Tour operator Jet2 is said to be ending its free resort flight check in service allowing customers to check their bags in at their hotels on the day they depart, while also making large scale redundancies
Hundreds of workers face losing their jobs as a popular holiday service comes under the chop.
British holidaymakers heading to the Canary Islands might see a change at their hotels this year after Jet2 ditches its free resort check-in service. In recent years those travelling with the package holiday company have been able to check their bags in at their hotels on the day they depart, meaning they avoid having to lug their suitcases around until their flights are ready to leave.
“Simply drop your bags off with our specialist Jet2holidays team at your hotel on the morning of your flight home, then kick back, relax and focus on enjoying the final day of your holiday. And at the airport, you can sail straight through to security,” the airline tempts on its website.
Launched in 2016, the service is said to have proven popular with travellers – although it was paused during the Covid pandemic. It restarted in June. Now Jet2 appears to be scrapping the scheme. It is not clear when the offer will stop.
The Canarian Weekly reports that hundreds of Jet2 workers face losing their jobs, although it is unclear if the two things are linked. Just shy of 1,000 members of staff based at airports in Alicante, Palma de Mallorca, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura have reportedly been contacted in connection with redundancy procedures.
Staff have been informed that negotiations with unions will begin within the next 30 days to find a resolution, with redundancy likely to affect around 35% of the 996 employees contacted, it was reported.
A spokesperson for Jet2 would not say if the check-in service would stop when asked, or, if it will, when. They would also not be drawn on whether the redundancies and service ending are connecting. They said: “We have recently reviewed our operations in Spain. As a result, we must sadly propose several colleague redundancies across Resort Flight Check-in, Flight Deck and Cabin Crew roles. We deeply regret these proposed redundancies, and we will be consulting with appropriate representatives of the affected Colleagues to ensure that all options are fully considered.”
The workers are not the only ones in the aviation sector who are facing uncertain and turbulent times at the moment. In April 600 Border Force workers are due to walk out over proposed changes to shifts. The PCS Union claims that the changes would leave around 250 workers without a job on passport control and that union members returned a 90% vote in favour of strike action.
Austrian Airlines flight crews walked out yesterday and will do so again today amidst a pay dispute with their employer. As many as 50,000 passengers are expected to be impacted by the industrial action. The airline issued a warning ahead of the strikes telling customers to prepare for disruption on one of the busiest travel weekends across the Continent.
Strike action and maintenance work this week is also likely to impact those travelling through Palma Airport in Majorca. The industrial action began on March 22 and is due to run until March 31, Travel Weekly reports. The strike by workers carrying out security screening will continue until Easter Sunday unless the industrial dispute can be brought to an end.
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