BA @ Edinburgh shambles this evening.
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Shame on you airline people posting above telling pax it’s not the airline’s fault, blame the handling agent. Who appoints and (hopefully) monitors the handling agent? That would be the airline. Average passenger doesn’t draw a distinction between the airline and the handling agent and airlines by and large understand that. I used to travel a lot through EDI, but haven’t since March and the place used to be a shambles because it was too busy. Now it sounds like a shambles because it’s too quiet.
You pay for what you get 'Willy"....I imagine the cost of your ticket was similar to the cost of filling a car tank with petrol, and how far would that get you?......look in the mirror before criticising "airline people' per se.
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6 pages! have not read all so I may be wrong - has anybody mentioned the necessity for TWO sets of steps to ensure optimum social distancing. I recently flew LGW-INV-LGW with LCC and found the cabin s-d procedures to be not fit for purpose - full loads each sector. I won't go into details but in these times two sets of steps should be mandatory, together with other COVID rules including maximum loading (middle seat free?) plus cabin rules which are currently guidance only in UK. A reasonable additional ticket cost should be accepted while train fares are typically double the average flight cost for domestic and European destinations.
As a former airline employee for several decades I flew frequently - both on and off duty. Since retirement my wife and I would normally fly several times a year for leisure, however following this experience we will not be flying again anytime soon.
Airlines need to accept that this 'new normal' is for many reasons indefinite. If they wish to keep customers they should be striving to keep them feeling safe from infection, otherwise, like us, they will find other ways to travel or stay at home.
As a former airline employee for several decades I flew frequently - both on and off duty. Since retirement my wife and I would normally fly several times a year for leisure, however following this experience we will not be flying again anytime soon.
Airlines need to accept that this 'new normal' is for many reasons indefinite. If they wish to keep customers they should be striving to keep them feeling safe from infection, otherwise, like us, they will find other ways to travel or stay at home.
41 people out of 1.1billion.
What IATA actually said was "there is no way to establish an exact tally of possible flight-associated cases".
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EDI gorundhandling is some of the worst in my experience and is staffed by officious and unhelpful jobsworth's. It can't be a Scottish thing because Inverness and Prestwick and Glasgow are all efficient and friendly. It's been like this for decades and I often wonder why.
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EDI gorundhandling is some of the worst in my experience and is staffed by officious and unhelpful jobsworth's. It can't be a Scottish thing because Inverness and Prestwick and Glasgow are all efficient and friendly. It's been like this for decades and I often wonder why.
Ahead of schedule currently routing direct to the final approach crowed the captain of the inbound flight to Edinburgh this evening. More verbiage about how early we were as we arrived on stand. 55 minutes later we were finally released and we listened to a litany of excuses. Apparently due to I kid you not, covid of course, there was only one set of steps @ Edinburgh and these were nowhere to be found. The lad behind me mildly enquired and complained to the senior cabin crew and was barked at in return ‘to not take his frustration out on the staff’. Very precious and unjustified. Having enjoyed a packet of crisps and a bottle of water as our in flight ‘refreshment’ I can only say that the former national carrier is a national embarrassment. Yes I know times are tough but really.
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Frustrations
Due to the crisis you mention, many air crew have been sat on their behinds for the past 7 months... PPRuNe provides the vent we would usually reserve for cruise chatter! You did just find time out of your crisis-ridden day to trawl through the 5 pages yourself, did you not?!
Everyone has a limit.
50% Salary reductions in the Middle East
Kurtzarbeit in Germany
New contracts in Europe
Mass redundancies everywhere.
Better we all vent about airstairs, slots, taxi times and crisp flavours than do something stupid.
I know of suicides since this crisis started.
Better to complain about the crisps...
Thread Starter
Cheers DCS99, I agree. For those above you are not the arbiter of what goes into pprune. Secondly particularly cabin crew(e) you obviously do not do irony as your little bitchy comments every couple of pages extended the thread even longer. Hilarious. I am well aware of the current crisis affecting aviation which saddens me greatly. However that does not absolve BA from providing a normal service. This does not include Bollinger but it does include the steps to get off. Just for balance I took the same flight a week later and it was all seamless apart from the stale crisps.
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My own experience of EDI through the years was mostly sub-standard, so I doubt Covid-related issues have made much difference. On a few occasions in a busy security hall I have seen the change happen where bags suddenly flow easily through the scanner with no diversion to the "bag check" line which has backed up. It's understandable I suppose. Many passengers have two or even three trays - and get shouted at to take them all to the single tray area to refill their bags. Even LHR does this better.
