1st July 2008 - Lufthansa Strike from Today

Transportation: Lufthansa airline employees begin an indefinite strike at several German airports 1st July . Confirm flights and expect delays.

This alert affects Germany.

Event: Lufthansa (LH) strike
Start Time/Date: 0400 1st July
Affected Airports: Frankfurt (FRA), Stuttgart (STR), Cologne (CGN), Munich (MUC)
Impact: Flight delays, some flight cancellations

Current Situation
Hundreds of LH employees initiated an indefinite strike at 0400 1st July, demanding higher wages. The airline warned of delays to long-haul flights, these could possibly affect the following airports: Frankfurt (FRA), Stuttgart (STR), Cologne (CGN) and Munich (MUC).

Background
On the 30th June, the labour union Verdi said its members would strike at Frankfurt and other airports. The union wants a pay increase of 9.8 percent, while LH is offering 3.4 percent. The union said talks will resume on 3rd July.

27th June 2008 - Update on Qantas Strike

• Event: Qantas Airways (QF) engineers' strike
• Time Frame: Through June 28
• Location: Countrywide
• Impact: Flight delays and cancellations

Current Situation
An ongoing Qantas Airways engineers' strike has caused domestic flight delays and more than 120 cancellations at airports across Australia since June 23. Flight disruptions are occuring at several airports, including Sydney (SYD), Melbourne (MEL), Brisbane (BNE), Adelaide (ADL) and Perth (PER).

The engineers are protesting against a company offer to raise wages by 3 percent, demanding instead a 5 percent increase. The strike was originally forecast to end June 24, but deadlocked negotiations have prompted cancellations through June 28. Negotiations probably will not resume before June 30, making additional disruptions possible. Most passengers affected by cancellations are being transferred to other flights but could face delays of a day or more.

Advice
Confirm all flights. Allow more time for check-in.

27th June 2008 - Spanish Ground Transportation Disruption

• Incident: Airport ground personnel strike
• Time Frame: 0001-2359 June 27
• Locations: Airports in Palma de Mallorca (PMI), Ibiza (IBZ) and Menorca (MAH)
• Impact: Flight delays, ground transportation disruptions

Forecast
Approximately 1,000 employees of airport service provider Acciona Airport Services will strike June 27; the main strike period will take place 1330-1530. The workers are demanding wage increases. Union representatives announced 24-hour strikes for July 1 and 5 if they do not settle a deal with the government.

Advice
Expect widespread flight delays and some cancellations at PMI, IBZ and MAH. Expect moderate delays at baggage and ground transportation services. Contact airlines to verify flight status.

20th June 2008 - New Indian Visa Process

All Indian visa issuance across the UK has been handed by the Indian High Commission to VF Services to process on behalf of applicants. VF Services operate an online facility, and agents (including ATP) previously registered with the High Commission are now registered as official agents with VFS.

ATP has maintained our previous appointment time, applications are accepted every Thursday but processing turnaround time is now a minimum of two working days for British passports, and seven days for other nationalities. Once submitted, unless refused there is no facility to withdraw passports.

In order for applications to be accepted the following process needs to be followed;

Applicants must complete the online form at

https://www.visaservices.co.in/IHC-UK/  taking care to answer all questions.

Applications are sent through the Goswell Road office, submitted and collected in person; other options may result in increased fees.

Do not pay or book an appointment online, once you have completed the online application, print the form and exit.

Sign the form, attach two photographs, and send with the passport to ATP Passport & Visa Department by secure carrier.

Business applications will also require an original UK employers letter and an invitation letter from the hosts in India.

Work visa applications will need a signed employment contract in addition to the invitation letter.

Non UK passport holders must show evidence of one years residence in the UK. The accepted forms of evidence are;

Domestic gas, electricity, or landline telephone bill.
Council tax bill.
Personal bank statement.
All are required to be dated at least one year previous to the application.

Any non resident applicants, or applicants who cannot provide the above, are required to apply at VF Services in person.

To qualify for submission each Thursday, the completed applications are required with ATP Passport & Visas by Wednesday.

20th June 2008 - Qantas Airways

The locations affected by this action are:

Sydney
Brisbane
Melbourne
Perth
Adelaide
Alice Springs
Canberra
Cairns
Port Hedland

This began 19 Jun 2008 15:48 GMT and is scheduled to expire 26 Jun 2008 23:59 GMT.

