lff12

It seems like Aer Arann has run out of ammunition against Ryanair on the issue of Ryanair's predatorial actions on this route.  See the article on the Examiner for the end of the Competition Authorties investigation.  The interesting thing is it looks as if all the Competition Authority looks for is evidence of unfair business practices, and of course, in the context of this particular route, it competes with road and rail as well as via air, and of course Aer Arann are the PSO contract holders on this route at present.

I think the key problem for Aer Arann is that prior to RA's entry to this route, they enjoyed a very considerable level of success and it was probably quite a profitable route.  Indeed when I first moved to Cork and lived without a car for 1.5 years, I was very pleased to pay as little as 59 euros instead of the almost as expensive and utterly contemptuous service which Iarnrod Eireann spit at consumers on this route, again with little competition for many years.  Of course the legacy of this is that for years, business people who didn't want to endure the then 3 hour plus drive to Dublin's only real option for a day doing business was to take the 5am train to Dublin.  Aer Lingus did also have a stopover on the 5.30am flight which I think went on to Munich after stopping at Dublin.  Since my company paid the airfare, and probably via a BA codeshare I have no idea how much this would have cost compared to what was at the time around 44 euros for a weekend return fare.  Now the standard unrestricted return to Dublin is an eye watering 66 euros, but IE are doing a series of web deals which can bring this down to 20/25 euros return.  Which to be honest is the least they can do considering how poor the service is.

I had the misfortune of being a regular commuter not only on the Cork/Dublin but also the Cork/Cobh route for this 18 month miseryfest and endured everything from wildcat strikes, unexplained last minute (or late) cancellations, substantially late trains, and eventually I finally gave up the ghost and after abandoning a trip to Dublin 2 years ago because the train sat in a siding near Charleville for 2 hours without explanation, leaving me 2 hours late for an appointment (I hoppe off the train at Limerick and got the next train back to Cork) I vowed I would never again use that service.  I did apply for a refund and got back I think 30 euro, which was less than I had paid for the trip, and of course didn't take into account the 5 euros I'd also spent on the car park at the station.  So much for "take the train."

Anyway I used to regularly watch out for AE "specials" and even not so special specials, since this was shortly before the LUAS ended the ludicrous situation whereby the last train trundled into Dublin 10 minutes after the last bus into town left the station.  I was certainly happy to pay 70 euros rather than 45 as my family home is in Swords, and it was at the time far easier to spend 5 minutes on a bus to the airport than it was to trek across town to Kingsbridge.

I wouldn't have minded Ryanair coming onto the Cork route were it not for their previous attack on Easyjet on another Cork route - the Cork to Gatwick route which was instated in 2004.  Shortly after, Ryanair, after years of a very pathetic service out of Cork, responded with an identical service on the same route.  Easyjet lasted a while, but eventually packed up and left.  And almost in response, Ryanair too almost pulled the route from about  per day to a pretty mediocre 1, oh and the fares mysteriously increased also.  Similarly, 2 other Irish routes which Easyjet had attempted to establish were also targetted aggressively by Ryanair, and this time Ryanair withdrew services entirely within 2 weeks of Easyjets withdrawal.  Ill-fated carriers Go and MyTravelLite also suffered from attempting direct compeition.

But the difference with Aer Arann is that it didn't already compete with RA on any routes of real significance and therefore were of no real CURRENT threat to RA.  However it was clear that the Cork route was a profitable and important route, and easy to attack.  Ryanair initially undercut their fares by about 20-30 euros overall, but at the moment the compeitition is extremely intense with many seats on the Cork route going for as little as 13 euros.  In fact right now it seems to be hard to find a flight priced much higher than about 20-30 euros on that route.  But this isn't what I find suspicious.  What I find suspicious is that the flights are consistently almost empty.  Even on what I would consider to be very attractive flights for business travellers, are as little as 30% full.  RA must be making a massive loss on this route, yet they continue to operate 5 departures per day each way.  Why is that and why is the competition authority not looking into this aspect?

