LUTON -8
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Lots of happy passengers posting on social media about the airports ground handling! 
stuart dennis @s_dennis1 2 hours ago
@LDNLutonAirport any chance of baggage today? I've been waiting longer than the flight took #outstanding
David Carter @itsdavidcarter 7 hours ago
@LDNLutonAirport Hi guys!
Re baggage reclaim. You're really really slow, and well rubbish. Go to loads of airports & ur the worst easily.
James Hargreaves @Anarki247 7 hours ago
@LDNLutonAirport One if the worst airports I've had to unfortunate luck to visit!
Grant Birkin @BirkinGrant Aug 6
@LDNLutonAirport are there any baggage handlers working today, been waiting for 40 minutes��
London Luton Airport @LDNLutonAirport Aug 6
@BirkinGrant Who did you fly with? We'll chase up the airline's ground handlers.
Grant Birkin @BirkinGrant Aug 6
@LDNLutonAirport Monarch, took an hour in the end
Tom @Tom__WD Aug 5
@Tom__WD took 20 minutes to get off the plane because the ground staff were useless ***** and didn't have the correct steps ready.
London Luton Airport @LDNLutonAirport Aug 5
@Tom__WD Thanks for the feedback Tom, we'll ensure it is passed onto the airline's ground handlers. sorry you had to wait.
Richard Salisbury @t0psbanana Aug 5
@LDNLutonAirport why do I have to wait for ground staff at your airport, again?
London Luton Airport @LDNLutonAirport Aug 6
@t0psbanana Good question. Who did you fly with? We can forward your feedback to the ground handler direct.
angela dora @angdora Aug 3
@LDNLutonAirport landed at 1pm today from Mahon, waited over an hour for luggage, what exactly was the hold up?
Kevin Gormley @kgormley84 Aug 3
@LDNLutonAirport are your baggage handlers on strike today?
Matthew Thomas @matthomas74 Aug 2
@LDNLutonAirport waiting 45 mins and no bags this is not good customer service. Why no bags now and no stairs earlier
London Luton Airport @LDNLutonAirport Aug 3
@matthomas74 Sorry to hear this. The steps and bags are the responsibility of your airline's ground handler. We will forward your feedback.
Matthew Thomas @matthomas74 Aug 3
@LDNLutonAirport totally disagree ultimately your responsibility, landed at 14:40 didnt get bags till 16:30 would like to know why?
Helen @helenwalton58 Aug 1
@LDNLutonAirport been waiting 55 mins for corfu luggage to come off. It's a joke!!
London Luton Airport @LDNLutonAirport Aug 3
@helenwalton58 Hi Helen. Who did you fly with? How long did you wait? We'll pass your feedback to your airline and its ground handler.
Helen @helenwalton58 Aug 3
@LDNLutonAirport hi it was easy jet and we waited 55 minutes
stuart dennis @s_dennis1 2 hours ago
@LDNLutonAirport any chance of baggage today? I've been waiting longer than the flight took #outstanding
David Carter @itsdavidcarter 7 hours ago
@LDNLutonAirport Hi guys!
Re baggage reclaim. You're really really slow, and well rubbish. Go to loads of airports & ur the worst easily.
James Hargreaves @Anarki247 7 hours ago
@LDNLutonAirport One if the worst airports I've had to unfortunate luck to visit!
Grant Birkin @BirkinGrant Aug 6
@LDNLutonAirport are there any baggage handlers working today, been waiting for 40 minutes��
London Luton Airport @LDNLutonAirport Aug 6
@BirkinGrant Who did you fly with? We'll chase up the airline's ground handlers.
Grant Birkin @BirkinGrant Aug 6
@LDNLutonAirport Monarch, took an hour in the end
Tom @Tom__WD Aug 5
@Tom__WD took 20 minutes to get off the plane because the ground staff were useless ***** and didn't have the correct steps ready.
London Luton Airport @LDNLutonAirport Aug 5
@Tom__WD Thanks for the feedback Tom, we'll ensure it is passed onto the airline's ground handlers. sorry you had to wait.
Richard Salisbury @t0psbanana Aug 5
@LDNLutonAirport why do I have to wait for ground staff at your airport, again?
London Luton Airport @LDNLutonAirport Aug 6
@t0psbanana Good question. Who did you fly with? We can forward your feedback to the ground handler direct.
angela dora @angdora Aug 3
@LDNLutonAirport landed at 1pm today from Mahon, waited over an hour for luggage, what exactly was the hold up?
