The travel industry is revealing its chronic over-optimism once again

Simon Calder’s Travel Week [View in browser]( [The Independent]( June 03, 2022 [The Independent]( Hoping for the best is an endearing characteristic – until over-optimism comes unstuck and wrecks the plans of thousands of travellers. The waiting game (anyaberkut/Getty) “My daughter was stranded at Amsterdam Schiphol at 5am by easyJet,” Emma Logan tells me. “Sixteen hours later, she reached home in Worcestershire. Others I know are having worse journeys, so she’s lucky. “We know easyJet, British Airways and Tui are being horrific. I would be interested to know in this week’s newsletter if Jet2, the historically awful Ryanair and any other airlines are now the way to go forward. Or are they just as bad and not receiving the bad press?” The short answer is: Jet2 and Ryanair are indeed performing much more reliably than easyJet, British Airways and Tui so far this summer. But I disagree with Emma’s description of the later three as “horrific”. They are excellent airlines – though they are letting down thousands of passengers by cancelling flights wholesale. [British Airways is making the most cuts to and from London Heathrow]( (124 today alone), followed by [easyJet at Gatwick]( and [Tui at Manchester](. Each is culling some scheduled departures to try to keep the rest of the show on the road. Nine out of 10 flights are going ahead. But that is no comfort to the stressed and upset one in 10 whose long-laid travel plans are abruptly torn up. You might agree with Emma’s description of Ryanair as “historically awful”, though I don’t. “Europe’s biggest and safest budget airline” and “innovative carrier that often provides outstanding value” are the descriptions I prefer to use. Anyway, Ryanair – along with the generally loved Jet2 – are flying normally (which means the odd long delay and cancellation, but no systemic problems). So how are they doing it? Like every airline, Jet2 and Ryanair are fiercely competitive and desperate to earn some actual money. But in this new Covid world of uncertainty, they simply seem to have been better at aligning their schedule with the available resources. Aviation has two fundamental challenges. The first is the boggling complexity of an operation that demands much more than pilots and cabin crew to show up on time. Getting a plane off the ground requires security search teams; ground staff to check passengers in and load the baggage; engineers to keep the aircraft in good order; and refuellers ready to dispense the precious kerosene. Not to mention the air navigation staff to keep us safe: when a single air-traffic controller went sick at Gatwick, plane were diverted up to 200 miles away. With so many interlinked moving parts, what could possibly go wrong? Frankly, anything. The second hazard of aviation: like the whole of the travel industry, it is chronically over-optimistic. The vast majority of travellers, though, get the trips they need and deserve. This is, after all, the industry of human happiness. Get inspired...   Green pastures On Canada's rugged, sparsely-populated Vancouver Island, sustainability is part of the fabric [I'm an image]( Bristol's hippest hangouts](How%20to%20spend%20a%20day%20in%20Stokes%20Croft,%20Bristol’s%20cool%20cultural%20quarter%20 After a cool neighbourhood for a Bristol city break? Stokes Croft is the arty choice [I'm an image]( [Crossrail adventures]( Glam lidos and treasure-concealing forests? All along the Elizabeth line? Who knew Tip of the week: Know your rights   The blame game – with ministers pointing the finger at airlines and airports for apparently being unprepared for the rush, and the aviation industry for once united in making the government’s absurd Covid travel restrictions responsible – is exceedingly unhelpful for passengers. Of course we all want the British travel industry to return to being the extraordinarily efficient machine that it was before the coronavirus pandemic We also realise that it can’t happen overnight. Right now the most useful thing the aviation authorities can do is to ensure that disrupted passengers are properly looked after by the airlines when their flights are cancelled. [A reminder of the obligations of a cancelling carrier](: - Replacement flight the same day if possible, on any available airline. - Hotel accommodations if an overnight stay is required, with commensurate meals. - Cash compensation of between £220 and £520 (depending on distance) if the airline is at fault. Deal of the week: Luxembourg for free   Last week I told you about [the amazing €9 ticket that buys you the freedom of Germany by rail for a month](. In neighbouring Luxembourg, tourists are even more spoilt. Since 2020, [all public transport in the Grand Duchy has been free](. Just step aboard a train, tram, bus or funicular railway. You can, of course, combine the German and Luxembourg deals in a single trip. If you have the €9 there is no need to do anything when the train rolls into Luxembourg. [Read The Independent's city guide to Luxembourg.]( Travel voucher of the week [Save £100 when you spend £750 on May-June 2022 summer holidays]( Question of the week: When to book Florida flights?   Q Flights for Florida next Easter look ridiculously expensive. For travel in August 2022 fares are around £1,200 return to Orlando, but for Easter 2022 they have gone on sale for £1,700 return. Do you think these will come down in price? A The supply of seats to Florida is still constrained and demand is strong. But those Easter 2022 prices look preposterous. But be patient. You may fondly imagine that airlines routinely reward very early bookers with outstandingly low prices. In fact, many are sneakier than that. They know that there will be a small but valuable cohort of prospective passengers who are just desperate to travel on a particular date. They are willing to commit large sums of money well in advance to be absolutely sure of those seats. Personally, I would wait until February 2023 to see how the market looks. And if I am wrong, and nonstop flights are still wildly expensive? There are many ways of getting to Florida and all kinds of airlines will offer you reasonable deals via their respective hubs. [Make the most of the city where most British visitors arrive, by studying our guide to 48 hours in Orlando]( Stat of the week 240 The total number of flights to and from London Gatwick that easyJet planned to cancel in the 10 days to next Monday, 6 June. An average, then, of 24 per day? The reality has been substantially more, with[the daily tally by The Independent averaging around 36]( – including some very late-notice cancellations. What you might have missed   - Bag drop: [Passengers advised to use cabin baggage only.]( - Arrival chaos: [Some people are waiting hours at the luggage carousel.]( - Rip off: [The £500 bill at a Greek taverna.]( Simon’s diary   Every day from Monday to Friday I tackle a top travel story, or explore a topic in more detail than usual in ‘Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast’ – available free on [Spotify](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Pocket Casts]( or [Acast](. I find the easiest way to rush out stories is to tweet them. It’s also an easy way to contact me. My DMs are open and I read all direct messages, though regrettably I can’t respond to every one. Let me know your thoughts [@SimonCalder]( Each Saturday and Sunday I take questions live at 3.30pm British time on Instagram Live – from wherever I happen to be in the world – so please do come and say hello. Follow me on [@Simon_Calder]( Or you can find me on TikTok. 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