Relax over Christmas, stay at home

It’s all very well going away for Christmas but as this year shows it can be a real pain even before your feet have left the ground. I am in an enviable position of having family around the world and while my brother enjoys Christmas in New York, where he works, with our father, I am heading out tomorrow to Austria to spend it with my mother and step father in winter wonderland. And while I do feel privilege the joy has been somewhat taken out of it by strikes and bad weather. I most likely will be able to make it but there will be thousands across the UK and Europe suffering as staff strike, trains break down and the arctic wind bears down on us.

Not much we can do about the weather but pathetic how everything seems to grind to a halt. Austria I am told is sitting under a good two meters of snow and my brother is braving minus ten degree weather in New York but everything appears to continue. We are not so lucky and while planes freeze over and trains fail to operate we have a hardcore section of the population eager to strike to protect their working conditions. Or should I say union who believe they are talking on behalf of the majority of their members?

British Airways’ recent fiasco with the union was appalling and while it was called off has done untold damage to the airline. I love BA, always have, always will. However there will be a number of customers who have been loyal but won’t forgive the potential ruining of their Christmas by the company this year. They will be off, and while there isn’t much out there providing a better service will stay away because it isn’t BA. Obviously because I like BA so much they managed to call off the strike and award me with 10,000 air miles, which was nice.

So next year I might give up on the travelling and just stay at home. At least I will know that I am going to be having Christmas even if it might be a rather damp quiet one.