. The flight was booked on Delta but they codeshare with Air France and the outbound flight was on that airline. The comparison to the return flight on Delta was embarassing to Delta.
Just terrible. It's much better to fly via Ft. Lauderdale.
If the Miami-Dade area had been my destination, I would have. I was headed to BA, so there was no other way.
Sure, the only time I'll use Miami is when I have no other choice. Amazing how such an important hub can be so badly designed. Makes PHL seem user-friendly.
The only diffence between MIA and a third world airport is the lack of chickens pecking the ground that is the runway.
The CDG airport has a problem with falling walls and ceilings.............
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.