Kevin Gormley @kgormley84 Aug 3
@LDNLutonAirport are your baggage handlers on strike today?
Matthew Thomas @matthomas74 Aug 2
@LDNLutonAirport waiting 45 mins and no bags this is not good customer service. Why no bags now and no stairs earlier
London Luton Airport @LDNLutonAirport Aug 3
@matthomas74 Sorry to hear this. The steps and bags are the responsibility of your airline's ground handler. We will forward your feedback.
Matthew Thomas @matthomas74 Aug 3
@LDNLutonAirport totally disagree ultimately your responsibility, landed at 14:40 didnt get bags till 16:30 would like to know why?
Helen @helenwalton58 Aug 1
@LDNLutonAirport been waiting 55 mins for corfu luggage to come off. It's a joke!!
London Luton Airport @LDNLutonAirport Aug 3
@helenwalton58 Hi Helen. Who did you fly with? How long did you wait? We'll pass your feedback to your airline and its ground handler.
Helen @helenwalton58 Aug 3
@LDNLutonAirport hi it was easy jet and we waited 55 minutes
Last edited by gilesdavies; 8th Aug 2015 at 19:14.
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handling agents
Not trying to justify poor service from handling agents BUT, low cost airlines have to take some of the blame when the handling they get is sub-standard. Example:- set the bar impossibly high and when the handler fails to achieve the impossible, fine them for not providing the service they were daft enough to sign a contract for in the first place. 25 minutes to turn round a 189 seat aircraft? Safely and without cutting any corners? You cannot be serious!! So the handling agents lose revenue when they don't achieve the impossible, cut their costs by paying the minimum wage and rely on employment agencies to fill the (large) gaps in their workforce. Then the service provided to their more, er, reputable? customer airlines takes a hammering as well. I rest my case.
As for Wizz doing their own handling, well, that would be a throwback to the 1980's. Monarch and Britannia did their own handling and both contracted it out to handling agents in 1992/3 to save money. This became the industry norm. Easyjet resorted to doing their own handling back in 2000, having used Reeds in their early years, but it wasn't long before they brought in Menzies to do it as they worked out cheaper. So I can't see any of the airlines going back to self-handling. Think about the investment in ground equipment - how many steps are required to handle 14 A-320's in the space of an hour? (28 - ideally). Tugs, ground power units, air start units don't come cheap, add on baggage trucks, belt loaders, towbars, insurance premiums....much better (and cheaper) to pay another company to do it all for you (and don't pay them when they don't achieve the impossible).
As for Wizz doing their own handling, well, that would be a throwback to the 1980's. Monarch and Britannia did their own handling and both contracted it out to handling agents in 1992/3 to save money. This became the industry norm. Easyjet resorted to doing their own handling back in 2000, having used Reeds in their early years, but it wasn't long before they brought in Menzies to do it as they worked out cheaper. So I can't see any of the airlines going back to self-handling. Think about the investment in ground equipment - how many steps are required to handle 14 A-320's in the space of an hour? (28 - ideally). Tugs, ground power units, air start units don't come cheap, add on baggage trucks, belt loaders, towbars, insurance premiums....much better (and cheaper) to pay another company to do it all for you (and don't pay them when they don't achieve the impossible).
Last edited by cj241101; 10th Aug 2015 at 16:31.
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dispatchers
Quote:- "The Dispatchers are generally now no more than a point of contact and have almost zero training!"
Unfortunately I have to agree! Both handling agents use their dispatchers primarily to escort passengers across the airside roads these days. Liaising with pilots/cabin crew/ground handling team/engineers - prime tasks for a dispatcher - goes out the window when you're stuck outside the departure gate for most of the turnround.
Unfortunately I have to agree! Both handling agents use their dispatchers primarily to escort passengers across the airside roads these days. Liaising with pilots/cabin crew/ground handling team/engineers - prime tasks for a dispatcher - goes out the window when you're stuck outside the departure gate for most of the turnround.
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And it does not request rocket science on return but chokes, steps, fuel, baggage to be tossed on board and at least a half-decent loadsheet with the same reg on it and the side of the aircraft. No business pax, no first pax, no dangerous goods, no cargo, no mail, no containers, no pallets, no catering, no load planning, no high-loader, no live animals, nothing fancy but the very basics.
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EZY handling
Quote:-"Menzies was actually the last company to arrive at Luton when they won the Easyjet contract from Aviance UK."
