Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

I'm back at Gatwick Airport today to talk about the strikes that are being called for later this month, and in early August. Why are they happening? Could they be called off? Who's threatening to strike, and how could it affect my travel? All these questions are answered, so listen along to find out more. This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm at lovely Gatwick airport, looking at the thorny subject of drop-off charges. Are they a drop-off rip-off? Gatwick and Heathrow both emerged from the Covid pandemic with charges for dropping passengers off at the terminals, and the RAC says that many airports have raised their charges by more than inflation this year.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I have been contacted by some villains who are trying to extract some cash from desperate easyjet passengers and here's how it works at the moment. As you will know, 180,000 passengers journeys have been canceled by easyjet. And there's a great deal of pressure people trying to contact the airline and find out what their rights are, get compensation, rebook on sensible flights on other airlines, all that stuff. And so what the scammers do is really very straightforward, appallingly easy.I take you through my experience to show you how to not fall foul.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I'm covering some of the fall-out from the easyJet decision to cancel 1,700 flights over the summer – and in particular stressing your rights if your flight is cancelled. For example, a listener called Jane found her Gatwick-Barcelona trip moved to a Luton-Barcelona departure – and lost a day of her holiday at the end. I advised her to demand easyJet buys perfectly good tickets on rival Vueling, as it is legally required to do. I've contacted the Civil Aviation Authority about some of the communications from easyJet and am looking forward to the CAA reply ...This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Sign up now to receive it every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After weeks of last-minute cancellations to and from London Gatwick airport, easyJet has pre-emptively axed 1,700 further departures over the summer. Britain’s biggest budget airline has taken the drastic action in a bid to get its schedule back on track and to reduce the number of flights that get cancelled while passengers are waiting at the gate. The airline blames severe air-traffic control congestion across Europe for its problems. Most passengers have been notified and rebooked on other easyJet flights, but around 9,000 passengers may have to find seats on other airlines.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Sign up now to receive it every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More air-traffic control misery? So say some reports today. Staff at Eurocontrol – the omniscient organisation at the heart of Europe's skies – are threatening to strike. Historically the trade union involved, the Union Syndicale Bruxelles , has been about as unmilitant as it is possible to be. My interpretation is that it's more of a cry for help by overstretched staff in a difficult summer, and I believe some kind of settlement will be reached – although that could conceivably include capping the number of flights. But it's against a background of air-traffic control stress that will cause problems through the summer.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Sign up now to receive every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

London Gatwick, the UK's second-busiest airport, has applied for permission to bring its standby runway into permanent use. Capacity could increase by 37% and be only one-fifth short of current Heathrow movement numbers. But environmental campaigners are outraged ...This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the biggest upheaval in the railway industry for a generation, the vast majority of railway stations in England will be left without ticket offices: that is the plan from the major train operators, with the blessing of government ministers.But disability campaigners claim the scheme will prevent disabled people from using the rail network entirely, while the boss of the biggest rail union insists it will “create the conditions for a muggers’ paradise on the railways”.Here's my assessment.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a few days travelling round by train, I can say it's not just British railway that has its problems. In France, I've found a bewildering array of rules and ticketing related barriers that means getting around on the various different services isn't as easy as it could be. Let me explain...This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Subscribe to it here to get it delivered to your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over a year on from the start of the first national rail strikes since the 1980s, the dispute over pay, jobs and working conditions appears as intractable as ever. July sees the resumption of industrial action aimed at more than a dozen train operators by both main rail unions.The unions say their members have not had a pay rise for four years and are demanding a decent, no-strings award that takes into account the high level of inflation.Train operators and ministers – who must sign off any deal – say reforms are essential following the collapse of rail revenue, which they say is 30 per cent lower than before the Covid pandemic.The train drivers’ union, Aslef, is mounting “action short of a strike” in the shape of an overtime ban from 3 to 8 July inclusive. Hundreds of trains are being cancelled each day. Later in July – on 20, 22 and 29 – the RMT will be walking out again.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Sign up here to receive it every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.