Winnipeg Free Press

Well, I am in Yerevan and, oddly enough, so are my bags.

It is an interesting city - built mostly after 1924 in the early Soviet style, with little attentioin to budgets, and much attention to dramatic buildings and street art; I like it, but it is a bit dusty, and there are quite a lot of unfinished projects around - rather a building site in ways, but a friendly one. I was here about eighteen months ago with a friend, and while I would not say that it is unrecognisable, the pace of development has been really quite staggering.

There is a great cafe culture in the city, and the coffee is good; many street cafes where one can sit with a coffee and bottle of water ($1.50 for the two) and sit people-watching for hours. It is a sunny day today, and Mount Ararat is visible just across the border. With a bit of concentration, the locals say, one san see the place that Noah’s Ark came to rest; I could n’t wuite see the site, but I can only assume it was the haze.

Now I am off to ride on the Metro (15cents per ride) and visit some outlying suburbs - always an interesting indicator of a city. Tonight I will dine with a couple of Armenian colleagues and pepper them with questions!

All in all a good place to be, and a strategic base to explore the Caucuses from.

The world’s airlines are falling into very deep trouble as the price of oil reaches uncharted levels. Despite people from Steven Forbes to Saudi Princes trying to talk down the price it keeps rising.

A report last week in the travel trade journals was worrying. At $130 per barrel, the world’s airlines face a $30 billion increase in their fuel costs. The industry feels that the maximum revenue they are able to raise is $5 billion.

This leaves a large $25 billion hole. How can it be filled? Realistically there are few options as the banking industry itself is reeling from its own economic issues and are unlikely to be in a position to help much. There are certainly limits to the fares that can be charged, and the nickel and diming practice that airlines have embraced so enthusiastically has its own limits.

Governments are the only institutions with both deep enough pockets and the absolute requirement for a strong and reliable transportation infrastructure. It is ludicrous to expect individual and institutional shareholders to bear this cost; it is also difficult to understand why any institution should lend money to airlines to underwrite an operating expense that is out of control.

It is simply time to debate whether the industry should be assisted with massive, and probably endless round of subsidies to shareholders or if airlines should be taken back under governments’ control.

There will be different answers in different countries. The USA’s distaste for regulation in any transparent form will lead it to regulate through the back door of Bankruptcy Protection; some European governments will simply nationalise or stop their slide to privatisation, and other governments around the world will make their own choices within the scope of regulatory control.

It is a stark fact however, that there are too many seats in the skies chasing too few passengers. The cost of oil is rising beyond the ability of individual shareholders to finance and change must happen. The only questions are how, when and where.    

I am flying to Armenia tomorrow, and wonder if my baggage will make it this time. Transiting both Chicago and Heathrow offers enough problems for passengers, but seems to be quite beyond the capability of luggage.

We will see; and should my bags make it to Yerevan I shall let you know!

The Caucuses are great; I was fortunate to spend a few days there a couple of years ago and am now heading back with my wife to explore Armenia and Georgia for ten days in a little more detail. Ancient villages, fabulous urban architecture, stunning countryside, good wine and friendly people all conjuring up a memorable experience. 

I will keep posting!

Well, where to begin? Last seen, I was heading south to explore the beach and coastal towns to the south of Perpignan, and this I did. I have also been caught up peripherally in the Spanish gas protests, spent a few hours in hospital in Barcelona, started my journey back to Canada, and (miracle of all miracles) had my bag returned to me. Nine days after it went astray.

The beaches were interesting; not really the sort of place that I would head for a vacation, except for Collioure which is wonderful. As I moved south through Port Vendres (a naval presence), Banyuls (possibly fun in the seventies) and Cerbere (border towns often have this air of latent smuggling), I was mesmerised by the coastline, blown over by the wind and reflected on how much I enjoyed the ride. However, with nothing much to keep me there, I headed on into Spain.