Unable to board because the corridor is closed to allow arrivals from another gate ambling past was common enough - no big deal except for the subsequent missed TO slot / late LHR arrival / missed connection etc.
Arriving at EDI early, waiting for a gate/jetty/steps - not unusual. Deplaning onto a bus to be driven all the way back across the airport, stopping (it seems) every few yards for various traffic, to arrive at the newest/latest entry point - which then requires an amazingly long walk back to the arrivals hall. Hopefully you have no luggage to wait for - that can be a legendary period in which time seems to stand still.
Not all is bad - immigration has improved considerably. After the absolute shambles of the first and second versions of passport reading machines, they now work well and quickly.
To be fair, EDI is primarily a shopping mall with some nice eateries, and the world's most expensive car park. Sometimes they remember there is a runway attached....
Unless EDI is essential, personally I would take the train to MAN which is a better experience by some distance. NCL is good, but of course much smaller.
Unable to board because the corridor is closed to allow arrivals from another gate ambling past was common enough - no big deal except for the subsequent missed TO slot / late LHR arrival / missed connection etc.
Arriving at EDI early, waiting for a gate/jetty/steps - not unusual. Deplaning onto a bus to be driven all the way back across the airport, stopping (it seems) every few yards for various traffic, to arrive at the newest/latest entry point - which then requires an amazingly long walk back to the arrivals hall. Hopefully you have no luggage to wait for - that can be a legendary period in which time seems to stand still.
Not all is bad - immigration has improved considerably. After the absolute shambles of the first and second versions of passport reading machines, they now work well and quickly.
To be fair, EDI is primarily a shopping mall with some nice eateries, and the world's most expensive car park. Sometimes they remember there is a runway attached....
Unless EDI is essential, personally I would take the train to MAN which is a better experience by some distance. NCL is good, but of course much smaller.
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My own experience of EDI through the years was mostly sub-standard, so I doubt Covid-related issues have made much difference. On a few occasions in a busy security hall I have seen the change happen where bags suddenly flow easily through the scanner with no diversion to the "bag check" line which has backed up. It's understandable I suppose. Many passengers have two or even three trays - and get shouted at to take them all to the single tray area to refill their bags. Even LHR does this better.
Unable to board because the corridor is closed to allow arrivals from another gate ambling past was common enough - no big deal except for the subsequent missed TO slot / late LHR arrival / missed connection etc.
Arriving at EDI early, waiting for a gate/jetty/steps - not unusual. Deplaning onto a bus to be driven all the way back across the airport, stopping (it seems) every few yards for various traffic, to arrive at the newest/latest entry point - which then requires an amazingly long walk back to the arrivals hall. Hopefully you have no luggage to wait for - that can be a legendary period in which time seems to stand still.
Not all is bad - immigration has improved considerably. After the absolute shambles of the first and second versions of passport reading machines, they now work well and quickly.
To be fair, EDI is primarily a shopping mall with some nice eateries, and the world's most expensive car park. Sometimes they remember there is a runway attached....
Unless EDI is essential, personally I would take the train to MAN which is a better experience by some distance. NCL is good, but of course much smaller.
Unable to board because the corridor is closed to allow arrivals from another gate ambling past was common enough - no big deal except for the subsequent missed TO slot / late LHR arrival / missed connection etc.
Arriving at EDI early, waiting for a gate/jetty/steps - not unusual. Deplaning onto a bus to be driven all the way back across the airport, stopping (it seems) every few yards for various traffic, to arrive at the newest/latest entry point - which then requires an amazingly long walk back to the arrivals hall. Hopefully you have no luggage to wait for - that can be a legendary period in which time seems to stand still.
Not all is bad - immigration has improved considerably. After the absolute shambles of the first and second versions of passport reading machines, they now work well and quickly.
To be fair, EDI is primarily a shopping mall with some nice eateries, and the world's most expensive car park. Sometimes they remember there is a runway attached....
Unless EDI is essential, personally I would take the train to MAN which is a better experience by some distance. NCL is good, but of course much smaller.
BAA under invested in Edinburgh for years, spending money elsewhere.
In the 8 years (including this covid year) it has flourished with routes and passenger numbers outside of the BAA. Routes I personally would never have thought when I worked there in the 80s
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I should have clarified it more. Most of my travel is long haul, and Cathay / HKG is my main carrier/ hub. So EDI to LHR to HKG or Carlisle to MAN to HKG is pretty much equal in overall time.
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Wow, I find it hard to believe someone would take a 3.5 hour train journey or 4 hour drive to avoid Edinburgh airport.
