Spain airport unions announce strike dates

Please be aware that recently Spain airport unions have announced around 20 days when they're planning to go on strike, starting in April and continuing through August. At this point it is anybody's guess if these strikes will materialize but you should be aware of the dates and make changes if possible if they impact your date of travel (especially if they impact your date flying into a Spanish port to take a cruise).

The article below lists the dates. The article is in Spanish but I think the dates are understandable. If anybody needs translation , let me know.

http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/espana/2011/03/09/0003_201103G9P16991.htm

Oh Boy! I'm flying from Madrid to Barcelona on May 20th. That's one of the potential strike dates. :mad:

What would I do if the strike is on? Take a train?

Thank you for posting this! We're flying in to go on a cruise and, fortunately, it looks like our date isn't one of the possible choices.

Vpcats,

Did you already buy your ticket? If not , I would suggest that you take the fast AVE Train, it's just around 2 and a half hrs

I'm afraid that if the strike occurs it will be impossible to find train availability at the last minute.

Actually, the train is closer to 3 hrs, but it's very convenient.

How can I find out about November? I haven't bought tickets yet but need to do it soon. I'll be flying into Madrid and then on to Barcelona. If I knew proposed dates, I could avoid them. Help!

Despite not being a very reliable link, and newspaper, it seems that we will have another nasty ride over here. However I seriously doubt they could even make the first day of strike. After the controllers adventure which left the country isolated for hours, the society has said enough is enough, and we don´t really mind if the goverment uses the same measure as to militarize the airports for hours.

They don´t have the minimum chance of even making a day o strike. You have to follow the development of events but we are confident over here, that the strike will be averted.

Don´t change your plans yet. This will be another "Much ado about nothing".

Keltic,

I "borrowed" the link from a poster who lives in Spain and it's a frequent contributor to other message boards. I didn't realize the newspaper was suspect. But I also read the same news which provided the same dates in "El Pais" newspaper.

I'm glad to hear that maybe this is much to do about nothing. Since you live in Spain, could you keep us posted of any developments on this?

How can I find out about November? I haven't bought tickets yet but need to do it soon. I'll be flying into Madrid and then on to Barcelona. If I knew proposed dates, I could avoid them. Help!

They didn't announce any dates past August.

Hi Cruiseluv....yeah, I do have my "multi-destination" plane tickets already, and paid. :)

Hopefully, Keltic is right and nothing will happen. I'll be in Madrid for 5 days before flying (hope) to Barcelona so if May 20th is a go, maybe we'll know soon enough and can buy train tickets early.

Keep us posted Keltic!!!!

Vpcats,

That sounds like a good plan, hopefully you will not need to do anything (other than have fun in Madrid, one of my favorite cities!).

Sure I will. No problem

I sure hope you are right. I have a flight out of JFK on april 19th that connects thru madrid on April 20th to Venice, I called american airlines and they told me if the strike were announced they would try and re route the flights but until all is settled I am going to worry about it.

Keltic,

 

I "borrowed" the link from a poster who lives in Spain and it's a frequent contributor to other message boards. I didn't realize the newspaper was suspect. But I also read the same news which provided the same dates in "El Pais" newspaper.

 

I'm glad to hear that maybe this is much to do about nothing. Since you live in Spain, could you keep us posted of any developments on this?

It isn't that El Pais is 'suspect' because they announced the strike dates on TV last week. It is more that do we think this is just the unions making big threats that the Govt will make sure never come off.

I am pretty sure that given the state of the Spanish economy this cannot come to anything, but it must already be hurting the tourist industry. Quite honestly if you were *now* considering "will it be Spain, France or Italy" for a holiday, you would avoid Spain.

I am flying into Barcelona on 15th July, one of the strike dates, I was caught up in Barcelona 5 years ago on 31st July at the end of another 3 day stike - it was pretty messy.

I am fortunate enough to be in the position that if the stikes go ahead, I will leave by car 36 hours early. I will not miss my cruise.

