Travelodge reveals record first half as blockbuster London summer drives demand August 24, 2023 Budget hotel chain Travelodge has revealed a record first half, with underlying earnings up 48 per cent, thanks to booming demand for both business and leisure trips and its best ever night in London. Travelodge reported its highest ever revenue night in London in July, as Brits flocked to Blur’s concert at Wembley and Bruce Springsteen [...]
Gatwick bank holiday strikes OFF: Brits breathe sigh of relief as disruption averted August 24, 2023 London Gatwick Airport passengers are no longer facing disruption over the August bank holiday, after workers accepted a last-gasp pay deal. The Unite Union threatened strike action on this weekend, on behalf of members employed by ground handlers Red Handling and Wilson James, who operate passenger assistance contracts. But following the improved offer both have [...]
Great British Railways is a hit. So why is the government not delivering it? August 24, 2023 The future of the proposed Great British Railways (GBR), one of the biggest planned shake-ups of Britain’s rail sector in decades, is at a crossroads.
Staff at UK aviation regulator vote to strike in feud over pay August 23, 2023 Workers at the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action in a dispute over pay. Members of the Prospect union backed strikes by 2-1 and by almost 9-1 for other forms of industrial action. The union said the CAA had refused to provide a “fair” pay rise for this year. Prospect added [...]
Fivefold jump in freight train cancellations threatens to derail firms’ green logistics plans August 23, 2023 A fivefold increase in the number of freight train cancellations threatens undermining a number of firms’ recent decisions to start transporting goods by rail in a bid to reduce their carbon footprints. Freight cancellations between the financial years 2021/22 and 2022/23 rose from 2,492 to 12,708, according to data from a Freedom of Information request [...]
Ryanair accused of ‘besmirching’ online travel agents as bitter feud rumbles on August 22, 2023 Ryanair has been accused of “besmirching” online travel businesses with “aggressive anti-competition marketing campaigns” as a long-running dispute between the digital platforms and the airline rumbles on. Earlier this week, the Dublin-based carrier said that online travel agents (OTAs) were “misleading” passengers with “clickbait to lure customers in before hitting them with hidden mark-ups”. A [...]
Network Rail faces prosecution over deadly train crash August 22, 2023 Network Rail faces prosecution over a train crash which killed three people. Train driver Brett McCullough, 45, conductor Donald Dinnie, 58, and passenger Christopher Stuchbury, 62, died in the smash near Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, on August 12 2020. The case will call at the High Court in Aberdeen on September 7. The ScotRail train derailed at [...]
Under-offer Lookers nets £46m profit amid tough economic headwinds August 22, 2023 Car dealership Lookers, which looks set to be swiped from London markets in a £504m take-private deal, reported resilient trading in the first half against significant macroeconomic headwinds. The UK’s biggest car seller reached an agreement late last month with Global Auto Holdings – an entity linked to the Canadian Alpha Auto Group – to [...]
Could hydrogen trucks power up Britain’s push to net-zero? August 22, 2023 Getting the trucking industry to net zero will come with a cost, if it gets there at all
Ryanair and Wizz Air the worst offenders as airlines face ‘drip selling’ allegations August 21, 2023 European airlines have come under fire for ‘drip-selling’ after a report revealed 97 per cent of carriers on the continent are charging at least one “hidden fee” for their services amid already-rising air fares. Drip selling refers to companies hiding the true cost of products and services, by proclaiming one price initially but then charging [...]