Rolls-Royce earnings take off on rebound in flights

• Rolls-Royce revealed its half-year underlying operating profits rose to £673m
• Its civil aerospace division saw a sustained recovery in large engine demand
• The engineering giant’s results come a week after it upgraded annual guidance

By Harry Wise For This Is Money

Updated: 11:18 EDT, 3 August 2023

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Air passengers may be more likely to get payouts if their flights are delayed after a landmark ruling against budget airline Wizz Air.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) made it clear that it will take enforcement action against companies that fail meet passenger obligations.

The unprecedented intervention means that thousands of passengers could be entitled to compensation.

The CAA demanded that Wizz Air pay back holidaymakers whose claims over cancelled flights were wrongly dismissed.

In April, it emerged that Wizz Air was the worst major airline for delays from UK airports for the second year in a row.

The tough stance comes after investigations found several occasions where passengers were not being awarded compensation when they should have been.

The aviation regulator also concluded that Wizz Air failed to find alternative flights for passengers if there were cancellations, leaving them completely helpless.

Passengers who had claims wrongly rejected across the past 15 months for flights arriving or leaving the UK will have their cases looked at again. It’s understood some 15,000 people could have claims reviewed.

Those who feel they were unfairly treated for claims before March 18 2022 can also request for their case to be reviewed, going back as far as six years.

Paul Smith, joint-interim chief executive at the CAA, said: ‘This enforcement action sends a clear message that airlines must meet their obligations to passengers when they cancel or delay a flight.

‘We will not hesitate to step in if we believe that airlines are not consistently doing this.

‘Passengers have every right to expect their complaints and claims to be resolved quickly and efficiently and to be treated fairly by airlines, in line with regulations.

‘We made it clear to Wizz Air last year that the way it was treating passengers was unacceptable.

‘We will continue to watch the situation closely to check that passengers receive what they are owed and that Wizz Air’s policies have improved, so that consumers have a better experience if things go wrong.’

Action was taken by the CAA following widespread anger from passengers over getting compensated by the airline.

But Wizz Air came under more heat when the CAA found several county court judgments against Wizz Air in the last nine months.

The Government has got behind the landmark ruling, with aviation minister Baroness Vere warning other ‘rogue operators’ should understand the severity of the decision.

She said: ‘I hope today sends a clear signal to operators that the UK Civil Aviation Authority is watching and will take action to protect passengers.’

When Wizz Air were announced as the worst airline for delays earlier this year, Rory Boland, editor of magazine Which? Travel, called on the Government to ‘give the CAA effective powers to clamp down on poor airline behaviour’, including the ability to hand out hefty fines.

Claims that can be reviewed include those made for replacement flight costs, transfers when new flights were via different airports, and care and assistance which covers things such as hotel costs incurred after delays.

The CAA is now working with Wizz Air, which has agreed to change its policies. 

The aviation authority will be keeping an eye on the airline’s movements and if it finds failures are continuing, it has the option of taking legal action.

Wizz Air’s UK managing director, Marion Geoffroy, said: ‘Last summer, like all airlines in Europe, Wizz Air faced unprecedented operating challenges, driven mostly by the external environment, including ATC (air traffic control) disruptions, airport constraints and staff shortages across the whole supply chain.

‘As a result, we were unable to meet our own high standards of service.

‘Flights were too often late or cancelled, disruption management overwhelmed our internal and external resources, and claims took too long to process and pay.

‘We have learned from this experience and have taken significant steps to make our operation more robust and customer-centric.

‘We expect this summer to be challenging for air traffic control, which will impact airlines.

‘While we cannot anticipate every disruption, we have invested over £90 million to prepare for increased air traffic.

‘We are confident that we have taken the right steps to better support passengers this summer season.’

Wizz Air said its flight reliability was ‘well above the industry average’ in the first half of 2023.

There’s no doubt that getting a free upgrade to the posh end of a plane is one of the holy grails of air travel.

And so the advice here from Jay Roberts – who has worked as senior cabin crew for Emirates and who runs the popular Fly Guy’s Cabin Crew Lounge network – about the myths around upgrades and the secrets to getting them, is sacred.

Read on for his fascinating insider advice about being moved to the ‘good side of the curtain’.