The Costa Brava is the name given to the most northerly collection of resorts on the Spanish Mediterranean, and they are really quite pleasant. Randomly I ended up spending the night in Saint Feliu de Guixols; a beautiful location with some fine restaurants, a broad and open beach, crystal-clear water and an amusing street market. The language, Catalan, is odd to an untrained ear, and sounds much as I would imagine Martian to sound, however, this didn’t really cause any impediment, and a fine evening was had.

Arriving at dusk, and trapped in a web of one-way streets, it was not simple to find accommodation with somewhere to park; however, I am not unduly fussy, and stayed at the Hotel Coral. A simple hotel, well located in the town cost EUR 30 for a single room with a shower, and it was clean, comfortable and met my modest dwelling requirements. I noticed some considerably more upmarket hotels as I wandered around later, and may well look at them further, but for now, this suited me well.

In the morning, it was off to Barcelona, one hundred kilometres away. Unbeknownst to me, however, it would also be a day that increasing discomfort led me to a clinic, an EKG test (all is fine with the ticker I am pleased to report), an ambulance ride to a hospital and a couple of hours lying round wearing nothing but one of those rather unflattering blue semi-smocks so loved by the medical profession. Pronounced fit enough to travel home, I was discharged, but not without an undying admiration and respect for the Spanish Medical system.

For a total outlay of EUR 52, I was seen in the clinic and shipped to hospital; there, I was advised that the treatment would be EUR 200, or possibly a little more depending on what they found; as it happened, when I was discharged in the evening, there was no cash register in sight, and the attending physician simply shrugged and sent me on my way. I fully expect a bill to arrive in the mail, and will happily pay it, but the level of care and attention provided was impeccable, and the disinterest in payment refreshing.

And so home, but not without a stop at the Barcelona luggage “tracing” office where, you may recall, my bags went astray on July 1st. One had caught up, the second had not, and nine days later there was still no sign of it. Perhaps it was my insistence, perhaps they were genuinely interested in the mystery of nine-day old luggage, but whatever happened, some four hours later, I received a phone call from them telling me that the bag had been located in security (?) where it had been impounded some days earlier.

Because of the Spanish fuel strike, however, they can’t deliver it to my house in France due to the border blockade. Their solution? Fly it via Madrid to Toulouse, and then deliver it. I only wish that I could have the frequent flyer miles that my bag logs, and fervently hope that it won’t get lost in Madrid en route.

And now it is Tuesday morning, and I am sitting at Oporto airport waiting for a flight via Newark and Chicago to Winnipeg; looking at the mid-West weather reports and running over my own O’Hare experiences wondering when on earth I may get home. Never mind, I am sure that it will be sometime this week.    

Still no sign of bag #2, and I head homewards tomorrow; it will be interesting to see if it ever catches up with me.

The work in France is done for now, and tomorrow I shall explore the coastline between Perpignan and the border for a while, then into Barcelona on Sunday. I am hoping to find some quiet, quintessentially Mediterranean coastal village. We will see; the coastline here is most interesting as I blogged a few weeks ago (April 28th). At that time, I only visited the major town of Collioure, just south of Perpignan. It was glorious, and has only whetted my appetite for the 50kms or so that lie between there and the Spanish border.

Fortunately, I don’t need anything from the case for the next couple of days.

One bag arrived today (June 05) only four days after me, the other is lost “again”. It left Lisbon on a flight bound for Barcelona two days ago, according to Air Portugal in Lisbon, but never arrived in Barcelona according to Air Portugal there.

Amazing.

Frankly, I think that the rings that surround Saturn are comprised entirely of lost suitcases, garment bags and the like. Many of mine among them

More when and if they show up.

The price of oil continues on its stratospheric trajectory, and airlines everywhere are in deep trouble. In the past month several have gone bankrupt, and perhaps Zoom is now feeling the pinch badly.

In the UK, airlines are covered by the industry consumer protection insurance plans; should one fail, any passengers purchasing tickets through the association’s members are covered in the event of a default.