Event: Qantas Airways (QF) engineer strikes
Time Frame: June 23-25
Location: Countrywide
Impact: Flight delays and cancellations

Summary
Qantas engineers plan a series of rolling strikes. Delays and cancellations are likely for all QF flights to, from and through Australian airports, as planes cannot takeoff without an engineer inspection. Lingering delays are possible immediately after the strike.

The engineers are conducting the action to demand higher pay. More strikes will probably take place if QF does not meet the pay demand.

Advice
Confirm all QF flights and allow extra time for travel.

16th June 2008 - Paris Transport Disruptions

Event: Nationwide transport strike
Date: June 17
Impact: Potential disruptions to air, rail, port, and mass transit (especially in Paris)

Summary
France's largest union - the General Confederation of Workers (CGT) - and several other smaller unions have called a general strike June 17 to protest government efforts to extend the country's 35-hour workweek. Union members could demonstrate in major cities throughout France. CGT's Paris rally is scheduled for 1430. Union members are planning to march between Place de la Bastille and the Richelieu-Drouot Metro station, likely passing through Place de la Republique.

Recent strikes have not attracted many participants, and officials are expecting only limited disruptions during this work stoppage. The industrial action will probably have the greatest effect on SNCF rail service and Paris' RATP mass transit services (Metro, RER commuter rail and bus service). Travel to and from Paris' Orly (ORY) and Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airports on RER commuter rail line B may suffer from major delays and other disruptions. Disruptions to Eurostar and Thalys high-speed rail service are unlikely.

A concurrent strike at Air France (AF) will probably not have much of a negative effect on air transport, but it could affect KLM operations in France. Truckers protesting high fuel prices may cause significant disruptions if they blockade highways or border crossings during the CGT strike. A separate strike may affect operations at the Autonomous Port of Marseille and other ports.

Advice
Confirm airline and rail reservations. Allow additional time to reach ORY and CDG during the rail strikes, as RER connections may be unreliable. Anticipate major traffic congestion in the Paris metropolitan area, particularly during rush hour, as many subway and RER riders seek alternate transportation. Available mass transit will be crowded and taxis will be in high demand. Confirm rental car and train reservations in advance.

3rd June 2008 - London City Airport Closure

London City Airport is temporarily closed to inbound and outbound aircraft. This is a safety precaution taken by the airport due to an unexploded WW2 bomb being found at a site in East London. For all updated information please click on the following link:

http://www.londoncityairport.com/

29th May 2008 - Indian Visa Applications

The Indian High Commission have advised that ATP can apply once more direct to them, on Thursday 5th June, but all applications will need to be on a new version of the application form, dated 29/05/2008. Forms not bearing this date will be refused. The cut-off for applications to be submitted this day will be Wednesday 4th June, at 16.00.

After 5th June all applications have to be directed through VF Services, and the forms completed online here Clients are advised to complete the application form and submit, but do not book an appointment or pay any fees; ATP have registered with VF Services and will be advised of which day we can apply shortly. Hand written forms will not be accepted after 5th June.

The following website here has now been activated but we are still waiting for ATP to be designated a London service centre; we will advise as soon as we receive further information.

29th May 2008 - KLM Change to Check-in Time

Temporary change to the check-in time for KLM flights at London Heathrow, In order to improve the customer experience at London Heathrow Terminal 4 and minimise disruptions during the refurbishment of the Airport, KLM has been working closely with BAA.

Due to the ongoing improvement of Terminal 4, the check-in time for all KLM flights is increasing from 30 to 40 minutes prior departure. Whilst this is a temporary situation, KLM would like to apologise for any inconvenience this may cause to their customers.

27th May 2008 - ATP's Online Products

We are pleased to advise that our online client reservations systems (Ticket Window and Corporate Traveller) are now actively working. We would like to apologise for the inconvenience this may have caused you.

Should you experience further issues with our online products, then please contact our Technical Support Team on 0870 225 1082.

27th May 2008 - Indian Visa Applications

With effect from 29th May, no public access is allowed to any Indian High Commission in the UK.

