Alex Cuenca

🚩 In anticipation of the Olympic Games in France, intentional fires at SNCF railway facilities aimed to disrupt high-speed connectivity in Paris. The operator reported simultaneous malicious acts affecting LGV Atlantique, Nord & Est lines, causing significant train diversions and cancellations. Teams are working to repair the damaged signalling stations. Travellers affected will be contacted and advised to postpone journeys; all tickets are exchangeable and refundable.

📌 In a recent interview with Preferente, Carlos Garrido, President of CEAV, highlighted the growth in travel agency sector with a 27% increase in 2023 and employment surpassing 70,000 workers. The sector is seeing a shift from last-minute bookings to more advanced reservations, offering benefits to both customers and agencies. Concerns were raised about the Real Decreto 933/2021, set to launch on October 1, 2024, potentially impacting agencies. CEAV seeks to exclude travel agencies from this decree and is in talks with various entities to address challenges. They also reached an agreement with IATA to be effective from January 1, 2025, though it still requires PAConf approval. CEAV remains committed to unifying the sector and foresees a positive summer season for 2024 due to strong early sales.

🛫 Ryanair won a legal battle in Berlin courts against the Spanish online agency Edreams for applying excessive prices to its ticket resales and misleading customers with claims of charge-free date changes, which only apply to Edreams' fees, not Ryanair's. Ryanair, referring to Edreams as a "pirate agency," demands Edreams align with agreements set with other online travel agencies and stop overcharging customers. The court deemed a commission of less than four euros excessive, as reported by Ryanair.