Concern re our upcoming trip in early May - what happens if jet fuel really does run out in the EU ?
Hi all. My husband and I are scheduled for a month (2 consecutive trips) in England in early May. Given all the issues going on, how might Tauck handle it if there are fuel issues getting home ? Do they allow us to get there, and hope for the best ? I know Tauck is prepared for most things, but I don’t want to have to be worrying incessantly the entire trip. Any insights are appreciated. I plan on contacting Tauck closer to the date, but still…I’m very unsure. Thank you !
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About 20% of the world's consumption of oil goes through the Strait of Hormuz. And a lot of that 20% went to China and other parts of Asia. People are smart and a bunch of them are working on how to keep planes flying even if the Strait stays blocked. At worst, perhaps a few flights will be cancelled to save fuel, because the cost of fuel will go up.
I don't see any wholesale cancelling of flights into or out of Europe from the US.
[I'm leaving for a trip in the Mediterranean soon and I'm not worried that I won't get there, or get home.]
Thanks Mike, that sounds reassuring.
I have a different view. Flights are likely to be cancelled because fewer people will risk travel or cannot afford the higher prices. This will be separate from any fuel shortages. We are currently in the middle of making plans to visit London before joining a river cruise in France later in the year. We are concerned about the availability of a flight to Bordeaux from London.
Frankly, even though I would call myself a travel junky, we are getting tired of the complications of getting to our destination and may scale back soon. Getting too stressful.
Seems to me that a lot of people would have to cancel their travel plans before the airlines would cancel a flight. Most tourist purchase their tickets long in advance and the tickets are usually non-refundable - so they're stuck. Additionally, they won't be affected by price increases because they already have their tickets.
Business people keep traveling - life goes on and business still has to be done. It's possible that the flights may not fly full, but I even wonder about that.
[I think the world can go on with $100/barrel oil. It'd have to get close to $200/barrel to really shut things down. The current administration is very sensitive to the stock market and will likely do a deal that does not meet all of their expectations, rather than see a stock market crash and inflation run up to 10%. Especially with the midterms coming up. ]
I disagree, Mike. Airlines cancel flights all the time with no explanation. It happened to me a few months back when Air France cancelled their Saturday nonstops between DEN and CDG. It wouldn't be a stretch for them to analyze the most profitable flights and cancel those which fall below that line. This is an industry that's never been big on customer service and goodwill..
I agree with British - complications getting to one's destination are increasing. BKMD is correct... Air France cancelled my direct flight a couple years ago from ORD to CDG. AF cancelled its weekly direct Wednesday flight. AF wanted to put me on a flight a day earlier at no extra cost. I had originally planned to arrive just 1 day early for my Gift of Time before the Tauck tour began. My options were to pay for an additional night at the Paris Intercontinental, or some other hotel, or find other flight arrangements for my original planned arrival date in Paris. I ended up going on the original date but with a connection through JFK with escalators not working and having to exit the building to change terminals, walking through a construction zone over a gravel walkway. And more recently (February) American changed my flight connection airport and the departure and arrival times, with a decrease in the connection time at the newly assigned connection airport. I spend a lot of time weighing all my options for air travel before selecting what is best for my needs... a senior solo traveler. Very annoying and causes anxiety
Airlines do occasionally cancel flights and the examples given were cancelled before the Iran war. I think the question Tillyseattle was asking is whether there will be cancellations because of a shortage of jet fuel. I doubt if there will be many cancellations for that reason, or because there will not be enough passengers to fill a flight.
It doesn’t matter why the flights are canceled. We’ve had canceled flights recently. We also have a $10,000 flight between us that was non refundable to sort out.
Tauck travelers are a privileged group of people who are not representative of the European vacationing general public. Gas prices and fear cause people to rethink their budget and plans
Well Mike….. https://apple.news/At6321V-_QOitHgXp5bvycQ
We are scheduled to fly to Europe on June 2 and home on June 16 utilizing Lufthansa and its partners. While nothing has happened yet to our flights, I am seeing some changes. Lufthansa generally has two round trips between Frankfurt and Boston. As of today, through June 9 they have decreased it to one. I'm expecting that our flight on June 16 will be changed. The good news is that they will probably make the change before we leave for the trip and can have discussions regarding what the flights will be.