I would suspect that the reason for the direct attack on Aer Arann is to deplete its profitability and weaken the Cork base - and surely that is fundamentally anti-competitive?  I would certainly suspect that further court action would be useful for AA but it will be very hard to get the truth out of RA on the losses and underbooking on this route, and why it maintains 5 departures per day on it.  I think my fear, and the fear of others, is that RA's attack is a strategy to at least drive AA off this route if not out of business, but without actually replacing it, people could well end up left with nothing.  RA's services otherwise out of Cork are extremely spartan.  Shannon gets better routes, but you have to ask about political motivations for pushing Shannon considering Aer Lingus's near abandonment of it a few years ago in favour of Belfast (although the latter seems to be doing quite well for the airline).

Actually what I would welcome is for RA to institute more NEW routes out of Cork such as links to Brussels or Hahn.  At the moment it is really quite difficult to go anywhere interesting and were it not for Aer Lingus, there would be very few, if any continental options out of Cork.  Small airlines such as AA are good for regional airports like Cork as they don't need the same levels of high loads in order break even on these kinds of routes.  There is a huge area for business development which is going almost ignored.

1. Shop around - use travel comparison sites rather than just a single site.  Travelsupermarket is a great resource as it compares flights, hotels and car hire from more than one provider.  And its not the only site - check google for the latest and greatest sites, which are often regularly marked in online versions of newspapers such as the Sunday Times and the Guardian.  Trivago is simply brilliant for hotels.

2. Don't use a single provider for flights and hotel, you'll almost certainly get a better deal, be it an online provider or a travel agency.  If its an agency tell them you'll come back and leave them a number, in this environment they may well come back with a lower offer.

3. Don't automatically assume that booking 6 months in advance will get you the cheapest deals.  If your dates are a bit flexible this might be the case but airlines incresaingly have sales as little as 2-3 months ahead that will still net cheap deals.

4. It goes without saying - travel midweek for week or longer breaks as not only are flights a lot cheaper, but some resorts may be easier to book.  Also there is nothing worse than arriving exhausted on a Friday evening after a full weeks work, and be too tired to head out partying.  This especially applies to weekend festival trips - package deals often don't take into account the fact that the best bits are towards the end.  There was nothing more galling than having to literally speed walk away from the parade at Maspalomas Pride in 2008 because package operators in Ireland don't consider the pink market and fly out on Saturday evening, just as the festivities are building up.

5. Speaking of package operators, in situations where scheduled flights are available, you'll probably save as much as 50% on the entire package and get more favourable dates by booking a low cost flight and using sites such as Roomsnet or Alpharooms to book the apartment.  Avoid the taxi touts and overpriced shuttles by using services such as ATS or Resorthoppa.  Last year I paid an eye watering €549 euros to spend a week in a grotty aparthotel 2-bed apartment with an attention seeking walking freakshow only to be dragged off on the Saturday just as the party was getting started.  This week, by doing it myself direct, an almost identical trip, with a whole apartment all to myself for a mere €347 AND I get to stay for the Saturday and Sunday.  Thats a saving of 37%.  And that doesn't taken into account the extra 30 euros we spent because the check out time for the hotel was 7 hours before the flight departure, making a total of €579.  If you MUST use a package operator, always book at least 6 months in advance, many of them do a preseason sale.

6. Note that as a lot of the operators don't take into account even flight departures, you can like I was backed into having to pay extra to hold the room.  Easiest was around this is to book an extra night at the time of booking (if you are staying less than a week anyway in a package-dominated resort its possible it won't even cost you extra at the time of booking).  Likewise, use prebooked airport parking spaces or get a friend to give you a lift rather than driving.  Even the smaller airports are all charging at least 10 euros a day for long term car parking.

7. If you are flying from Ireland to the US, consider going via the UK, its hugely cheaper and avoids the dreaded stopovers on Aerlingus Dublin/Shannon flights.  Who really wants to get on a plane at Shannon only to have it fly to Dublin and THEN back over the whole country?  Note also that Shannon is particularly poorly served by public transport.  Its probably easier to get to either of the Belfast airports than it is to get to or from Shannon to suit many transatlantic flights, thus adding extortionate amounts of parking charges and petrol costs.  Hate to put down the midwest as I spend a lot of time in the area, but right now its a false economy.

