Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Misc. Forums > Passengers & SLF (Self Loading Freight)
Reload this Page >

Your Nicest Airline Experiences

Wikiposts
Search
Passengers & SLF (Self Loading Freight) If you are regularly a passenger on any airline then why not post your questions here?

Your Nicest Airline Experiences

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 20th Apr 2012, 15:32
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: England, UK
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thumbs up Your Nicest Airline Experiences

I've just had a rather nice, swift reply to a bit of positive feedback I sent over to EZY earlier this week, pertaining to a flight I took back in October. It's important at this point, to mention I am a somewhat nervous member of the SLF community when it comes to flying.

Short version of events: Nervous FlyingGoggles boards flight to Paphos, first time flying with just a friend, and to add to that, I have a visual impairment. Tell CCM about visual impairment, get treated very well, even had the offer of a personal safety demo if I needed it. I didn't need this, so politely declined. Flight delayed 45 minutes on the ground due to ATC. Flight crew invite children and anyone who wants to say hello, to do so. They then spend a lot of the delay with me and another nervous pax, reassuring us and going through all our fears and concerns. Flight then takes off and is uneventful and pleasant.

Basically, in the weeks after the trip, real life got in the way, and I forgot to submit the feedback then. As I said, I am SLF of the nervous kind, and am on various websites and forums to help with this. After recounting my good experience to another poster on one such board earlier this week, I realized that this feedback needed to reach the people involved, so sent it off. Then this afternoon, I get a very nice email saying thank you, and that the feedback will be passed on to the relevant crew.

So, anyone had any particularly memorable flights, or even customer care before/after a flight? People are so quick to put in complaints, I thought we could have a nice, happy thread where we highlight the good bits
FlyingGoggles is offline  
Old 21st Apr 2012, 17:28
  #2 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: UK
Posts: 291
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I never got a response to one I sent to BA It was a great flight from LHR-EDI. A member of the CC saw I was looking into the flightdeck and asked if I would be interested in a visit, of course I jumped at the opportunity after a quick check with the Captain he sent me in. Both the Captain and FO showed me loads of stuff and answered all my questions. I was also invited back after landing where I was shown more stuff and a few bits about how the A321 is different to the A320. Really good service and great guys.

It's a shame I never got a reponse. I remember the flight clearly. Thursday 5th August 2010 on BA1442. It was a A321. If any of the crew are on pprune, thanks very much for the great service and help you gave me
average-punter is offline  
Old 21st Apr 2012, 17:49
  #3 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Cape Town / UK / Europe
Posts: 728
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I've just had a rather nice, swift reply to a bit of positive feedback I sent over to EZY
So have I. I find the manner in which was this was handled both on board and subsequently to be most impressive. As we all know, in any business, things can go wrong, and it's the way in which that situation is handled which differentiates good from bad.

Dear xxxxxxxxxxxx

I have been using easyJet since the airline commenced services in 1995, often several sectors a month. This is only the second time I have escalated a complaint and I am a loyal supporter of easyJet, using your services whenever possible in preference to those of competitors.

On 28 MAR 12 I boarded EZY xxxx at LGW. I had checked in one bag and had one cabin bag which was neither full nor heavy, slightly smaller than the allowed size. At the boarding gate I was told that this would have to go into the hold due to lack of overhead locker space.

As it contained items such as three sets of keys, money, passport, electronic equipment, two phones, a cheque book, and legal documents which I did not want left at the mercy of baggage handlers I told the agent this was not acceptable, and was told I had no choice. Your own regulations state “you must not include in checked baggage fragile or perishable items, money, jewellery, precious metals, silverware, computers, electronic devices, negotiable papers, securities or other valuables, business documents, passports and other identification documents or samples. Conditions of Carriage Article 9.1(c).”

I trust that you will appreciate my annoyance at this point, when I had to unpack my case on the floor, remove the valuables and find somewhere to put them. I suggested that at the very least the airline should provide some type of package for such small items as this is clearly something which happens frequently. The minimum you could do would be to provide a plastic carrier bag for small carry on items.

I had to walk onto the aircraft with these items in my arms, very inconvenient, undignified, and cumbersome, and find somewhere to stow them safely. Under the seat in front is clearly not safe for keys, phones, documents, and so on. I told a cabin member that I wanted to make a formal complaint and after one cabin attendant had tried to talk me out of doing so, the cabin manager (Joe) came and offered to have a chat later in the flight.

I was able to have a long and pleasant chat to Joe, who was helpful and sympathetic, and like most of your cabin staff, is a credit to your company and I do hope this will be passed on to him. He mentioned that this is one of the commonest problems they face on a daily basis.

