Everybody’s fault but our own by Air France unions……
Sep 7th 2013, 9:42 am
#16
Hit 16's
Joined: Mar 2010
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Posts: 13,112
Re: Everybody’s fault but our own by Air France unions……
The debate about the influence of Gulf-based airlines has also proven one thing - these days people are willing to spend more for better service. This explains why the expensive Emirates flights to Europe tend to be fully or near-fully booked, while cheaper (often European) carriers rarely are.
Aside from that, you've got to consider the demographic of those flying Etihad and Emirates (in particular those two): for most passengers a hundred pounds or so difference between fares is irrelevant. For passengers not Gulf-based or Gulf-related, I imagine that price is still the major factor.
Sep 7th 2013, 10:06 am
#17
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 13,553
Re: Everybody’s fault but our own by Air France unions……
Mmm... Are the Gulf-based airlines more expensive? When I was flying my family out a couple of times a year from UK to UAE, Etihad was probably the cheapest (although they generally flew KLM because of the convenience of their living only 15 minutes from Leeds/Bradford airport).
Aside from that, you've got to consider the demographic of those flying Etihad and Emirates (in particular those two): for most passengers a hundred pounds or so difference between fares is irrelevant. For passengers not Gulf-based or Gulf-related, I imagine that price is still the major factor.
Aside from that, you've got to consider the demographic of those flying Etihad and Emirates (in particular those two): for most passengers a hundred pounds or so difference between fares is irrelevant. For passengers not Gulf-based or Gulf-related, I imagine that price is still the major factor.
Sep 7th 2013, 10:36 am
#18
Soupy twist
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,271
Re: Everybody’s fault but our own by Air France unions……
Emirates flights are often significantly cheaper if you're starting from outside the ME. Their are some excellent deals to be had on package holidays from Europe flying Emirates, too. Probably the majority of people we know here in Dubai only fly Emirates if somebody else (i.e. their company) is paying, or they don't have families. Otherwise, it's all about the cheaper carriers - Royal Brunei is popular because it's direct.
Sep 7th 2013, 11:20 am
#19
Knee deep and rising
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 3,007
Re: Everybody’s fault but our own by Air France unions……
I would say they are also losing in Europe competing against other European carriers such as Ryanair, who manage to undercut them with the same tax issues by being much more efficient with operating costs.
Sep 7th 2013, 11:39 am
#20
Account Closed
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Re: Everybody’s fault but our own by Air France unions……
Good site www.skyscanner.net
Sep 9th 2013, 7:43 am
#21
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Dubai
Posts: 13,547
Re: Everybody’s fault but our own by Air France unions……
Yup, couple of us commented on that a while back. I'm still flying UK - DXB - UK and no intention of paying for a one way flight because it's cheaper to fly UK-DXB-UK.
Good site www.skyscanner.net
Good site www.skyscanner.net
Sep 9th 2013, 8:20 am
#22
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Re: Everybody’s fault but our own by Air France unions……
Because (I assume) the French social welfare system, from which they can't escape, limits them to 35 hours per week and relatively early retirement. I also assume that AF can't escape from that either. So that's Point 1: AF has to play by French employment rules (including all the other employment legislation that doesn't apply in the UAE), and therefore costs are automatically higher.
Point 2 is that EH/AH's other operating and capital costs are far lower because of subsidies, absence of tax (corporate, social welfare and fuel being, I imagine, the three most significant) and access to slave labour.
I can't see how any carrier from any industrialised country can compete.
Point 2 is that EH/AH's other operating and capital costs are far lower because of subsidies, absence of tax (corporate, social welfare and fuel being, I imagine, the three most significant) and access to slave labour.
I can't see how any carrier from any industrialised country can compete.
The solution is to get rid or seriously limit the unions and socialised employment laws. The EU is slowly becoming uncompetitive by both industrialised nation standards (well, except for Germany) and global standards.
N.
