Easyjet. Shocking behaviour
Discussion
Last Monday my wife and I went to fly from Bristol, due to catch a 7.05am flight to Schiphol Airport. Arrived at 3am and then spent 2 hours queuing just to hand the car keys into the Silver Airport parking!
Had a great few days away (thoroughly recommend Amsterdam) and then on Friday, arrived back at Schiphol at approx 3pm for a 7.05pm return flight, EZY6168. Started queuing to put hold luggage in at about 4.45pm which didn't take too long, but then told to start queuing immediately for the security checks. We then spent the next 3+ hours in a very slow moving queue which snaked through most of the terminal building. Security checks and scans done, continued through to the departure lounge, still in a queue. There were people in the queue for other flights who missed those flights despite being there on time.
Flight was now due to leave at 9.05pm. Within the departure lounge, numerous people who had been through all of the above were told to stand to one side as although they had tickets, a seat couldn't be assured. This group was about 30 to 40 in number and included some who had paid extra for the speedy service through the airport. There was a group of 4 lads travelling together, two of whom were told they had to stand to one side (seats not assured), despite the fact that the driver out of the group may not be flying. Others having to stand to one side included people who had arrived at the airport the previous day only to have their flight cancelled, and others who had had two previous flights cancelled.
At approx 8.45pm we were led out to the Easyjet aircraft which was immediately outside that departure lounge, so within 100m of the people still queuing. Within a few minutes we were seated and one of the stewardesses counted that there were 48 empty seats. A few seated passengers started protesting that the 30 or 40 odd passengers that were stood to one side in the departure lounge could fit on the aircraft as they had intended. This fell on deaf ears, despite some of the cabin crew agreeing, and about two minutes before the two hours delay was reached (compensation then due to passengers although I personally don't agree with this) the Captain firmly instructed that the doors should be shut and within seconds the plane was moving.
48 free seats, yet numerous passengers who were ready to go, left behind by Easyjet! This was disgusting!
Andy.
Had a great few days away (thoroughly recommend Amsterdam) and then on Friday, arrived back at Schiphol at approx 3pm for a 7.05pm return flight, EZY6168. Started queuing to put hold luggage in at about 4.45pm which didn't take too long, but then told to start queuing immediately for the security checks. We then spent the next 3+ hours in a very slow moving queue which snaked through most of the terminal building. Security checks and scans done, continued through to the departure lounge, still in a queue. There were people in the queue for other flights who missed those flights despite being there on time.
Flight was now due to leave at 9.05pm. Within the departure lounge, numerous people who had been through all of the above were told to stand to one side as although they had tickets, a seat couldn't be assured. This group was about 30 to 40 in number and included some who had paid extra for the speedy service through the airport. There was a group of 4 lads travelling together, two of whom were told they had to stand to one side (seats not assured), despite the fact that the driver out of the group may not be flying. Others having to stand to one side included people who had arrived at the airport the previous day only to have their flight cancelled, and others who had had two previous flights cancelled.
At approx 8.45pm we were led out to the Easyjet aircraft which was immediately outside that departure lounge, so within 100m of the people still queuing. Within a few minutes we were seated and one of the stewardesses counted that there were 48 empty seats. A few seated passengers started protesting that the 30 or 40 odd passengers that were stood to one side in the departure lounge could fit on the aircraft as they had intended. This fell on deaf ears, despite some of the cabin crew agreeing, and about two minutes before the two hours delay was reached (compensation then due to passengers although I personally don't agree with this) the Captain firmly instructed that the doors should be shut and within seconds the plane was moving.
48 free seats, yet numerous passengers who were ready to go, left behind by Easyjet! This was disgusting!
Andy.
Disgusting maybe but that's the economics of a low-cost airline; captain had to weigh up the cost of sitting there for another 20-30 minutes getting the people and bags on board and missing their departure window and the resulting delays and fines they would incur, including any future flights the plane was due to undertake when it got back to the UK. I would hazard a guess the captain was speaking with EJ Control and they told him to close up and get underway and they would handle the delayed passengers another way.
My friend was due to fly back from Corfu to Aberdeen on Friday night with EJ and they cancelled the flight at the last moment; they had to spend an extra day in Corfu and then fly Frankfurt - Paris - Manchester - Aberdeen and they just got home at 6am this morning. Pretty crazy out there right now.
My friend was due to fly back from Corfu to Aberdeen on Friday night with EJ and they cancelled the flight at the last moment; they had to spend an extra day in Corfu and then fly Frankfurt - Paris - Manchester - Aberdeen and they just got home at 6am this morning. Pretty crazy out there right now.
We had the displeasure of Schiphol Airport when flying via there on our way back from Cape Town to Newcastle.