This morning, AITO members were advised that “IPP have withdrawn their Scheduled Airline failure coverage from Zoom Airlines from the 2nd June 2008 because the airline does not currently meet their underwriting criteria. The situation may change, but members who use Zoom and the IPPScheduled Airline failure cover should be aware of the situation”.

So, we too are warned. Unfortunately, in Manitoba there is absolutely no requirement for any part of the travel industry from airlines to agents to meet any professional or financial standards, nor is coverage readily available to protect consumers in the event of a commercial failure. The business here is purely, simply and completely “buyer beware”.

So, now you have been warned.

Again; it is now four journeys in a row that have seen my bags go astray. Four!

I am sitting in France sans bags; this time, I am sure that it ground to a halt in Newark. I cleared the bags through US customs in Toronto, bid them farewell and upon my arrival in Barcelona they were (and still are) missing. Evaporated.

It is, of course, impossible to get a straight answer from anyone; the airlines (”we are looking”), the US TSA folks (”We can not comment on these issues”), the airports (”We can not comment, please contact your airline”). And on and on it goes.

I really think that in the future I will take carry-on luggage only. Restrictive, yes, but losing one’s baggage four times in a row really puts one off trusting any airline, any airport anytime.

PS: if you have seen my luggage, please send it on to me.

Oddly, I have, over the years, made Regina the unwitting butt of more then one joke; I have been here several times, but always in the winter, and never really looking at the city as a destination.

As I write, I am sitting in the Hotel Saskatchewan, marvellling at the gorgeous park opposite, and still in awe of the wonderful Wascana Park and the grounds in the south of the city. They are simply beautiful.

The city is compact, well laid-out, friendly beyond a need to point out this attribute on their licence plates, and home to some fine shops, boutiques and restaurants. Attractions, too; the science centre, the art gallery and museums are terrific.

Did I mention the restaurants? The Willows in particular is one of the best that it has been my good fortune to visit; I simply loved the imaginative and perfectly prepared Saskatchewan food; the wine list was thoughtful, the setting impeccable, and the service first rate. If you are in Regina you simply must visit it.

All in all, this weekend in Regina, ostensibly to watch a synchronised-swim meet, has turned into a great excursion. Winnipeg Synchro are doing well too, to add to the enjoyment!

Regina, thank you; you have turned this Winnipeger into an ardent fan, and one who will be back again. You have forced me to rethink my idea of your city, and I promise that I will try to seek new locations to make fun of.

I couldn’t believe it; booking yesterday for a trip to Toronto on September 21st, the cheapest fare offered was a staggering $803.60! While the price of fuel has risen considerably, it has not climbed that far.

By contrast, a flight from London to Lisbon (exactly the same distance) on the same dates with Air Portugal (AC’s Star Alliance partner) is available for $259 including all taxes; or $299 with British Airways. Fuel is, of course, priced globally, and probably taxed more severely in the UK than Canada, so how is this curious discrepancy explained?

Interestingly, in Business Class the difference is even more absurd as British Airways want $1458 for the 1972 mile return journey while Air Canada seem to need $2565!

Now we all sympathise with airlines facing high fuel bills, but there are some serious questions that need to be asked.

Why, for example, did Air Canada not enter future contracts for fuel in sufficient amounts or for a sufficient time period? It is worth noting here, that Southwest Airlines has a five year hedging contract to purchase fuel for $51 per barrel; somebody at Air Canada should be in deep trouble for falling asleep at that wheel.

As the carriers continue to add “fuel surcharges”, they should be required to explain how these amounts are calculated. Against what base price? What percentage of the “fare” is fuel and thus ”surchargeable”, and at what price decrease will we see the surcharge reduced or dropped?

Why does it cost $800 to fly return to Toronto (1880 miles) and only $1014 to fly from Toronto to London and back (7130 miles)?

Surely if the airlines are asking us to believe that their surcharges bear some relationship to price and logic, this discrepancy should not so wide, their pricing more transparent and their attitude less governmental.