Can flight attendants upgrade people at their discretion?

Jay tells MailOnline Travel exclusively: ‘Upgrades are not candy. Airline staff rarely have them to give, and if they do, they don’t just give them out to anyone.

‘The notion of a beautiful young air hostess coming to tap you on the shoulder and sneak you to a better seat up the front is a dream from a bygone golden era when airlines were bankrolled by their governments, tickets were handwritten, and computers couldn’t track every move staff made.

‘Times have changed, airlines are mostly privately owned and less generous, and profits are their primary goal.

‘As a result, airlines closely watch their most expensive product: seats in premium cabins.

‘If there is a TikTok video of a young flight attendant exploiting their uniform for likes, telling you something different, that’s clickbait, and you fell for it.

‘Even those that work for an airline for the perks of cheap or free flights are finding it harder to sit up front.

‘Upgrades used to be a prime reward for airline staff, but even those are getting rarer as airlines get more creative in using upgrades to generate more money.’

What’s the best way to get an upgrade?

Jay says: ‘The best way to get an upgrade is to pay for it or earn it. Airlines use unsold first or business-class seats as scraps given away like tasty treats to frequent fliers to reward them for their allegiance to the airline or its alliance.

‘Pick the airline or airline alliance that suits you best, and fly with them the most. Once you gain elite status, you will be the one they pick to upgrade when the time comes for it. You can also use miles earned through airline points and miles to upgrade. Credit card points are also a great way to snag free seats up the front.

‘Some airlines even hold auctions or deeply discount the seats if they have yet to sell close to the day of departure to prevent the sweet seats from going empty or being used as a free upgrade for a frequent or staff traveller.’

Is it possible to charm your way to an upgrade on the day?

Jay says: ‘One thing is for sure, don’t count on your good looks, sexy fashion sense, or charm to weasel your way into the hearts of the cabin crew and get you on the good side of the curtain.

‘According to a poll on A Fly Guy’s Cabin Crew Lounge, the largest social media network for airline professionals, nearly all flight attendants confirmed they could only give free upgrades in extreme circumstances. It comes with a mound of paperwork to deter the use of upgrades for service recovery when issues arise on board the aircraft.

‘In the rare circumstances of a regular passenger without a frequent flyer elite status getting a free upgrade due to the flight being oversold, the employee responsible for handing over the golden ticket is the gate agent. Even more reason to be nice to ground staff as they hold the power of choosing who gets picked if economy is oversold and they need to upgrade a few lucky ones.

‘When I worked as ground staff for a major US airline, and I was given the authority to provide a free upgrade, and I had no employees or elite passengers waiting, my pick would be elderly passengers, someone dressed nicely, or if I saw someone being a kind human in the gate area.’

He added: ‘Most cabin crew and gate agents from major airlines worldwide confirmed that if they are caught giving free upgrades, it’s seen as theft, and the employee could face disciplinary action if they took the chance and made the cabin swap without swiping a credit card.’

For more from Jay visit www.instagram.com/aflyguytravels and www.facebook.com/aflyguyslounge.

When Jacqueline Morgan arrived at Birmingham Airport two hours before her flight to Greece, she never thought she would be watching it take off from the departure lounge.

But huge delays at security meant that the office administrator, from Dudley in the West Midlands, and her friend, Shirley Halliday, were stuck in queues for two hours and did not make it to their gate until it was too late.

Jacqueline was one of more than 20 Ryanair passengers due to fly to Rhodes at 7am on May 6 who were left stranded because of disarray at the airport.

She says: ‘The crowds were massive — there were thousands of people in the queue at security. Staff told us no one would miss their flight while blocking us from joining the fast queue.’

After missing her flight, the 62-year-old was assured by airport staff that she would be reimbursed if she booked a new flight.

But a month later, she is still waiting for a refund of more than £800 for the new flight, train tickets to transfer to another airport and a hotel room.

A Ryanair spokesman said: ‘Due to security delays at Birmingham Airport a small number of passengers missed their flight to Rhodes on May 6. It is a passengers responsibility to ensure they are at the gate before it closes.’

An airport spokesman admitted that it is was the source of the delay, but denied compensation, telling customers to claim on their insurance.