We're scheduled to fly out of Barcelona post-cruise on May 19th with only a few days at home until we travel again so we'll be looking for further posts.

Thanks for the warning!

We're scheduled to fly into Barcelona on 14 May for a cruise, which is one of the strike dates.

I refuse to stress over it. If it looks like it's going to happen, I'll call my airline the week before and see if they can re-route us to Nice, and either we'll rent a car and drive to Barcelona, or we'll get a hotel room and pick up the cruise on the 2nd day when it hits Cannes.

Our return flight until until 28 May, and that doesn't appear to be a strike date, so we should be ok there.

It isn't that El Pais is 'suspect' because they announced the strike dates on TV last week. It is more that do we think this is just the unions making big threats that the Govt will make sure never come off.

 

I am pretty sure that given the state of the Spanish economy this cannot come to anything, but it must already be hurting the tourist industry. Quite honestly if you were *now* considering "will it be Spain, France or Italy" for a holiday, you would avoid Spain.

 

I am flying into Barcelona on 15th July, one of the strike dates, I was caught up in Barcelona 5 years ago on 31st July at the end of another 3 day stike - it was pretty messy.

 

I am fortunate enough to be in the position that if the stikes go ahead, I will leave by car 36 hours early. I will not miss my cruise.

I wonder if the strike you refer to is the wildcat strike of baggage handlers in Barcelona airport in July 2006? If so, that's the same one I was affected by. I'll never forget that ordeal !

and you're right. I for one would chose another destination this year. It was nerve wracking last year while I was in Madrid at the end of July/ beg of August, the air traffic controllers kept talking about going on strike. It was very difficult to relax not knowing if I would be able to fly to Rome in time for my cruise.

I hope for the sake of the traveling public and the Spanish economy that this doesn't happen.

Dear friends:

Greetings from Madrid. I agree with Keltic in that it is highly unlikely that the strike will take place. The strike is being called by employees of the Airport Authority because the Spanish government is about to privatize 49% of the company that runs all of the Spanish airports and the workers are against this because they don't want to become workers of a private company, but rather want to remain as civil employees.

After the air traffic controller incident in December (destroying a 5-6 day holiday "weekend" for the entire country), neither the government nor the people will stand for this again. Coincidentally, the strike dates coincide exactly with all of the upcoming significant Spanish holiday dates.

If your pending travel plans include one of the dates listed, and you can fly a day earlier, I would change the reservation now to be on the safe side, rather than wait until the last minute and for the airline to say there is no availability and offer you an inconvenient date, or merely a refund.

For everybody's sake, I hope the strike doesn't go forward.

Kind regards,

Gunther and Uta

Several reasons:

-Strike is not popular, and the public will ask for every single measure to be taken. Surveys, have just said enough is enough.

-The goverment popularity is stalling. So they can´t afford this kind of massive unpopular protest.

-Tourism is the main industry over here. We had some hopes of getting on the track of recovery this summer term, and it won´t be tolerated.

-This strike is not constitutional, so goverment can take tough measure to avert it.

There are contacts right now. We are a funny country, but we won´t commit suicide. I have some flying plans for one of these days, and I am sure I will fly.

We are cruising out of Barcelona May 14th, one of the strike days. Fortunately we are flying in May 13th. But my sister and hubby are flying in on the 14th and several others who I have met through CC are arriving on the 14th:eek:--so I will be watching this very closely and hoping for NO strike!

We are flying back to Wash. DC from Barcelona on April 30, one of dates listed. I, too, will be watching for further news.

Good news. An agreement has been reached in the negeciation board and strikes have been called off. No further details of the full negociation, but the main point is that Unions have decided to stop all strikes.

We are flying into Malaga on May 14 to join the Adventurer of the Seas.We are unable to fly the night before so am praying this strike is all talk and no substance. The company we have booked with have sent no information. I will give it a couple of weeks to see if any annoucments are made

Keeping my fingers crossed that everything works out and the strikes are permanently called off!

Great news Keltic!thank you for keeping us posted!