As you say, central London to central Edinburgh is advertised as a total travel time by train of 3:30.
The flight from (for example) Heathrow to Edinburgh airport is advertised by BA as 1:25. But don’t forget to add in your travel time between both airports and their city centres. A comfortable check in time, plus time to move through ‘security’ and the shopping centres laughingly called Terminals. Plus boarding and baggage reclaim should you have had to put any items in the hold. Then add in delays for stand allocation.
For city centre to city centre, I doubt there’s a cigarette paper between the two total travel times.
Add in the associated additional transport costs of travelling to and from airports, and actually flying between some city pairs starts to look pretty non-sensical to me?
What’s the attraction?
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Why is it so hard to believe?
As you say, central London to central Edinburgh is advertised as a total travel time by train of 3:30.
The flight from (for example) Heathrow to Edinburgh airport is advertised by BA as 1:25. But don’t forget to add in your travel time between both airports and their city centres. A comfortable check in time, plus time to move through ‘security’ and the shopping centres laughingly called Terminals. Plus boarding and baggage reclaim should you have had to put any items in the hold. Then add in delays for stand allocation.
For city centre to city centre, I doubt there’s a cigarette paper between the two total travel times.
Add in the associated additional transport costs of travelling to and from airports, and actually flying between some city pairs starts to look pretty non-sensical to me?
What’s the attraction?
As you say, central London to central Edinburgh is advertised as a total travel time by train of 3:30.
The flight from (for example) Heathrow to Edinburgh airport is advertised by BA as 1:25. But don’t forget to add in your travel time between both airports and their city centres. A comfortable check in time, plus time to move through ‘security’ and the shopping centres laughingly called Terminals. Plus boarding and baggage reclaim should you have had to put any items in the hold. Then add in delays for stand allocation.
For city centre to city centre, I doubt there’s a cigarette paper between the two total travel times.
Add in the associated additional transport costs of travelling to and from airports, and actually flying between some city pairs starts to look pretty non-sensical to me?
What’s the attraction?
It read like you were nearer Edinburgh and would use Manchester by preference.
The train time I mentioned was Edinburgh to Manchester's I never mentioned London.
Sort-of follow-up to this:
My younger daughter is currently "trapped" with others on a plane at LHR at the moment - arrived from EDI and the jetty at LHR T5 has broken as it went to "meet" the plane. So they are stuck like sardines waiting for steps to be brought to the plane to get off. Whose fault is this fiasco? BA's, Heathrow Airport's, someone else's.... or is it just "fate"? The plane will have been on the ground about the same length as the flight itself was, before passengers can start to deplane.
Is this a shambles or not ??
My younger daughter is currently "trapped" with others on a plane at LHR at the moment - arrived from EDI and the jetty at LHR T5 has broken as it went to "meet" the plane. So they are stuck like sardines waiting for steps to be brought to the plane to get off. Whose fault is this fiasco? BA's, Heathrow Airport's, someone else's.... or is it just "fate"? The plane will have been on the ground about the same length as the flight itself was, before passengers can start to deplane.
Is this a shambles or not ??
Sort-of follow-up to this:
My younger daughter is currently "trapped" with others on a plane at LHR at the moment - arrived from EDI and the jetty at LHR T5 has broken as it went to "meet" the plane. So they are stuck like sardines waiting for steps to be brought to the plane to get off. Whose fault is this fiasco? BA's, Heathrow Airport's, someone else's.... or is it just "fate"? The plane will have been on the ground about the same length as the flight itself was, before passengers can start to deplane.
Is this a shambles or not ??
My younger daughter is currently "trapped" with others on a plane at LHR at the moment - arrived from EDI and the jetty at LHR T5 has broken as it went to "meet" the plane. So they are stuck like sardines waiting for steps to be brought to the plane to get off. Whose fault is this fiasco? BA's, Heathrow Airport's, someone else's.... or is it just "fate"? The plane will have been on the ground about the same length as the flight itself was, before passengers can start to deplane.
Is this a shambles or not ??
Look the operation is screwed and has been for weeks. I suspect they're understaffing to save money, they have no choice, but the balance is tricky. It's now very common to land and be waiting quite some time for a stand, or steps. It's also very common for buses to be exceedingly late. What had almost become a well oiled machine has been thrown into disrepair with good people leaving and COVID procedures meaning the likes of buses being cleaned and then cleaned again. Operational efficiency is gone.
Is it BA's fault? 100% But it's not going to be fixed quickly, they're doing their best but the outcome is an ongoing poor passenger experience.