Jacqueline is just one of thousands of passengers caught up in travel turmoil at Britain’s airports. On Monday, around 15,000 passengers were stranded after easyJet cancelled more than 100 flights due to thunderstorms.

As Britain braces for another summer of travel chaos, Money Mail explains your rights if you get caught up in it…

Can I claim due to queues at security?

If you miss your flight because of long queues at security, then it is unlikely you will be able to claim compensation from your airline. 

These checks are carried out by the airport, which means your airline is not liable to pay compensation or refund you on this basis.

If you miss your flight because you do not get to the gate in time, then it is deemed to be your fault, according to Gary Rycroft, of law firm Joseph A. Jones & Co.

The airline is not obligated to provide you with a replacement flight and you will have to pay if you still want to travel to your final destination.

Get in touch with your airline if you think you might miss your flight because of a long queue. If enough passengers are caught up in this chaos, then there is a chance the flight will be delayed.

Some airlines will rebook you on to the next available flight for a fee. Ryanair charges customers who arrive at the check-in desk any time between 40 minutes before their flight’s scheduled departure time, to one hour after, a £100 fee per passenger to move to the next available flight.

But beware, this may exceed the cost of booking a new ticket.

At easyJet, you can pay a £110 ‘rescue fee’ to move to the next available flight if you arrive at the airport less than two hours after yours departed. 

Virgin Atlantic customers who miss their flight will be booked on to the next available plane with the airline for free. You may be able to make a claim for missing your flight on your travel insurance.

Most policies will pay out if you arrive late to the airport because you were stuck in heavy traffic or your car broke down. Policies will list specific reasons you are covered for, so read the terms and conditions carefully.

Missed flight insurance is not usually included in standard travel policies, and only on offer as an add-on, says Rebecca Goodman, of price comparison site Comparethemarket.

As for the airport, your chances of claiming compensation are very slim, says Jo Rhodes, of consumer group Which?.

She says: ‘No large UK airport currently has a policy to compensate passengers in these circumstances. If you are in a long queue and worried you are in danger of missing your flight, it’s essential you speak up and make a fuss. Most airports will bring you to the front of the queue if your flight is departing imminently.’

What if the flight is late?

Under UK law, airlines must provide compensation if your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late.

But there are exceptions to this rule. If the delay was caused by ‘extraordinary circumstances’, such as extreme weather or strike action, then don’t expect to receive any compensation, says the Civil Aviation Authority.

How much compensation you qualify for depends on the distance you were travelling.

For short-haul flights of less than 1,500km (for example, London to Split in Croatia) you are entitled to £220 if you are delayed by more than three hours. For distances of 3,500km, such as Greece, it’s £350. Compensation for any further than this is £520.

During your delay your airline must provide food and drink, and accommodation if you are delayed overnight. If you are delayed by more than five hours and no longer want to travel, then you are entitled to a full refund.

But once you accept a refund, or do not move to the first available flight, then your airline is not required to provide you with food, drink or accommodation.

and if i miss my connection?

If you miss your connecting flight because of a delay during the first leg of your journey, then you may be entitled to compensation, but usually only if you booked both flights as a single booking, according to Citizens Advice.

You should contact the airline as soon as possible to reschedule your second flight. If you booked the two flights separately, then you may have to pay for another flight if you miss your connection.

This is because you failed to arrive for your flight within the recommended time, so will not be entitled to compensation from the second airline.

If you were delayed by less than three hours, then you also may not be entitled to compensation from your original airline, even if you missed your connection.

Some insurance providers will cover missed connections if the airline is not obliged to pay compensation, according to Ms Goodman. Check your policy to see if connections are included.

Sean Tipton, of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), says: ‘The best way to protect yourself when booking two flights is to do it through a travel agent. The two flights are then treated legally as one contract, so you can claim directly from the airline.’

a.cooke@dailymail.co.uk

Travelling with a toddler may not be ideal – there is the constant need to keep them occupied. And let’s not talk about how uncomfortable the plane seats are.

But one TikTok mum has shared a game changing product that she uses every single time she flies. 

Mother-of-one Kaleigh Gawn shared a TikTok hack that will not only keep young children entertained on long journeys, but is also an inexpensive way of doing so.   

The TikToker has found a travel product that she says has been a ‘game changer’ on long flights with her toddler.

