It is a growing problem that affects not only Transavia, but also other companies in the travel industry that depend on reliable airline partners.
The holiday season is not going as hoped for many travelers who had booked with budget airline Transavia. Several sources report that Transavia deliberately schedules too many flights in order to retain valuable slots at Schiphol and to sideline competitors. This means that the company cannot operate all scheduled flights, literally causing holidays to fall through the cracks.
Airlines only need to operate 80 percent of their requested flights to keep their slots for the following year, thanks to so-called historic rights. This arrangement allows companies to plan strategically, but can also be abused. However, Transavia denies that it is removing too many flights from the market and promises improvement. “We are busy with the schedule for next year, where we will again emphasize having a stable operation,” said a Transavia spokesperson.
Slots, the times at which aircraft are allowed to land or take off, are of great value, especially at a busy airport such as Schiphol. By scheduling more flights than is feasible, Transavia can retain these slots and thus limit the opportunities for competitors to offer new flights. This may seem like an effective strategy to maintain market share, but it raises questions about the ethics and sustainability of this policy.
The inability to fulfill the planned flights can have various causes, such as a lack of staff, technical problems with aircraft or other operational challenges. According to an aviation expert, there may be a lack of realistic planning and management. “If an airline plans more flights than it can operate, you get into trouble. We now see this happening at Transavia.”
To tackle this problem, Transavia could invest in better planning systems and hire more staff. More realistic flight schedules would also contribute to a more stable operation. In addition, stricter control by aviation authorities could ensure that slots are not misused. Retaining slots through overbooking can be counterproductive in the long term if it comes at the expense of reliability and customer satisfaction.
Last year, an EU claim on behalf of passengers also obtained compensation from Transavia on a no cure no pay basis following the continued misery and cancellations during the May holidays. With this service, the traveler runs no risk whatsoever. If it turns out that they are not entitled to compensation, the EU claim will not pay, even if they have already done work for the claim.
Travelers are often the victims of this policy. Vacations that are planned and booked months in advance are canceled last minute, leading to disappointment and financial damage. “We had already arranged everything, from the hotel to the rental car, and now everything is for nothing,” complains an affected traveler. Customers expect the company to keep its promises, and repeated cancellations can seriously damage confidence in Transavia.
Transavia has indicated that it is focusing on a stable operation in the future, but it will have to be seen whether the announced measures are effective. The airline will not only have to invest in resources and personnel, but also have to ensure transparent and honest communication with its customers. Maintaining market share should never be at the expense of customer satisfaction, and service reliability should always come first.
Strategically planning flights to retain slots is not unique to Transavia. Other airlines are using similar strategies. The question, however, is whether this is at the expense of fair competition and the overall efficiency of the market. Aviation authorities could monitor the use of slots more strictly to prevent abuse and promote fair competition.
With the promise of improvement and a focus on a stable operation for the coming year, Transavia seems aware of the challenges. The coming period will show whether the airline succeeds in finding the balance between strategic planning and providing reliable services to its customers.
