The Latest Travel News from Eoghan Corry – August 2024

16 airlines already affected by passenger cap, the latest on liquids, and Autumn fares from €15 in this months top travel news from Eoghan Corry.

Airports get over the hump

The nine airports on the island got over the July-August fortnight without too much drama. Dublin’s busiest day, the busiest in its history, was Sunday, 28th of July with 122,300 passengers. Cork also had its busiest day, but is still short of the record set in 2008, as is Shannon relative to 2006. The only pieces not working is the Dublin airport car park issue, which could solved with the stroke of a pen. 

Autumn Fares

Some fascinating detail in the small print of the first flash sale from Ryanair that included September and October, Faro from €20 and Malaga from €25. Nantes, Nimes and Rodez predictably come as the cheapest for €15.

My bet for the season is Olbia, scheduled to run until October after its launch earlier this year, with load factors still to catch up on other Italian routes.

Home Holidays

Accommodation is short in the west of Ireland this summer, if the price of everything from five star hotels to two star to self catering is anything to go by. There are a lot of factors at play, and the number of rooms out on government contract is not the most significant.

First of all, it is in decline (10pc overall, down eight percentage points on peak and highest is 25pc in Clare) and bookings on the big four online platforms in Ireland, Airbnb, Booking, Expedia Group and Tripadvisor, is still a whopping 45pc below pre pandemic peak because of a sharp drop in the number of available rooms.

In short, we do not have enough tourist beds for either our home holiday makers or our visitors, and the shortfall could be much more than the most widely quoted figures.

Closed for business

If we are short of beds we are also rapidly running short of access. And for an avoidable reason. The 32m passenger cap in Dublin airport, imposed by An Bórd Pleanála in 2006 because of fears the M50 could not cope with growth, is now coming home to bite us on the cushion.

Two American airlines, JetBlue and United, are among the group hoping to expand into Ireland that have been told they have to await developments amongst the pointy heads at Fingal County Council, a process that could take four years.

As well as Aer Lingus, and Ryanair who were to deliver double digit growth, the group of airlines affected includes Air Canada, Etihad, Hainan, Iberia Express, Jet2, LuxAir, Tap Air Portugal, Turkish Airlines and Wideroe, amid three other airlines who do not want to be named.

Lufthansa, FedEx, and DHL Air UK were the only carriers to secure additional slots this winter. Expect the loudest reaction to come from the USA. When Schiphol tried to apply a similar cap, NOT based on 2006 motorway design shortcomings, the USA responded with a series of sanctions against KLM.

Ireland needs a friendly and understanding approach from Washington. Even more so, we need to get our act together as regards our infrastructure and balancing our tourism and aviation policy against sectoral interests.

Voco Vibe

Changing times and changing vibe in Belfast where the former Radisson Blu has reopened as the Voco Hotel in what the council has decided to call the “gasworks district” on Ormeau Road.

When the brand was created out of the old Covivio brand and the huge Watermark Hotel in Gold Coast, Australia, it was unclear whether this was a move up or down the fashion catwalk of accommodation. Belfast shows it is a step up on what went before. The rebirth of the Radisson Blu will enliven the Belfast scene as it embarks on an autumn of festivals and events. In Voco veritas indeed.

Rail

At the moment Just one Irish airport is connected to the national rail network, Farranfore. Belfast, Dublin and Shannon are to be added under the new €37 billion rail plan, but not Cork or Knock. Is there something they know that we do not?

Pilot Hours & Peace

The resolution of the IALPA spat with Aer Lingus ended as it was always going to end, a deal that exchanged pay for productivity. The pilots have gotten their 18pc pay increase, neatly half way between the 24pc they demanded and the 12pc that Aer Lingus offered.

Aer Lingus got back the hours that were given away under the 2019 crewing agreement, 800 hours a year on short haul operation as opposed to the 600 that were carried into the dispute. Everybody seemed happy, and the agreement will define industrial relations in Aer Lingus for many years to come.

While other unions have a look at the pay deal, it is a bit too complex to replicate for cabin crew, cleaners and services staff.

Next up? The Air France pilots’ strike that has been brewing for some time and the complaints of all the other French unions that have been held off until after the Olympics. It could be a hot end-of-summer.

Liquids in the bag

Despite the scare headlines, laptops and some liquids can remain in the bag after the EU hits the reverse switch on the customer airport experience at security on September 1. Unfortunately, containers larger than 100ml have to be taken out (the usual suspects being bottles of wine and olive oil).

The problem with liquids and the new C3 scanners emerged soon after they were first installed, much of it caused by the big two-litre soft drink containers. However, the good news is you won’t need to ensure your 100ml containers fit into one plastic bag anymore, you will be allowed carry unlimited liquids under 100ml, when using the new scanners. 

All will be solved eventually, Dublin airport are not changing their advice, which is to proceed as if nothing had changed until October 2025. They have installed 11 of the new scanners in Terminal 2 but just four in terminal 1, where the builders have to move in to complete the changeover.

Advice is head to the left as you go through security to get the joy of the new scanners. Donegal, Kerry, Knock and Shannon have replaced all their scanners, but you still need to beware of connecting airports. That bottle will have to be binned before you are allowed a connecting flight if the hub airport is not up and running, and surprisingly few of them are.

Eoghan Corry is Ireland’s leading travel commentator and aviation specialist in Ireland, as well as being a historian, author and broadcaster. He has extensively travelled as a travel journalist and has been a speaker and moderator at tourism and aviation conferences including the World Tourism Forum, Tourism Ireland and Thailand Tourism.