However, holiday goers have been warned that it is important they check their airline is ok with them bringing this on the flight.

Ms Gawn often shares parenting hacks with her 96.2K TikTok followers and this inexpensive hack has blown people away.

In a video that has gone viral, the TikToker showed how she bought a tiny inflatable travel footrest on the plane with her.

She then shows herself pumping it up, and when it is full it fits perfectly between the seat and the storage in front.

Popping it in the gap, her daughter was able to easily lie down and stretch out during nap time.

In the video, Ms Gawn says, ‘If you’re flying with your toddler, then this one is for you. We purchased this blow-up pillow off of Amazon and it came with a pump and it fills the space between your seat as well as the tray table in front of you.’

She added: ‘This allows your toddler to stretch out during nap time or just lounging, it was a game-changer,’ and in the caption Kaleigh calls her tip an ‘Ultimate toddler travel hack’.

And there are loads that are being sold on Amazon for as little as £3.30. Meanwhile, on eBay the cheapest goes for £7.99.

The best part about these is that they come with a tiny portable hand pump, and are washable and tear resistant.

And the TikToker has left her followers impressed with the hack, with many saying that the blow up footrest is a huge game changer.

One person put: ‘Yes!!!! Thanks mama!!’ 

Another wrote: ’18 hours in the air coming up , I’m getting it.’

And a third said: ‘This looks a game changer!’

And a fourth commented on the TikTok video: ‘This is a great idea and car seats are to much hassles to take with you.’ 

However, it is important that travellers are aware that their airline may not accept this.   

And TikTok users have echoed this too, as one person wrote: ‘Ex air hostess here! My airline didn’t allow these due to it obstructing the seats! Make sure to check with the airline you’re flying with.’

One user said: ‘Check your airline first to make sure they are allowed. Not all allow them.’

While another commented: ‘Hello from a flight attendant although this is allowed, most airlines will tell you to place it at the window seat in the event of an emergency.’

Meanwhile, another brand that sells inflatable kids beds, Flyaway, has listed the airlines that accept their product. 

These airlines include: 

• Aeroflot
• AirAsia
• Air Canada
• Air China
• Air Mauritius
• American Airlines
• Cathay Pacific
• China Airlines
• Delta
• EasyJet
• Etihad Airlines
• Iberia
• Icelandair
• JAL Japan Airlines
• Jet2 .com
• KLM
• Malaysia Airlines
• Norwegian Airlines
• Singapore Airlines
• TAP Portugal
• Vietnam Airlines
• Virgin Australia
• WestJet

It should be noted that, British Airways, United and Qantas are among some of the airlines that don’t allow these inflatable foot rests.

French air traffic controller strikes are wrecking the plans of British holidaymakers after Ryanair cancelled 400 flights throughout Europe.

Staff walkouts have forced hundreds of flights to be grounded, sparking complaints from passengers about four-hour delays and being stuck on planes with dwindling food supplies and ‘just crisps and fizzy pop’ for sustenance. 

One mother told MailOnline her 19-year-old disabled son’s flight cancellation on Sunday left him and his friend stranded in Paris yesterday, having to wait until Thursday for a flight home. The teenager had only brought enough medication and hearing aids for the long weekend, mother Haleh Paul said.

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary expressed frustration that overflights across Europe are being cancelled, rather than French domestic flights. 

He said: ‘It’s absolutely indefensible that flights going from Ireland to Italy, from Poland to Portugal, or from Spain to Germany are being cancelled simply because the French want to prioritise their domestic flights and cancel all the overflights.’

Air traffic controllers are needed to make contact during overflights, where planes are flying through the French airspace. Airline EasyJet also saw cancellations and delays.

STRANDED ABROAD? IS YOUR HOLIDAY RUINED? Send your holiday hell story and pictures to hannah.mcdonald@mailonline.co.uk 

Passengers affected by the cancellations and delays voiced their frustrations on Twitter. 

One user wrote: ‘Very confused, sat on flight FR455 FEU-NCL with delays due to French air strike. Already delayed by two hours but being told we’re now going to be sat not moving for a further two hours?

‘Why put us on the plane? Please communicate what the situation is. @Ryanair also doesn’t help the situation when two thirds of the refreshments are out of stock. Not hot food etc? Just crisps and fizzy pop.’