All applications are required to be submitted through VF Services, an Indian company used by the Indian High Commission to act as a submission service for all visa applications.

This will be extended to all registered Travel Agents as of 9th June 2008.

ATP has an existing arrangement that allows us to submit applications on Thursday 29th May, and Thursday 5th June direct to the High Commission in London, but this is subject to change with little notice.

From implementation, hand completed forms will no longer be accepted; all applications will need to be completed online at http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk (this site becomes active from 25th May 2008). The form needs to be completed and submitted, the site responds with a web reference number, then the form should be printed, signed, and the web reference written at the top of the form. Applicants submitting through ATP should then exit the site; please do not pay online or book an appointment.

ATP will be instructed before the starting date of what day we are allocated for our applications to be accepted, and processing times for all applications will be a minimum of two working days.

23rd May 2008 - Italian Strike - 27th May

Air traffic controllers and security workers at Italian airports call eight-hour strike for 27 May. Expect flight delays; confirm reservations.

This alert affects Italy.

Incident: Air traffic controller and security personnel strike
Time/Date: 0800-1600, 27 May
Location: Nationwide
Impact: Flight delays and possible cancellations; strongest impact on domestic flights

Comments
Employees belonging to Italy's national aviation authority, including air traffic controllers and airport security workers, are protesting government efforts to de-regulate and privatise the aviation industry.

Advice
Expect flight delays and cancellations, particularly on domestic flights. Confirm travel plans prior to departure and allow additional time to pass through airport security.

23rd May 2008 - ATP's Online Products

Our online client reservations systems are currently experiencing connectivity problems due to a fault with our reservations system provider, Galileo. We hope to resume normal service with Ticket Window and Corporate Traveller shortly.

20th May 2008 - Update on Strike Action at Norwegian Airports

Further to our HiFlyers dated 19th May - Update on the Strike Action in Norway

Incident: Airport workers' strike
Time Frame: Indefinite
Locations: Nationwide
Impact: Widespread flight cancellations; service disruptions at Oslo's Gardermoen Airport (OSL)

Summary
The strike by Norwegian airport employee's union that started May 16 will likely expand and lead to flight cancellations at six additional airports beginning May 20. The striking workers are demanding that Norwegian airport operator Avinor provide salary increases and better working conditions. The strike has not yet led to an airport shutdown at Oslo's Gardermoen International Airport, but it will likely lead to dozens of flight cancellations per day until the strike ends. The flight cancellations have mostly affected SAS, Norwegian Air Shuttle and Wideroe.

The strike is currently affecting the following airports:

Kristiansund (KSU)
Bergen (BGO)
Harsted/Narvik (EVE)
Mo i Rana (MQN)
Molde (MOL)
Mosjoen Kjerstad (MJF)

After May 20, the following airports are likely to be affected as well:

Stavanger (SVG)
Alta (ALF)
Leknes (LKN)
Sandnessjoen (SSJ)
Sogndal (SOG)
Svolvaer (SVJ)

19th May 2008 - Rotterdam Airport Closure

Incident: Airport closure
Location: Rotterdam Airport
Time Frame: May 22-26

Summary
Rotterdam's Airport will close for pavement work May 22 and is scheduled to reopen at 0800 May 26. All flights at Rotterdam during that period will be cancelled and passengers will be bused to/from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport free of charge.

Advice/Considerations
Amsterdam Schiphol is approximately 50 km (31 miles) from Rotterdam, and the transfer will take roughly one hour.

19th May 2008 - French Transport Strike

Incident: Transport strike
Time Frame: From 2000 May 21 to 0800 May 23
Location: Nationwide; mass transit strikes to affect Paris metropolitan area
Impact: Major disruptions to Air France (AF) and possibly KLM (KL) flights, SNCF rail service and Paris mass transit (Metro, RER commuter rail and bus service); large demonstrations in major cities

Current Situation
Unions representing workers at Air France, the France national rail service and the Paris mass transit system called the strike to protest government plans for pension reforms.

SNCF and RATP workers plan to strike from 2000 May 21 to 0800 May 23, while the strike at Air France is scheduled to last all day May 22. Union members could demonstrate in major cities throughout France, particularly Paris, and may be joined by education workers and civil servants, who also have been protesting government budget cuts.