8. Note that in the USA, a B&B is what we in Europe would consider to be a small boutique hotel or high end guesthouse.  A B&B in Ireland is generally cheaper, but these are rapidly being wiped out by heaper hotel chains offering bargain deals and hostels starting to venture into private rooms.  Another one to watch out for is that low-end Spanish resorts increasingly charge high prices for essentials such as irons, safes, kettles, etc.  If you are ending up at one of these, a small travel iron and kettle is useful and probably costs less than the weekly rental.  Likewise, avoid high laundry charges by going to a self-service laundry in big cities.  Bit tougher in the Far East.  Appearance isn't everything though.  I was travelling in Patong in Phuket, Thailand in late 2005 and dropped my clothes into a pretty grubby laundry-cum-cafe on the road into Phuket on I think, Pracha Nukro.  Imagine my surprise to arrive back the following day to find not only had my clothes been beautifully cleaned, they'd been ironed and neatly folded also - and it was very cheap.  Sometimes a little risk is worth taking.

9. While on the subject of the Far East here's a few dos and don'ts

• don't offend the locals by dressing inappropriately in temples, mosques etc.  In the large Mosques  they provide you with robes to cover your head, also be aware in some countries that the political leader is akin to a deity so don't insult them
• be aware of local customs - be aware for example that its not kosher in a Muslim country (even the more westernized ones) to speak freely with a member of the opposite sex.  So don't be offended if the Muslim businessman sitting beside you on a flight talks shop freely with the guy beside you and totally ignores you.  Its not his custom to talk to strange ladies, especially foreign ones.
• be aware of local laws - jay walking in the US, the myriad of laws in Singapore, drugs in most Far Eastern countries, public displays of affection in the Middle East - all might be less serious at home but can place you in hot water abroad

10. Cars - first of all don't hire one at all in countries where there is reasonable transportation and good shuttle services.  There is just no point and it creates not only unnecessary expense and risk.  Even more so hiring motorbikes in the Far East, it looks really cool but ask yourself is it needed?  In Western countries you will also have to consider extra costs for parking a car as a lot of city hotels either have no parking or charge for it handsomely.  In the USA and countries like France, however, outside of major urban centres it might be useful.  For example in the USA it massively opens up travel possibilities in most States, especially Florida and California.  In Ireland outside of Dublin its pretty much essential as many beauty spots have little or no public transport, which is increasingly expensive and often highly unreliable.
I have to admit that I often hire cars in the UK as public transport prices have hit such a premium its frequently no more expensive than the train fare if the distance is more than 80 miles.
11. Secondly car hire is one area where a "quotation" can really be a poor indication of the eventual price.  Dropping off elsewhere or quotes that don't include essential levels of insurance can add hugely to the eventual cost.  A GPS might seem nice, but US National Parks service issues a warning - in some remote areas GPS maps may be wrong, may not account for seasonal road closures, and even where I live in Cork, many roads simply don't appear on online GPS maps, despite claims to the contrary.  Paper maps are still cheap and you should plan your drive before you go anywhere.
For actual hiring there are good price comparison sites such as Carhire3000, Holiday Autos and Travel Supermarket.

12. For the best deals on car hire phoning is often a good ploy.  If your company uses a particular car hire company they will often provide employees with a discount number for whatever major company they use.  Likewise, some hotel chain loyalty cards or air miles programmes also give you a car hire discount number.  The trouble with agressive shopping around is often the prepay rate may reflect the eventual cost of hire, some of the more "budget" firms give a much lower quote which by the time you add CDW/LDW or even a pay-shuttle to the pick up point, you'll already have paid more than for a competitor.  Beware also that some of the "hold" excesses put on your credit card can be astronomical.  The car hire websites are remarkably coy about this.
I was impressed to see that Hertz are currently offering quite substantial discounts if you are willing to prepay 21 days in advance - a good idea.

13. Local taxes.  Some locations charge extra taxes when you get there, such as taxes on hotels, airport charges etc.  Can add up.

14. Avoid taxis.  I've had mixed experiences of taxis in some locations.  Even at home in Cork, if a driver hears my Dublin accent he will try to add a 2 or 3 mile diversion to my trip.  Airport taxis are particularly annoying in far flung destinations - check with your hotel to see can they arrange a transfer for you.

15. Local concierges and "travel agents."  Again some of these are simply legalized thieves and beggars.  Avoid where possible, they are almost certainly adding a large commission for themselves onto your snorkeling trip or tour.  Some of the worst don't even arrange the trips properly, leaving you with extra admission charges etc to pay for.  Just totally ignore them and walk straight past without speaking to them.