Another delayed passenger wrote: ‘Flight FR7045 dep 7.55am from Malaga to Dublin delayed 1hr30mins due to #Frenchairtraffic strikes but glad to be on home soil @Ryanair, thanks for not cancelling my flight.’

Haleh Paul, the mother of the 19-year-old disabled teenager, said: ‘I and the other set of the family had to scramble around from the UK to change their flight and find alternative accommodation for them. 

‘I am sure I am not the only one in this boat. But when you plan for a long weekend as a young adult and it ends up being a week, with no extra medication, hearing aid batteries or change of clothes, it’s very worrying.’

However not everyone saw it as bad, with David Wilson posting a selfie on social media writing: ‘Just got a message from Ryanair… my flight home on Tuesday has been cancelled due to air traffic control strikes in France so we can’t fly over France … oh well [laughing emojis]’. 

It was not just Ryanair that faced issues, as EasyJet flights were cancelled, with people stranded in Nice last night after Edinburgh flights were put on hold. 

Last minute flight cancellations were also seen at Bristol, with one Twitter user posting a picture of queues on Saturday, asking EasyJet to pay for his missed trip. It was not known if this delay was due to strikes. 

In a recorded statement, Mr O’Leary said: ‘I’m speaking to you this morning Tuesday from our Dublin operation centre with the bad news that again today we have had to cancel just about 400 flights of the 3200 flights we had scheduled to operate today.

‘All of these flights have been cancelled because of the latest French ATC strike.’

He added that the French have travel alternatives within the country, as they can take its high-speed train service or use motorways. 

Last week, Ryanair submitted a petition calling for the European Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, to insist that France protects overflights during French ATC strikes. 

The petition has so far been signed by over 1.1million of Ryanair’s ‘very fed up’ customers. 

The CEO added: ‘Spain, Italy and Greece already protect these overflights so that when their national ATC unions go on strike, the overflights are not disrupted. 

‘We are calling on the commission today for action.’ 

As part of Ryanair’s call to action, the airline revealed that more than 4,000 flights have been cancelled so far this year as a result of ATC strikes, ‘mainly overflying France’. 

In his call to the commission, he added: ‘Europe is a single market. In a single market the overflights and skies over Europe must be protected. Take action.’ 

Jan Dent told MailOnline: ‘My son, his wife and our 21-month-old granddaughter were supposed to be on an afternoon flight today from Manchester to Malaga.

‘We live in Spain so don’t get to see them as often as we would like to so we’re looking forward to ten days together.’

She added: ‘They are booked to fly again on Thursday but it means changing airport, parking, car hire etc.’ 

‘Absolute joke ours has been cancelled,’ another passenger wrote on Twitter. ‘Now been transferred Manchester to East Midlands with a 9-hour delay. No idea what to do about transfers, can’t get in touch with the holiday company as it’s too busy and yet no compensation apparently – livid!!!’ 

Air traffic controllers in France, as well as members of the French national rail company SNCF, have been striking in protest against proposed pension reforms by Emmanuel Macron.

His reforms would see the retirement age in France increased from 62 to 64 years old.

It would also force workers to contribute to the pension system for longer, as state pensions in the country are financed by a payroll tax.

Indeed, the public are not just angry at Macron for increasing the retirement age, but also because he used a special presidential decree (Article 49.3) to pass his proposals through the National Assembly without approval.

This has been perceived as undemocratic. Civilians and workers also argue that, if he is using Article 49.3 to increase the retirement age now, there is nothing to stop him doing so again with other legislation in the future.

Protests have been ongoing since January 2023.

Revealed: Jet2.com to launch flights from Liverpool John Lennon Airport from March 2024, with destinations served to include Greece, the Canary Islands, the Balearics and Turkey

• From summer 2024, 20 destinations will be served by Jet2.com from Liverpool 
• Jet2.com said the operation will represent 565,000 summer seats on sale
• READ MORE: The UK’s ‘worst’ airline vs the ‘best’ – Wizz Air vs Jet2.com 

By Ted Thornhill, Mailonline Travel Editor

Published: 08:09 EDT, 16 May 2023 | Updated: 08:09 EDT, 16 May 2023