Madam, – I met an immaculately dressed Englishman at Dunkirk station on Monday as he looked for a place on a ferry home. He had taken the train from Frankfurt to Ostende, a tram to the French border and then a bus to Dunkirk.
I asked him why he chose Dunkirk instead of, say, Calais. “Oh, I rang my father,” he said, “and he advised me to make my way to Dunkirk. He passed through here 70 years ago.” – Yours, etc,
Madam, – An Aer Lingus flight left from Tenerife on Tuesday, but it was only half full. How did this happen when there are thousands of stranded Aer Lingus passengers on the island, many of them very distressed?
Briefly, it appears no effort was made to contact some passengers, stranded since last Thursday who had rebooked the Tuesday 10am flight back to Ireland. They received notice that the flight was cancelled by text at 6.30am, telling them not to go to the airport. Subsequent inquiries made to the local helpline (if you could call it that) were told there was no flight going. Why weren’t they sent a text later to say the flight was going? The flight could have been filled if two hours’ notice had been given.
As one of those stranded, I believe the airline owes the passengers they left behind an explanation. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – I flew from California to Boston on Saturday as part of the first leg of my trip to Shannon.
Aer Lingus employees were helpful, courteous and patient – some had not slept for hours due to the flight problems. They arranged a flight back to California at no extra charge and rebooked my flight to Shannon for the earliest possible date.
We, the Irish people need to support this airline. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Eyjafjallajökull – it's quite a nom de plume! – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Colm MacKernan (April 20th) is incorrect to state that ferry and train companies do not co-ordinate their timings on the London to Dublin route. As part of the sail-rail package, the timetabling of the different transport modes is well co-ordinated during weekdays. The first train service from London to Holyhead arrives at 11.19 during weekdays – in time for the first Irish Ferries service – and not 14.14 as Mr MacKernan claims. The first direct train arrives at 12.50, well in time for the 14.10 sailing. This intermodal co-ordination is all the more impressive as it is between independent private entities. As someone who frequently uses the service – as part of my journey from Brussels – I am very grateful to have such a viable alternative to air transport.
Where Mr MacKernan is correct is that all forms of co-ordination and interconnection of transport modes sadly break down once a passenger arrives on the Irish coast. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – I note (Home News, April 20th) that a seminar on the law relating to surrogacy has had to be cancelled “as the US-based speakers have been unable to travel”. Was it not possible for them – of all people – to organise replacements? – Yours, etc,