For some reason, anyone with a British passport had to go through a separate additional queue - no reason at all other than good old Brexit seems to have made us scapegoat’s & to be dealt with separately.
For some reason, anyone with a British passport had to go through a separate additional queue - no reason at all other than good old Brexit seems to have made us scapegoat’s & to be dealt with separately.
ecs said:
Can assume that this was caused by staff shortages - quick Google suggests there needs to be 1 crew per 50 pax (might be a different figure on the A320). Easyjet have been removing seats from aircraft because they can't get enough cabin crew.
With so much Covid around at the moment, there is a chance that staff shortages may be the cause.Think my experience can top this.
We were supposed to fly EasyJet from Paphos to Manchester last night at 22:10. Around 22:30 we're told one of the crew is ill and they needed 26 'volunteers' (i.e., mugs) to switch to a Gatwick flight otherwise the Manchester flight would be cancelled and we wouldn't be able to get another EasyJet flight until next Monday. Apparently there would be a coach waiting at Gatwick to transfer the 'volunteers' to Manchester.,
Cue panic. Before I knew what had happened my mother had volunteered her, her partner, me, my partner and our two kids (8 and 3) for the Gatwick flight. After another 45 minutes or so they still hadn't got the required 26 passengers off the MAN flight and it was looking like the passengers for that flight were going to be stranded, anyone who volunteered for Gatwick would still be flying out. Eventually some more passengers came forward to make up the 26 and the MAN flight got the green light and passengers were allowed to board.
Here's where we got right mugged off.
At this point, a number of the Gatwick volunteers then managed to wrangle their way back on to the MAN flight and we ended up with something like 18 people on the Gatwick flight. They made us wait until all the Gatwick passengers had boarded before we were escorted back out of the terminal, back into arrivals, had to go back through passport control, collect our luggage, check our luggage back in and then go through security again, all the while being told "you've got three minutes to get on this flight". We departed some two and a half hours after we originally should have.
As we came in to land at Gatwick the pilot announced there was a coach waiting for us. We landed at 3am, got our luggage around 4am, then headed to the EasyJet desk as we'd been instructed where we were basically met with "sorry, who are you people?". There was no coach waiting for us. Half an hour later we were told there were five taxis waiting outside for us, "just go out the double doors to the drop off point, they're right there". They f
king weren't.
After being led out of the airport and into the streets of London we eventually found the taxis. It was 5:15am by the time we actually got moving.
We eventually got home at 10am, about 7 hours later than we should have.
We were supposed to fly EasyJet from Paphos to Manchester last night at 22:10. Around 22:30 we're told one of the crew is ill and they needed 26 'volunteers' (i.e., mugs) to switch to a Gatwick flight otherwise the Manchester flight would be cancelled and we wouldn't be able to get another EasyJet flight until next Monday. Apparently there would be a coach waiting at Gatwick to transfer the 'volunteers' to Manchester.,
Cue panic. Before I knew what had happened my mother had volunteered her, her partner, me, my partner and our two kids (8 and 3) for the Gatwick flight. After another 45 minutes or so they still hadn't got the required 26 passengers off the MAN flight and it was looking like the passengers for that flight were going to be stranded, anyone who volunteered for Gatwick would still be flying out. Eventually some more passengers came forward to make up the 26 and the MAN flight got the green light and passengers were allowed to board.
Here's where we got right mugged off.
At this point, a number of the Gatwick volunteers then managed to wrangle their way back on to the MAN flight and we ended up with something like 18 people on the Gatwick flight. They made us wait until all the Gatwick passengers had boarded before we were escorted back out of the terminal, back into arrivals, had to go back through passport control, collect our luggage, check our luggage back in and then go through security again, all the while being told "you've got three minutes to get on this flight". We departed some two and a half hours after we originally should have.
As we came in to land at Gatwick the pilot announced there was a coach waiting for us. We landed at 3am, got our luggage around 4am, then headed to the EasyJet desk as we'd been instructed where we were basically met with "sorry, who are you people?". There was no coach waiting for us. Half an hour later we were told there were five taxis waiting outside for us, "just go out the double doors to the drop off point, they're right there". They f
king weren't.After being led out of the airport and into the streets of London we eventually found the taxis. It was 5:15am by the time we actually got moving.
We eventually got home at 10am, about 7 hours later than we should have.
The other factor is pilot hours. It could have been the case that with the 2 hr delay, any further delay could have meant them needing to find a new crew to fly it if they didn't have enough time to make it back.
Lots of factors causing problems according to my pilot mate, but basically all staff shortages.
Lots of factors causing problems according to my pilot mate, but basically all staff shortages.
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