16. Street hawkers selling dodgy fake goods.  Whether it says "Nike" or "Arsenal" on it or not, a fake knock off is a fake knock off and almost certainly not worth the extortionate price you might think you have bargained down to.  These guys prey on stupid westerners to pay ridiculous prices for what you can almost certainly get in Pennys/Primark for the same or less.  Again don't let them engage you in conversation - walk straight past.  I really have to just sigh at the stupidity of people who think this stuff is a "bargain" - its not and you've almost certainly been gouged.  Genuine articles do turn up at official factory outlets in major Far eastern cities.  Wearing this stuff back home is to me a sure-fire sign of being pretty thick.

17. Tourist trinkets.  95% of this is vast mass produced rubbish.  There are a few exceptions - though you will pay through the nose for the real thing.  Jim Thompson in Thailand is most certainly the real thing, Noor Arfa in Kuala Lumpur is a good source for genuine Malaysian batik, and despite its bankruptcy, Waterford crystal is still very much the genuine article.  A surprisingly good place to buy mementoes in New South Wales, Australia is the gift shop at Katoomba, which is quite nice and has some very good stuff - likewise again in Australia, the gift shops at the Sydney Aquarium, the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge Pylon Lookout (particularly nice staff too) and at Taronga Zoo.  Give the various shops around Circular Quay a miss though.  Some stuff in other countries can be amusing.  I did regret not picking up a shoulder bag with pictures of Chairman Mao in Hong Kong!

18. Food can be a difficult one.  The obvious one is to be wary of raw meat/fish dishes in funky locations.  What may not be so obvious is how salds and raw veg/fruit is prepared.  Bottled water is only necessary when hiking in the west and in more exotic locations (generally if they do supply you with free bottled water, it probably indicates its not 100% safe to drink tap water).  In resorty places you'll often find western chains - McDonalds, Burger King (=Hungry Joes in Australia), Starbucks, etc.  Generally resorts have fairly naff pseudo western food places associated with the cultures of their owners, many of which in my experience are pretty average at better.  In Spanish resort avoid the bigger shopping centre style arrangements although sometimes the small ones have good places tucked away behind the resorts.  Playa del Ingles, in Gran Canaria, for example has lots of particularly rotten and overpriced plcaces around the Kashbah and Irish centre.  Awful.  In contrast there are some excellent and well priced places around the Yumbo centre.  Generally the biggest places are the worst, going away from the main drags usually nets you a better deal.

19. Watch for food courts around the place - often a great place for cheap, good food.  The best ploy is to pick the longest queue and have whatever they are having.  On street sellers of freshly cut fruit can be generally ok too.  In big cities, even the fanciest of hotels have much cheaper lunch menus.

20. Hostels might seem good value for young solo travellers on a budget but increasingly hotel prices are on the way down and often a private room in a hostel might save you very little over a low end 1 star hotel.  For older solo travellers, women especially, nothing will draw attention to you more than being the only 40-year old in a room full of screaming 21 year olds.  Do yourself a favour and at minimum get yourself a private room.  Go for hostels affliated to large international hostelling associations - at least they will be well run, though probably full of screaming kids.  Security tends to be minimal so you might be saving in the long run by booking a hotel or B&B.  The only advantage of these is that independent ones might have bars, organised trips and be well served by transport.  However a lot of them are cheap because they are out of town and basically cram people in.  The last few hostels I stayed in were pretty awful places, though both well praised by travel sites.  One of them was so far out of town we had to organize lifts to get in an out.  Another had a charming bunch of guys staying from the UK who showed their appreciation by shitting in the middle of a corridoor, which incidentally, my group got blamed for.  The last one, in London, we had to move out for a weekend because the owner hadn't paid his council tax and an inspection was coming!!  (It also had a few creepy gay guys who made moves on other guys at night after dark!)

This extraordinary case is an interesting case of culture clashes, misunderstandings and institutionalized misogyny, not to mention moral panic of the worst kind.  The only thing I will credit the Dubai judiciary for is NOT engaging in the traditional "blame the women" thing and punishing only the lady in question, at least both were jailed, even though it is deeply unethical to invite such a huge expat workforce and then subject them to laws so different from the rest of the world.

I do think, however, that it is equally foolish of the two in question to have behaved in a manner so out of keeping with the culture which they worked in.  I do think, though, that countries that wish to take western money cannot simply take on the monetary values without the social values, and most critically, legitimate standards for human rights.