I appreciate that sometimes there may not be adequate space and I have observed that this is because people who board early often do so with an excess of cabin baggage and are not stopped from doing so, thus it is those who board later who are penalised. Your conditions of carriage state 'You can take one piece of hand baggage into the cabin with you …............' which you then contradict by saying : 'On busy flights we cannot guarantee that we can fit all baggage in the cabin.......'

I understand that it may not always be possible to fit all items into the overhead bins, even though at least one of your competitors offers carriage of two pieces of cabin baggage. If from time to time you need to remove passengers' cabin baggage, the least you could do is offer an alternative for small valuables and here I see a valuable marketing opportunity. An easyJet branded reusable fabric bag of the type sold in supermarkets with a slogan like 'for your bits and pieces' would be a good promotional gimmick with a small unit cost to you, would defuse the irritation that passengers feel when this happens, and could even be sold on board.

I trust you will consider this or some other solution to this problem.

Yours faithfully


xxxxxxxxxxxxx
The reply, received within a couple of hours :

Dear Mr xxxxxxxxxx

Thank you for your letter dated 4 April 2012.

I was pleased to read that you are a long standing loyal supporter of easyJet so I was therefore genuinely concerned that you are so unhappy with an aspect of our service that you felt the need to write to me.

I do understand the point you are making in respect of our capacity to store all hand baggage. This is an issue that we have identified internally and are working hard to address.

The majority of our flights have a passenger capacity of 156 and your flights departed with a high passenger load. On each easyJet flight there are of course a different amount of passengers who bring carry on luggage that can be stored safely in the overhead lockers or under the seat in front of them, but from time to time an excessive ratio of passengers do and our staff have to try to find ways of storing this baggage within a very limited amount of time so that we can hopefully prevent a delay to the flight. It is a fine balance to attempt to maintain and this is why we are currently working on a project with view to making adjustments in regards to our baggage policy. When this is finalised full details will be published on our website.

For now, as the policy stands, we do our best to implement it consistently across our network where capacity allows, however each flight will have differing circumstances and from time to time our Handlers are permitted to make operational decisions taking all factors of the day into account. I agree with you that the way your situation was handled was stressful and I fully understand your annoyance. I will make sure this is passed on to our staff at London Gatwick so that they can work on a suitable way of addressing the issue.

I will also pass a copy of your letter to our Head of Customer Experience, Lisa Burger. Customer feedback and suggestions are vital to us so that we can pinpoint the areas of our operation that need attention.

I hope you feel assured that we are continually striving to provide a smooth journey for our passengers and I sincerely hope that you see a marked difference on your next easyJet service.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require any further information.

Best,

xxxxxxxx
The next day, I received a letter from customer services :


Dear Mr. xxxxxxxxxx

I am extremely concerned to learn about the circumstances prompting your correspondence. At the same time, I would like to apologise and can understand the level of discontent this experience must have caused you.

This enhances my uneasiness whilst reading that your hand baggage was put into hold. I can understand how difficult it would have been for you carrying your valuables in your hand. This is not a general exercise that easyJet follows but this happens on some of the flights when they are full. Hand baggage is always accommodated on first come first serve basis and once there is no space in the overhead lockers, hand luggage is checked-in as hold at no additional charges. This is done for security purposes to ensure a smooth travel for all the passengers.

Further, we advise the passengers not to carry valuable or electronic items in hold bag as it can lead to damage of the items. However, I am grateful for your wonderful suggestion that when this situation arises, we should start offering reusable fabric bag which would definitely help the passengers in these unavoidable circumstances. Hence, I have forwarded your suggestion to the relevant department for their consideration and I am sure this suggestion will be looked on with great consideration.

I acknowledge that you found our cabin crew manager helpful and approachable. I have passed on your feedback so that the concerned staff will be benefited out of it.

I assure you that we have a standard policies and procedures to be followed by all the passengers and do not have any exception for passengers board the plane first. I assure you that all our staff at the boarding gate on different airports are on the same page. However, at the boarding gate the checks are random and if our staff believe that bag could be outside the maximum allowed, they may ask the passengers to put the same in the gauge.

Once again, thank you for taking your time and sharing your experience with us as this always widens the scope of improving our services. I hope my e-mail some way pacify your thoughts while choosing our services in the near future.

Regards,

xxxxxxxxxxx
easyJet Customer Services
And if you see these one day on easyJet, you'll know where the idea came from!
Tableview is offline  
Old 21st Apr 2012, 18:49
  #4 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: U.K.
Posts: 1,869
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
You will also be pleased to note that they do also acknowledge and follow up complaints. I, as a CM, once had a complaint against me and it was defintely followed. On this occasion it was a pax with an axe to grind (I had told him to be quiet during the demo) and so all was ok at my end but it was dealt with which is good.
easyflyer83 is offline  
Old 22nd Apr 2012, 12:08
  #5 (permalink)  
Paxing All Over The World
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Hertfordshire, UK.
Age: 67
Posts: 10,150
Received 62 Likes on 50 Posts
The responses from EZY are good but - of course - do not cross the line of admitting that they do allow pax onboard with more than the allowed baggage in size and/or weight! Makes me wonder if the pax who are choosing to take above the limit cabion baggage know that it's best tobe on first?

