Posted on September 28, 2010 by Fiona Hilliard

You can always depend on Ryanair to find a loophole.

This Wednesday, (September 29th) the airline says it will operate flights to Spain “as normal”, despite a 24-hour strike by Spanish workers.

How?

Ryanair says it will be running hand baggage only flights to and from Spain tomorrow. The airline reckons around 70% of passengers due to travel will be unaffected as they had not checked-in their luggage. Remaining passengers who checked in their luggage are being promised a refund.

Delays…

Fresh from a quick change in a nearby telephone box, Ryanair spokesperson Stephen McNamara said: “What we’re saying to people is that if you’re due to travel on Wednesday and if you’ve checked in before 1400 BST on Monday, we’re asking you to recheck in and travel with hand luggage only.”

“Obviously, we know for some passengers that simply won’t be possible but for about 70% of our passengers, they were actually due to travel without any checked-in bags. “There may be some delays along the way. “For those who had intended on travelling with a checked in bag, their options will be to get refund, to transfer their flight or to travel with only the hand luggage option and get a refund of the amount they paid in relation to their baggage,” he added.

McNamara says passengers should check the Ryanair website for further updates as a number of domestic flights may also be affected.
Ryanair’s aircraft operate in different sectors. Some fly to Spain in the morning and then back to Dublin or Belfast in the afternoon.

More Strikes on the Way

Further  flight disruption is in the pipeline next month. French unions have announced plans for two new one-day stoppages on October 2nd and October 12th in a continued protest against the government’s pension reform plan. Just last week, thousands of flights were cancelled for the same cause.

Travel Advice

Anybody travelling to or from Spain tomorrow should prepare for severe delays.

Most airlines are making special allowances however:

British Airways is offering passengers the option of cancelling their flights with a full-refund or re-booking for another date.

Spanish airline Iberia says it will operate 35% of its flights tomorrow and has advised passengers to arrive at the airport earlier than usual.

Aer Lingus is cancelling 12 flights tomorrow. Flights to an from Barcelona, Malaga, Madrid and Dublin and two flights from Gatwick airport to Malaga return and a flight between Washington and Madrid. Affected customers will receive a text message and email. Aer Lingus passengers who choose not to travel tomorrow will be able to change flights for free or request a refund.

Passengers should consult airline websites for further information.

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