More unions could join the Air France and RATP strikes before May 21, increasing the likelihood of delays and cancellations. The Air France strike may also affect operations at the airline's partner, KLM, in France. Travel to and from Paris' Orly and Charles de Gaulle Airports on RER commuter rail line B is likely to suffer from major delays and other disruptions. The strikes may also cause minor disruptions to Eurostar and Thalys high-speed rail service.

Advice
Expect delays and possible cancellations on all affected transport services. Confirm airline and rail reservations. Arrive early at French airports and expect crowded conditions. Allow additional time to reach ORY and CDG during the rail strikes, as RER connections may be unreliable. Available mass transit will be extremely crowded and taxis will be in high demand and we would advise you to confirm rental car and train reservations in advance.

19th May 2008 - Norway Airport Workers Strike

Event: Airport workers' strike Start Date: May 16 (indefinite)
Locations: Bergen, Harsted/Narvik, Mo i Rana, Molde, Mosjoen Kjerstad
Impact: Widespread flight cancellations


Summary
Airport employees affiliated with the Civil Service Union and the Electricians and I.T. Workers Union began an indefinite strike May 16, largely shutting down operations at five Norwegian airports and stranding close to 20,000 passengers. The affected facilities include airports in Bergen, Harsted/Narvik, Mo i Rana, Molde and Mosjoen Kjerstad.

Current Situation
Information suggests that a resolution had not been resolved and we expect Stavanger airport to close on Tuesday 20 May for the day.

ATP are contacting passengers affected by these actions

Please click on the following link for the most up to date information.

http://www.avinor.no/en/avinor

16th May 2008 - Belgium Strike Disruption

Eurostar may be unable to operate services between the UK and Brussels next Tuesday (May 20) due to the threat of industrial action in Belgium. A 24-hour strike by Belgian railway workers is planned to commence at 22.00 (CET) on Monday.

If the planned action does take place, we expect that Brussels Midi station and the rest of the Belgian rail network will be closed, a Eurostar spokesman said This means there would be no rail services operating between Lille and Brussels Midi station.

There would also be no high-speed onward rail connections on Thalys or ICE, from Brussels to destinations in France, the Netherlands and Germany. Eurostar is advising all travellers to and from Belgium on May 20 to change their travel plans and to exchange tickets for alternative dates or obtain refunds. Only the 19:34 (train 9158) service from London is expected to operate through to Brussels, on the assumption that the Belgian high-speed line would re-open at 22:00 (CET).

The availability of tickets on this train is limited, the company said. The 19:34 departure (train 9158) from St Pancras International to Brussels on May 19 will terminate at Lille. Eurostar services between St Pancras International, Ebbsfleet International, Ashford International and Paris are expected to operate normally but may make additional stops at Lille.

For travellers between the UK and Lille, some scheduled services will be cancelled while other alternative services are to be provided and passengers are being advised to check in as normal.

Disneyland Resort Paris services are to operate as normal.

16th May 2008 - Airport Strike Action - Norway

This is to advise that Bergen Airport is currently closed due to industrial action by the employees of Avinor the airport group. Current information suggests that if a resolution is not found by midnight, further airports will enter the action. These are likely to be Kristiansund first and then Stavanger. Please click on the following link for the most up to date information.

http://www.avinor.no/en/avinor

15th May 2008 - Disruptions at London Heathrow Airport

ATP received reports today of some flight cancellations and delays at London Heathrow Airport, these seem to be confined to terminals 1 & 5.

Terminal 5 - Cancellations
Terminal 1 - Delays

15th May 2008 - General Strike Action - Greece

Greece's largest trade union confederation (GSEE) has called a strike to protest recent government efforts to partially privatize the country's main telecommunications firm, OTE, and ports in Piraeus and Thessaloniki. The strike will likely affect the following transportation sectors:

Air traffic controllers: Workers plan to strike for four hours (time unspecified), mostly affecting domestic flights. Aegean Airlines (A3) and Olympic Airways (OA) plan to cancel 34 flights and reschedule 40 others because of the strike.
Ports of Piraeus and Thessaloniki: Dock workers plan to strike all day; no on-loading or off-loading of cargo at either terminal likely
Inter-island ferries: Disruptions likely
Athens mass transit: No strike times announced, but Athens Metro and bus workers have generally joined GSEE strikes in the past. Major disruptions possible.

