Air France passengers furious after being stranded in Lomé
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Lome,Togo. Africa
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Air France passengers furious after being stranded in Lomé
Lomé, Togo, West Africa 26 February 2006
Stranded passengers were furious last night when only one passenger got a seat from Lomé to Paris Charles de Gaulle, after all the seats except one was "mistakenly" taken up by passengers from Abidjan. According to some reports, this is also not the first time that this happenend. There also seems to be a growing unhappiness amongst regular travellers about the abbrasive and intrusive treatment which they receive from the ground staff, especially the dispaching personnel prior to boarding.
Air France operates a scheduled service Paris - Abidjan - Lomé - Paris CDG (AF700) on Sundays which departs Lomé at 2300 UTC. Seats are normally devided for the return leg to France between the two cities, with others first landing at Lomé, departing Abidjan for Paris.
With passengers coming as far afield as Niamey, Cotonou, Accra and Ougadougou for the connection to Lomé, the Air France local office was unable to provide the assurance to passengers that there will be place for them on the next available Air France flight to the French capital.
Upon further enquiries, the local office was unable to give us the amount of seats available for any of the scheduled Air France flights, even when a local travel agency could provide us with the information.
Several passengers further expressed their severe discontent about the prospect of being searched a third time on the apron just before boarding. This after repacking and rearranging their personal belongings following the second intrusion. Members of the diplomatic community seems to be unable to escape that. Not even the French diplomats are spared this fate, who have expressed their severe displeasure. The only exception being French and local politicians.
Travel agents are still frantically trying to make alternative travel arrangements and finding accomodation for their clients.
Air France que vadis?
Stranded passengers were furious last night when only one passenger got a seat from Lomé to Paris Charles de Gaulle, after all the seats except one was "mistakenly" taken up by passengers from Abidjan. According to some reports, this is also not the first time that this happenend. There also seems to be a growing unhappiness amongst regular travellers about the abbrasive and intrusive treatment which they receive from the ground staff, especially the dispaching personnel prior to boarding.
Air France operates a scheduled service Paris - Abidjan - Lomé - Paris CDG (AF700) on Sundays which departs Lomé at 2300 UTC. Seats are normally devided for the return leg to France between the two cities, with others first landing at Lomé, departing Abidjan for Paris.
With passengers coming as far afield as Niamey, Cotonou, Accra and Ougadougou for the connection to Lomé, the Air France local office was unable to provide the assurance to passengers that there will be place for them on the next available Air France flight to the French capital.
Upon further enquiries, the local office was unable to give us the amount of seats available for any of the scheduled Air France flights, even when a local travel agency could provide us with the information.
Several passengers further expressed their severe discontent about the prospect of being searched a third time on the apron just before boarding. This after repacking and rearranging their personal belongings following the second intrusion. Members of the diplomatic community seems to be unable to escape that. Not even the French diplomats are spared this fate, who have expressed their severe displeasure. The only exception being French and local politicians.
Travel agents are still frantically trying to make alternative travel arrangements and finding accomodation for their clients.
Air France que vadis?
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: E.Wash State
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Suspect it's SOP there. Flying Niamey to CDG a year or so ago, we were told to check in at LEAST 8 hours before flight time, or risk having no seat despite a confirmed reservation. So everyone does, then heads back to town for dinner etc before gate checking.
As for the third security check at the bottom of the stairs: I was glad of it. The local security process seemed ripe for bribes and inspection lapses. AF had their own guys there to repeat it all.
As for the third security check at the bottom of the stairs: I was glad of it. The local security process seemed ripe for bribes and inspection lapses. AF had their own guys there to repeat it all.
Join Date: May 2006
Location: LGW
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I quite agree with you about AF. Once you are in the air, then their service can be almost comparable with an airline but on the ground then things are a different matter. I have travelled out of many West African routes with AF (as there is no credible alternative) and I have been checking in at 1700h for a flight at 2350h and have gone through the security checks at check in and then had another one on the apron before boarding.
My best ever AF was coming up from Brazzaville a few years back; I paid for a Club Class seat, was given a boarding card only to find that when I boarded, the seat row and number did not exist. I spent eight happy hours instead in Y. Remember that this is Africa and when you fly AF then anything can- and will happen.
My best ever AF was coming up from Brazzaville a few years back; I paid for a Club Class seat, was given a boarding card only to find that when I boarded, the seat row and number did not exist. I spent eight happy hours instead in Y. Remember that this is Africa and when you fly AF then anything can- and will happen.
