Forum Topic

soaring jet fuel costs and possible lack of fuel

Soaring jet fuel costs and shotages with the EU now warning summer holidays could be effected and airlines in the uk are urging the uk goverment to help avoid a crisis. The uk goverment says "there is no shortage of fuel". Well for the meantime atleast May i just point out to the goverment that while your jet might have enough fuel to leave the uk, that is a bonkers statement if the jet is told on the tarmac in say Rhodes it cant take onboard fuel to return to the uk as we dont have enough to supply left airpoort side.

Julian Pavey ● 6d10 Comments

So many places to go in GB,NI,Ire...etc And to be honest,our climate has changed quite a bit. You only need to be a keen gardener to know that one. We have some briliant YouTuber's documenting our land. Im a big fan of Peter Santenllo who does his own docs mainly based on the america people dont know about. https://www.youtube.com/@PetereSantenllo/videos

Julian Pavey ● 4d

Hi Steve - it depends on what you are looking for in a holiday. We live in a beautiful country full of amazing scenery and historic sites. Too many of us never leave London except on a jet going to foreign parts or a train to Europe.We are going back to Northern Ireland shortly. A really hidden gem for those in the know. Great service, excellent food and incredible scenery. Also only recently began exploring the Peak District - yes it rained but wow what a place.Since BREXIT and COVID it has been hard for the hospitality sector to recruit/retain staff. You see this in London but also in tourist areas across the UK. My impression is that food standards have risen signifcantly over the years in the UK. Staff appear better trained and menus seemed focussed on attracting customers who will pay a little more for options that they cannot cook easily at home. I speak as smneone whose job for several decades meant travelling of the UK (and abroad).In the busiest holiday season staff are often over stretched because there are too few of them and out of staff employers only employ the minimum of staff in order to keep open. Restaurants and pub struggle to stay open for 6 days a week even if they are family owned and run. Rachel Reeve's changes to employers NI have been disasterous for the hospitality sector as has the pig's ear of the new business rates. As Billy Connolly said there is no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes. Suggest we all go the Scotland before a passport is required. Please do not tell anyone about the Fife Arms in Braemar - even if you can only afford to eat in the bar.

Sam Hearn ● 4d

Tried that twice. Both times a disaster. Guaranteed terrible weather, rip off accommodation prices and dinning out prices for mediocre meals quite atrocious. I’ll take my chances with travelling abroad anytime.

Steve Taylor ● 4d

So more holidays in the UK, then, to boost the economy and support the UK hospitality sector!

Peter Evans ● 4d

I don't think that it's quite that simple.  Yes, carrying extra fuel means you burn extra fuel to carry it.  But refueling takes time - so for budget airlines in particular, which rely on fast turnarounds, it may be better to pay the extra cost of carrying the extra fuel, in order to save time, if that means that you can squeeze an extra flight in that day.  Also, fuel costs aren't uniform - so it may be more economical to carry the extra fuel rather than pay the higher charge (I believe that this is called tankering).  So airlines will work out on a case by case basis what is most profitable - in the scenario we're discussing sometimes this might be consolidating flights as you suggest, sometimes it might be tankering

Andrzej Kowalski ● 4d

Ah,thanks Jayne. I do think issues are on the horizon if nothing changes or things change for the worse. Yes,the airlines have a duty to get you from A to B but not if issues are beyond ones control.

Julian Pavey ● 5d

Julian is right he knows what he is talking about, forget I have siblings who are captains for a well known airline. Listen to Julian on this one.

Jayne Thorburn ● 5d

They don't fuel for both legs as the extra weight makes itnot economical to do so. They will however cut flightsthat are not fully booked and moved you toanother flight. And many budget airlines don't fly to a destination and return back,they become another flight for anotherdestination in most cases.That is how budget airlines operate to make money. You are covered if you have a return flight booked,butthat's no good if in say 3 months time your toldin Rhodes that we don't have any available fuel,wewill get you back but not sure when and possibly another day or 2 with compensation and boardingthrown in. We will see what the situation really is in months ahead rather than weeks

Julian Pavey ● 6d

If an airline knows (or even suspects) that it won't be able to refuel in Rhodes, then it will fly from the UK with sufficient fuel on board for the return leg

Andrzej Kowalski ● 6d

"there is no shortage of fuel" Correction "there is no shortage of fuel HERE" Well Thats ok then

Julian Pavey ● 6d