15th May 2008 - Qantas Engineer Strike

An engineer union servicing Australia's Qantas Airlines plans to hold a strike from 1400 to 1800 May 16. The strike has forced Qantas to cancel a number of domestic flights for that period. The work stoppage will likely also create major delays for domestic and international flights. Qantas has said flights between Sydney and Melbourne, and Sydney and Brisbane will be affected in particular. The airline has contacted affected customers to rebook their flights.

Qantas has reportedly recruited replacement engineers to take over for the striking workers to stave off longer-term disruptions. The likely severity and duration of the strike disruptions are unclear. However, residual delays and cancellations throughout the weekend might occur.

The striking Australian Licensed Engineers Association (ALAEA) is seeking wage increases from the airline, and has warned that it could begin additional 48-hour work stoppages in the future if Qantas refuses negotiations.

15th May 2008 - Taiwans Air Transport

The locations affected by this alert are:

Cambodia
Taiwan

Summary
On 14th May, Taiwan's Far Eastern Air Transport Corporation (EF) suspended all domestic and international flights, claiming it no longer had enough money to purchase jet fuel for its aircraft. The shutdown has also forced Angkor Airways (G6), a privately owned Cambodian air carrier, to suspend all operations, as it uses aircraft leased from Far Eastern. Far Eastern is working to secure a new investor to enable it to resume service. Until the airline manages to do so, all Far Eastern and and Angkor Airways flights will remain suspended.

Advice
If planning to travel on Far Eastern or Angkor Airways, reconfirm reservations and prepare to reschedule on other airlines. Flight cancellations on these two carriers could cause delays at airports the airlines service, particularly Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) and Sung Shan Airport (TSA) in Taipei. Plan accordingly

12th May 2008 - 0870 Telephone Number Problems

We have been experiencing intermittent problems with some of our 0870 telephone numbers today. We are working with our supplier to remedy these faults. In the meantime if you are unable to contact us by phone, please email your requirements to your normal team of consultants.

If you need to talk to someone urgently or do not have access to email please call our central switchboard number on 0870 225 1075 who will transfer you directly to your reservations team.

29th April 2008 - ATP Low Cost Carrier Update

ATP, in common with most corporate travel agents, use a third party system to access airline seats on 'low cost' or 'no frills' airlines such as Ryanair and easyJet who don't distribute their inventory in the traditional method, via the Galileo reservations system.

Recently these airlines have threatened legal proceedings against agents who take data from their web sites and use the data in online booking engines. This has led us to temporarily suspend the access to these airlines from our online booking tools, Ticket Window and Corporate Traveller, as well as from our consumer facing web sites such as TelMe Global Traveller. Unfortunately for now customers using the ATP owned online booking tools will not get access to these airlines.

Currently various legal challenges to these airlines are being undertaken by trade bodies and agencies throughout Europe, and the situation may change shortly. We will of course keep you informed as things develop.

Because of the extra work involved in manually creating such bookings in our Business Travel reservations centres, we are applying the normal fee structure for the journey undertaken at this time.

10th April 2008 - Russian Visa Applications

The Russian Embassy now require that all questions are answered in full on the application forms; if an answer does not apply it will need NA as a reply.

They are also tightening up requirements with regards to US passport holders, all addresses quoted on the application form will also require telephone numbers, even though not specified on the application form.

The Consulate staff have also advised that restrictions will likely to be introduced shortly on visa issuance as a result of the upcoming UEFA Champions League Final on 21st May. There is anticipation of an extra 20,000 visa applications which may cause considerable disruption to the consular section.

Any travellers requiring visas for this period are advised to apply as soon as possible.

10th April 2008 - Uzbekistan Visa Applications

ATP has been advised that with immediate effect all visa applications for Uzbekistan now require a personal application.

2nd April 2008 - Terminal Change for Air France Flights

Air France flights from LHR will now arrive in Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport Terminal 2E (instead of Terminal 2F).

All other Air France flights from the UK and Ireland will continue to operate from Terminal 2F until 29 April 2008, after which these flights will operate to and from Terminal 2E.

For further information please visit http://www.airfrance.co.uk or contact your ATP consultant.