If These Really Are the Industry Standards, is it Time for the Airlines to Smarten up Their Act?
My son is part of a cracking little football team; not only do they play good football, but the social scene for parents is the best I've experienced outside of university life! For a few years now, the mums of the boys have booked an annual long-weekend (72 hours) away from husbands and kids, somewhere sunny.
This year was Portugal. We planned (and booked) over nine months in advance, and then honed bikini bods and cocktail-drinking skills over the long winter months...until one early Friday morning in June we arrived at Gatwick Airport, chattering and giggling like young schoolgirls. Our minds were full of anticipation of a weekend away - relaxation, freedom and just a hint of hedonism.
The trip was particularly momentous for one of our party, Vicki. During the trip the previous year, her dad had been rushed to hospital and subsequently died. She'd agreed to come back this year pushing aside all of the negative associations and determined to have a good time.
The early-morning flight was late - no problem, we were amongst good company, and we joined the end of the long queue to board the plane. We were the last stragglers getting on to the plane, and as Vicki presented her ticket, they took her passport and pulled her to one side, the rest of us looking on in confusion. We soon learned that the Vicki wasn't going anywhere... apparently her seat on the plane was "broken", the flight was full, and her passport had been snatched away.
There were nine of us. We stop giggling. We stopped chattering. Vicki started crying. Questions quickly formed in our heads and we asked....
"Can we wait for the next flight?"
"No, only Vicki was guaranteed another flight out."
"Can one of us swap with her?"
"No, her passport is booked to that seat."
"Will you look after her?"
"Yes, we will treat her like a princess."
"Will she definitely get on the next flight?"
"Yes we guarantee it.'
So, with guilt hanging heavy in our hearts, dampened and subdued, we boarded the flight, left our friend at the gate, all alone, with a brave face but with little tears sliding down her cheeks.
Once on the plane we discovered that Vicki's seat was not broken at all, a flight attendant's seat was broken and so she was using Vicki's - they'd known about it for days... the flight attendants were very apologetic, but there was nothing they could do.
We landed in Portugal and immediately switched on our phones to read an update from Vicki.
The next flight was 5 PM (our flight had been 10 AM) but she wasn't allowed on that one either - despite being guaranteed a seat by staff before we boarded the plane. Well looked after? They hadn't even offered her a glass of water... nothing. Support, assistance, help? Nothing...they'd just abandoned her. So she took matters into her own hands. She bought herself another flight for six times the price with another airline and got herself to Portugal only 12 hours later than the rest of us.
Our (shortened) trip was a blast, and despite a distinct holding of breath at the departure gate on our return, we all got home okay, well rested, back to the noise and chaos of our families. Vicki then went about submitting her compensation claim, and here the lack of standards and customer service became quite staggering....
* Are the airline guaranteed to get you out there? Only within 48 hours - we were away for only 72 hours, and had booked that ticket 9 months in advance.
* Will the airline pay for the new plane ticket, which enabled Vicky to get there only 12 hours late? No - they won't pay for another airline.
* Will the airline reimburse the money for the plane ticket, which she wasn't allowed to use? No... in my book that's theft, or fraud or something similar....
* Would they reimburse her money for her refreshments, while she wiled away hours in the airport? No.
Nothing, nope, nada....
The explanation was that this is an industry standard, and they are abiding by the rules. Is there any other industry in the world where you can book something nine months in advance, and due to an organisation's maintenance failure they can refuse to deliver, offer a replacement not fit for purpose (a flight within 48 hours when the trip was only for 72) and refuse to give you your money back? Really? And the industry accepts that as reasonable terms of business?
Surely the industry standard has to change? In retrospect we should have forced Vicky on to the plane and then filmed her being dragged off and plastered it all over social media...although no, this wasn't United...it was Easyjet.
We're already booking for next year...12 months in advance, just to be on the safe side...and wherever we go, we know for sure which airline we'll be avoiding...we're well acquainted with the phrase "You get what you pay for" - but beware, with Easyjet you don't even get that! read more