Just to put the record straight - Easyjet were handled by Reeds when they started flying in Nov '95, then went self-handling in March 2000. Reeds were bought by Aviance around August 2001. Menzies took over the contract not from Aviance but from Easyjet themselves.
Just to put the record straight - Easyjet were handled by Reeds when they started flying in Nov '95, then went self-handling in March 2000. Reeds were bought by Aviance around August 2001. Menzies took over the contract not from Aviance but from Easyjet themselves.
Join Date: Nov 2001
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Swissport must have been pared to the bone as it was owned by Private Equity!
China's HNA Group acquires Swissport for $2.8bn - ch-aviation.com
China's HNA Group acquires Swissport for $2.8bn - ch-aviation.com
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I thought Atlantic Star were going to use Icelandic 757s, well not according to my post on the Stansted Thread.
Last edited by Buster the Bear; 10th Aug 2015 at 00:21. Reason: Buster Fingers
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"All very easy when you have the staff and equipment. If you don't, then it's not so easy - not rocket science is it!"
Can't disagree if these problems were happening during peak times only but when a flight lands at 2am and is the only flight moving and there's no one to meet it on stand it's particularly frustrating.
Can't disagree if these problems were happening during peak times only but when a flight lands at 2am and is the only flight moving and there's no one to meet it on stand it's particularly frustrating.
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Wizzair
With so much gossip relating to Wizzair coming from a baggage handler of all people it makes me laugh as Wizzair are in fact increasing Luton services this year and from next March!
Naturally the airline will be looking at other UK airports as it increases it's presence in the UK.
Had it occurred to anyone that just maybe spreading such a rumour from manager to ground handler might be a way of motivating their staff based on the following scenario below?
"The Wizz Air Ukraine airline company has replaced the company that provides ground handling services to it at the Kiev (Zhulyany) airport. The company’s Commercial Director Natalia Artiomova told the Center for Transport Strategies that the Trans-AeroHandling company would provide ground handling services to Wizz Air Ukraine instead of the Interavia (Swissport Ukraine) company.
As reported, the UTair Ukraine airline company stopped using the services of Swissport Ukraine in mid-March."
Naturally the airline will be looking at other UK airports as it increases it's presence in the UK.
Had it occurred to anyone that just maybe spreading such a rumour from manager to ground handler might be a way of motivating their staff based on the following scenario below?
"The Wizz Air Ukraine airline company has replaced the company that provides ground handling services to it at the Kiev (Zhulyany) airport. The company’s Commercial Director Natalia Artiomova told the Center for Transport Strategies that the Trans-AeroHandling company would provide ground handling services to Wizz Air Ukraine instead of the Interavia (Swissport Ukraine) company.
As reported, the UTair Ukraine airline company stopped using the services of Swissport Ukraine in mid-March."
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Hmmm... Tel Aviv and Ovda- both served by Monarch before I think- though I can't remember when.
Can remember Ovda being tight on a 321 - can't remember whether that was with or without the centre tank.
CJ241101 will no doubt have the data as to when?
Can remember Ovda being tight on a 321 - can't remember whether that was with or without the centre tank.
CJ241101 will no doubt have the data as to when?
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Luton airport marks 16 months of consecutive growth - www.travelweekly.co.uk
1.3 million passengers in July, around 42,000 passengers a day, a stunning total for that little airport in Bedfordshire.
1.3 million passengers in July, around 42,000 passengers a day, a stunning total for that little airport in Bedfordshire.
Last edited by LTNman; 11th Aug 2015 at 15:53.
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Monarch to TLV
Quote "CJ241101 will no doubt have the data as to when?"
From memory summer 1979 Monarch began charters to TLV - I'd just escaped from passenger services so never had the pleasure of checking one in! I also remember their was a certain paranoia about the destination which was never displayed over the check-in desks, on the flight displays nor mentioned over the P.A., only the flight number and STD. We weren't even allowed to say the words "Tel Aviv" over the ground-ground or ground-air radios.
From memory summer 1979 Monarch began charters to TLV - I'd just escaped from passenger services so never had the pleasure of checking one in! I also remember their was a certain paranoia about the destination which was never displayed over the check-in desks, on the flight displays nor mentioned over the P.A., only the flight number and STD. We weren't even allowed to say the words "Tel Aviv" over the ground-ground or ground-air radios.
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I get Ovda but with easyJet and El-Al going to Tel Aviv at least once daily, often more can Monarch really make inroads into what is already a very well served route? It seems a slightly strange choice of route when there must be others that they could more easily make their own