We all know the commercial reasons for not challenging every overloaded pax and RYR also allow this - despite their protestations to the contrary.
PAXboy is offline  
Old 22nd Apr 2012, 13:07
  #6 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: England, UK
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Good to know they're quick to respond to both complaints and compliments then Do airlines have systems in place for staff who get compliments sent in about them? At a previous employer of mine (big UK tourist attraction) you got shopping vouchers if you had a special form filled in about you, either by guests or colleagues.

And, like average-punter, I still remember, a good 6 months on, everything about that flight.

12th October 2011, 14.25 MAN-PFO service, think the flight number was EZY 1973.

So, if any of the crew are members here, thank you I've gone on to fly in small 4 seaters and make a film about GA flying, and although I'm not totally over my fears with flying, I'm getting there.
FlyingGoggles is offline  
Old 22nd Apr 2012, 14:32
  #7 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Canada
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Any Wardair flight.
Corax is offline  
Old 22nd Apr 2012, 14:36
  #8 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: London
Age: 55
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Ryanair many years ago, but I did go to school with the steward, my father always wondered how I managed to get that plastered Luton to Cork
What the Fug is offline  
Old 22nd Apr 2012, 14:49
  #9 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: world
Posts: 3,424
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I'm still waiting for my BEST airline experience
Hotel Tango is offline  
Old 22nd Apr 2012, 15:32
  #10 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Coventry
Age: 48
Posts: 1,946
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Far too many to mention - if I didn't have a love of flying I wouldn't be on pprune in the first place.

To narrow them down:

1) Saudia, 1991 - after a week delay getting a Saudi visa and then a 24 hour tech delay, we asked for the usual 5 minutes in the cockpit (3 of us bothers, youngest was 8 at time). We stayed there for the whole journey down the Nile, and my other two brothers got to sit in the jump seat to land at JED! I had to "make do" with a first class seat behind (we were all cattle SLF).

2) Anything on a twotter with Winair for obvious rollercoaster reasons!

3) Very reasonable food with Royal Brunei, and even on my most recent lh flight with AF. In fact, no complaints at all about Air France. Well - we weren't offered chicken or fish (and of us) - just chicken!

And I'd also add any other airline flying scenic approaches or take offs - although that isn't really a customer service issue, it is part of the flight experience.

Can't think I've ever had reason to lodge a major complaint - as opposed to simply accepting the cattle treatment (AA pretty bad for that).

I once strayed into the premium section on an AA flight - I think I was just looking for the nearest toilet, not a larger seat! After I'd sat down for a little while, a member of cabin crew came over and gave me a massive bollocking for straying into the "business" zone. Totally pointless, rude and aggressive - but I wouldn't have expected much better on AA to be honest.
jabird is offline  
Old 22nd Apr 2012, 16:01
  #11 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Malaysia
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Devil Good & Bad Service from Emirates

Hi, I am a newbie to the forum.

I wished to share my experience as business class passenger with Emirates, flying via Bangkok to Dubai on the amazing A380 aircrafts, magnificent interior, cabin meals etc but we found the cabin crew to be quite snobbish.

To my pleasant surprise when I travel back to Bangkok, my husband & I have enjoyed the journey very much as the full set of crew are all very friendly & helpful. We enjoyed the bar service & speaking to the cabin crew members & the best part is they offered to take picture with my husband, not one but two. It is indeed a wonderful experienced to be cherished.

