SLF report #1: Dalliance at Dalaman
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SLF report #1: Dalliance at Dalaman
It suddenly struck me and my personal braincare specialist that I haven't had a proper holiday for over a year... so I plonked my plastic down for a week doing absolutely nothing in Oludeniz in far too sunny Turkey. Which means -- shock, horror -- going charter. Britannia, this time.
Can't complain about the flights at all. The one out was at an ungodly hour in the morning, so all I can remember is the rather pallid breakfast and being offered the opportunity to purchase a Buck's Fizz when a melatonin and Macallan's cocktail would have fitted the bill better. The flight back was as good an affair as I've had: pushback a little late, some poodling around at 31000' in bumpy cloud due to traffic keeping us out of 35, but the chap at the front kept us informed and we got in ten minutes ahead of schedule. Had the good fortune to get seat 12A right by the exit, so legroom wasn't a problem (as it wasn't on the flight out, to be honest) and the view out of the window was fantastic. Good humoured, efficient cabin service, and the food this time was great. I've had far worse experiences on scheduled economy. Whatever the image is of charter, it can be just as pleasant as the alternatives.
However: a couple of questions. There were plenty of empty seats on both flights, which at this stage in the season seems wrong somehow -- esp. with the UK summer being quite so crummy this year (can't recommend 50 degree heat as the perfect alternative, though). Is Turkey not having a good year? And while I found everyone in Turkey to be very friendly, helpful and relaxed, a black family just ahead of me in the passage through passport and boarding card checks were treated abysmally: in fact, they got bounced through no fault of their own *and* due to my seating I heard the briefing that the Dalaman ground crew gave to the Britannia bods over why they weren't being boarded -- a travesty of what actually happened. I don't know much about Turkish culture (my first visit to the place), but this and another incident makes me wonder if
it may not be the best place on the planet to go to if you're black...
R
Can't complain about the flights at all. The one out was at an ungodly hour in the morning, so all I can remember is the rather pallid breakfast and being offered the opportunity to purchase a Buck's Fizz when a melatonin and Macallan's cocktail would have fitted the bill better. The flight back was as good an affair as I've had: pushback a little late, some poodling around at 31000' in bumpy cloud due to traffic keeping us out of 35, but the chap at the front kept us informed and we got in ten minutes ahead of schedule. Had the good fortune to get seat 12A right by the exit, so legroom wasn't a problem (as it wasn't on the flight out, to be honest) and the view out of the window was fantastic. Good humoured, efficient cabin service, and the food this time was great. I've had far worse experiences on scheduled economy. Whatever the image is of charter, it can be just as pleasant as the alternatives.
However: a couple of questions. There were plenty of empty seats on both flights, which at this stage in the season seems wrong somehow -- esp. with the UK summer being quite so crummy this year (can't recommend 50 degree heat as the perfect alternative, though). Is Turkey not having a good year? And while I found everyone in Turkey to be very friendly, helpful and relaxed, a black family just ahead of me in the passage through passport and boarding card checks were treated abysmally: in fact, they got bounced through no fault of their own *and* due to my seating I heard the briefing that the Dalaman ground crew gave to the Britannia bods over why they weren't being boarded -- a travesty of what actually happened. I don't know much about Turkish culture (my first visit to the place), but this and another incident makes me wonder if
it may not be the best place on the planet to go to if you're black...
R
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I lived in Ankara for a couple of years when I was a kid.
Turkey is very racially mixed, it's one of the few countries in the world where I get mistaken for a native (I'm 1/2 Icelandic and look very Nordic); the very tiny Turkish Black minority are regarded as firstly Turks, secondly Muslims, and thirdly black. Nonetheless, discrimination does exist.
Non-Turkish blacks used to get the same bum deal that blacks arriving at LHR do. They are automatically assumed to be asylum seekers or illegal immigrants trying to take jobs away from Turkish nationals.
From your description, nothing much seems to have changed. But then again, nothing much seems to have changed at LHR immigration either - still seems to be staffed by dedicated racists.
Turkey is very racially mixed, it's one of the few countries in the world where I get mistaken for a native (I'm 1/2 Icelandic and look very Nordic); the very tiny Turkish Black minority are regarded as firstly Turks, secondly Muslims, and thirdly black. Nonetheless, discrimination does exist.
Non-Turkish blacks used to get the same bum deal that blacks arriving at LHR do. They are automatically assumed to be asylum seekers or illegal immigrants trying to take jobs away from Turkish nationals.
From your description, nothing much seems to have changed. But then again, nothing much seems to have changed at LHR immigration either - still seems to be staffed by dedicated racists.
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Justapax,
Reminds me of a story told by an expat friend of mine who, on arriving in LHR, was asked by an obviously ethnic Asian "and why do you want to come to my country?"
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When the British handed India over to the locals, they were all at the docks trying to say "goodbye" but the locals were saying "no sir, we're coming with you"
Reminds me of a story told by an expat friend of mine who, on arriving in LHR, was asked by an obviously ethnic Asian "and why do you want to come to my country?"
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When the British handed India over to the locals, they were all at the docks trying to say "goodbye" but the locals were saying "no sir, we're coming with you"
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britannia ground service provider in Turkey is Celebi. Celebi looks after all aspects of the britannia flights. The reason why you might find them a bit bad is that they do not have a supervisor to correct them. There supervisor would be from the same company and would not say anything bad about there own staff.
If anybody has noticed i dont know but flights like air2000, jmc, excel, pegasus in Turkey are more organised and passenger freindly. ground side because there supervision is run by a supervision company called Steelbird. If Celebi or Havas (the other ground service provider) sets a foot wrong they will be informed of there mistake and a report will be logged.
As for seats being empty. due to headquaters of airlines in England not making available tickets to Steelbird they cannot be sold. If they issue 10 tickets for a flight in 1 day those tickets are finished and lots more customers have to be rejected.
If anybody has noticed i dont know but flights like air2000, jmc, excel, pegasus in Turkey are more organised and passenger freindly. ground side because there supervision is run by a supervision company called Steelbird. If Celebi or Havas (the other ground service provider) sets a foot wrong they will be informed of there mistake and a report will be logged.
As for seats being empty. due to headquaters of airlines in England not making available tickets to Steelbird they cannot be sold. If they issue 10 tickets for a flight in 1 day those tickets are finished and lots more customers have to be rejected.