Wonder how the vast difference in terms of customer service within the same airline
Valarie C is offline  
Old 22nd Apr 2012, 20:43
  #12 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Spain
Age: 82
Posts: 490
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Iberia - LHR to VLC 2006. We were moving to Spain with our cat. We checked the regs and bought the correct cat carrier. When we got to check-in at Heathrow, an Iberia member of staff spotted us with our carrier and asked where we were going. He then took us to first class check-in and when we got on board the cabin staff assured us that we could keep our cat and her carrier on our laps, which we did for the duration of the flight. Wouldn't happen now, alas!
Sunnyjohn is offline  
Old 22nd Apr 2012, 21:03
  #13 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: U.K.
Posts: 1,869
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
We normally get here about compliments and complaints so it should filter down. Either way I've just checked the crew list and you did have a lovely crew including the cabin manager (an Irish girl) so I'll let her know.
easyflyer83 is offline  
Old 22nd Apr 2012, 21:34
  #14 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: London UK
Posts: 7,659
Likes: 0
Received 19 Likes on 16 Posts
Originally Posted by Corax
Any Wardair flight.
Just before I wrote the same thing I was just scanning the earlier posts and found someone had got there first. What an extraordinary airline Wardair was, which I first used in 1969, and last in 1986, all over a quarter of a century ago and with a handful of aircraft in the fleet. They were bought out in 1989. There are still many in Canada and their destination countries who recall them.
WHBM is offline  
Old 28th Apr 2012, 12:14
  #15 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Sussex-West
Age: 60
Posts: 306
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Bcal - DXB to HKG , new years eve around 1987...nil F class pax booked,so crew discreetly went around the M cabin asking all the staff pax to move subtly up to F cabin. They just pushed the bar trolley into F,loaded us up with snacks and told us to party on! Fab flight-almost had to be carried off the acft in HKG...
No longer ATC is offline  
Old 28th Apr 2012, 20:13
  #16 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: London
Posts: 581
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes on 3 Posts
I was really envious when my father, a retired RAF pilot, told me that he had been invited into the cockpit for a 747 landing at SIN when on the way to an RAF reunion in Oz. (Rather different to the piston engined aircraft he landed there.) But then he was no ordinary passenger.

Then, a few years later, having been allowed into the cockpit I was invited back for the landing at JFK which is very interesting in a crosswind!

A really nice experience! Ah those were the days!
Peter47 is offline  
Old 28th Apr 2012, 21:14
  #17 (permalink)  
Paxing All Over The World
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Hertfordshire, UK.
Age: 67
Posts: 10,150
Received 62 Likes on 50 Posts
One enjoyable sector was xmas day 1988, rding back from Banjul (BJL) to LGW on (by then) BA DC-10. I had chosen the day for easy transit and the flight was only about 40%, as I recall.

It was a daylight sector leaving aroun 10:00-ish and there was a party atmosphere! We started by making a detour shortly after rotation, across the beach. The flight and cabin crews that had arrived on the a/c that morning were there to wave us off and there was a lovely port wing down! I had a port side window!

Later, I visited the flight deck and we arrived at LGW to minimal pax and sailed through. Consequently, I have often chosen to fly on xmas and New Year.
PAXboy is offline  
Old 29th Apr 2012, 22:37
  #18 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Esher, Surrey
Posts: 466
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I have been lucky to have so many great experiences on flights.

A Concorde trip in November, see the sun set, rise again in the West and then set again. Take off from WAS with only seven passengers on board and then at MIA land in the jump seat.

Landing over the flats at the old HKG airport when in the jump seat.

On a trip back from YYZ, being invited to the flight deck to watch the Aurora Borealis.
An amazing sight with the clouds appearing to overtake the aircraft and all around us was lights.
I returned to my window seat determined to watch as much as possible as most of the passengers slept on.With my face against the window and pillows around my head to block the cabin lights I got a gentle dig in the ribs from one of the flight crew. They were so in awe of the light show that he was coming through the cabin looking for anyone awke to invite them up front.
Sadly oh how things have changed.
beamender99 is offline  
Old 30th Apr 2012, 11:50
  #19 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Lemonia. Best Greek in the world
Posts: 1,759
Received 6 Likes on 3 Posts
During the First Gulf War, many Co.s told their travellers to stay at home. Especially true of USA based corporates.

I Travelled at least monthly, sometimes weekly, to Asia on BA.

Lots of empty seats.

The crew were normally attentive and helpful.

Nothing they could do about the awful, old BA business seats, though.
Ancient Observer is offline  
Old 2nd May 2012, 10:49
  #20 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Beyond the Blue Horizon
Age: 63
Posts: 1,257
Received 168 Likes on 103 Posts
There are a number but a few stand out as set out below and some more general comments :-

BCAL 707 from South America in mid 70,s which I got to go to the flight deck on as a school boy when level with Dakar. Was then invited back to stay until landing in LGW if I wanted, as nobody else asked for a cockpit visit

Cathay 747 into HKG also on flight deck in mid 1980,s pilot was a freind so got bumped to 1st Class as well .

As has been commented on before, many views of large Aurora displays - never bores me. Also big electrical storms at night in the tropic,s as long as not in them !.

Sun rises and or sunsets, latter with G&T always good.

The cabin crews from many airlines and cultures who have largly helped keep me sane, and looked after me and chatted on those long trans oceanic / trans continental flights where the moving map appears to belie the comment that the world is getting smaller !.

Flight to Dallas in Mid July 1987 when it was deemed by my then employer that I had reached the point where the world of Business class travel was to be opened to me - spoilt for life as far as air travel is concerned from then on .
Mr Mac is offline  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.