Oh and by the way, the reason why Servisair can't recruit and retain good staff? Because the pay is poxy, it's that simple! :)

Agreed re retention. The pay and conditions for Servisair staff are so poor that they only stay long enough to get sufficient experience to go elsewhere.

Also agreed that one cannot tar all Servisair stations with the same brush, but STN were wholly apalling when I had dealings with them when working for two different companies out of STN. Not surprised Ryanair went elsewhere.

Groundstar at MAN are also apalling. They rarely answer the telephone (in my experience), they don't meet flights (again only in my experience, anyone wants to contradict me I would be pleased). When they learned the plane was late and pax may need transport arranging or it was discovered there were pax with missing baggage, G/star were conspicuous by their abscence and no amount of telephone calls to their office made a difference because there was no-one to answer,or who would answer.

Doc C.

As Clematis says, being appointed by Ryanair will cost Groundstar a fortune in penalty payments - I'm even willing to bet that it will sink them before the year's out.

When GO transferred from Servisair to Groundstar over a year ago the difference was enormous....Groundstar were a helluva lot worse, and nothing much has changed.

Morale at STN is at rock-bottom, and a recent decision by Groundstar to make 20 staff redundant was reversed after pressure from GO management - but it's the same old story: big-shot airline managers congratulating themselves on their ruthless negotiating skills, contractors willing to bid below cost just to get the business, and everybody losing in the end, one way or another.

I suppose most of you are right as it is all too easy to make assumptions. I don't know what Servisair are like at NCL but they are bloody awful at STN.

"Groundstar at MAN are also apalling. They rarely answer the telephone (in my experience), they don't meet flights (again only in my experience, anyone wants to contradict me I would be pleased)"

This is very true. Indeed when they first moved to MAN and gained the Air Scandic contract, a terminal one operation, Servisair had to attach any Airbridges because Groundstar 'overlooked' the fact the staff had to be trained not just on T2 but also on T1!

I think their time at MAN may nearly be up.

If this manning level at the gate is the norm, exactly what secondary security do FR employ upon boarding ???

Magplug,

What secondary security do other airlines provide at the gate? No more than FR!!

Pax ops not only problem for Servisair at STN. .BA World Cargo / Atlas reviewing contract for Cargo handling on 744's. .Hope this means no more job losses, we've seen enough already. .Including Atlas Air's own operation at STN who have laid off 2 Operations staff this week.

Servisair are not that bad, one thing I would like to know is how groundstar STN are going to get all the pushback tugs and extra steps etc to handle ryanair because there is never enough rear steps for Go-flights, but even then I am not compling about groundstar at stn because I use them everyday I find them to be the one of the most best handling agents I have come across. But like some-one say's further up the page you can not beat servisair in the TOON (Newcastle to others).

I agree Groundstar do an excellent job under the contract agreements.

I would like to see another airline or handling agent do 40+ turn arounds in a day with only 3 dispatchers and 4 teams of ramp bods. I know its Groundstars fault that they signed the contract, but go will have to put up with fiddling of delay codes back off the staff who do a fantastic job. Shame about the duty managers though!!!!!!

Bring on Ryanair I say...

Sorry pressed the wrong button. Yes seems as if theres alot of bitter and twisted people on here slagging off both Servisair and Groundstar, and I bet most of these people who are slagging the companies off are either: Airline ops, Pilots or former employees who got the sack for what ever reason. Let me tell you that there are quite a few folk who work within these companies who bend over backwards to help out in anyway possible, and what thanks do they get? NONE AT ALL!!!!!!!, even if a pilot has a crap and you wipe thier arse for them, 'thank you' doesnt even exist in thier vocabulary. So then for those days where an airline has a 100% 'on-time' day, where are all the big smiles and the big heads? well it most certaintly isnt with the dispatchers or ramp guys who have worked their b******s off to acheive this. Good luck to Groundstar with the Ryanair contract and I hope they do well, and deepest sympathy for those people in Servisair who have unfortunatly lost their jobs. And lets not forget that everyone is not perfect!!!!! <img src="wink.gif" border="0">

Congratulations to Servisair on regaining the Air 2000 contract at MAN after one year with G/Star.. .Question for the flying irishman...what makes you Servisair expert...??....the Servisair product is just FINE!!.....Why do u think AIR 2000 have returned to Servisair??

Ok then lets stop all this bitching about Servisair. Staff do their best and as Ops1 has mentioned I know that Servisair in NCL are one of the best. Having worked for Servisair a few years back I know what conditions are like.

Quoted from SZD,

"Staff are expected to do huge amounts of work for very little pay, no thanks from managers, airlines or passengers."

This is very true. Sometimes I think managers forget where they started off, and what kind of s*** the agents at the bottom of the ladder face. I am the first to admit that pay them more money, give them a comprehensive training package and airlines would be a alot happier and more willing to give them the contract. But in such economic times as these, we airlines have to put up with it, if we are not willing to pay the extra.

As demonstrated Air 2000 regretted leaving Servisair in MAN, to go to Groundstar. This again is echoed at NCL, where Groundstar are struggling with KLM uk. Again I think Servisair will find an old friend come knocking on the door again, when the 3 months probation runs out.. .Also Britannia may be knocking on the door too!!! to get away from Groundstar.

Groundstar staff are exactly the same as Servisair's. Yes there are good staff who do give a damn, but provide more money, more thanks, better career prospects and all staff might care and stay, and as they say experienced staff are the most valued!

One final point, if Servisair are sooo bad, then name a few other handling agents who can turn around a 737 with two full loads of passengers and baggage, not to mention fuel and basic catering in under 16 minutes, cause I can't out of all the UK handling agents.

And it doesn't hurt for us flight and cabin crew to say please and thank you to the hard working agents, who help get our flights sorted. Tell them when they have done well, IT HELPS!!!!! . . <img src="wink.gif" border="0"> <img src="cool.gif" border="0"> :)

THEFLYINGPADDY

You obiously don't fly for/with any major airlines, as most of these are handled by the worlds greatest handling company Servisair.

The main problem with a company like Servisair handling the likes of FR is the reduction in their high standards to a level of service that FR affords its pax (classic example is the treatment of the old lady left on an a/c for two hours in STN) <img src="eek.gif" border="0">

Here Here.

I think that the flying irishman is having some kind of relationship with MOL.

Beware Mike if he sits down fast he will break your nose.

<img src="tongue.gif" border="0"> <img src="tongue.gif" border="0">

[ 28 January 2002: Message edited by: andy32 ]</p>

Toontartcart. .About time someone appreciated the work that ground handlers do. The reason pay is not so good is purly that airlines don't want to pay the money for us to do the job that you all expect. Some airlines employee their own ground staff who stand around and do sod all except run away when there is a problem. If only airlines stood back, looked at the service that they get and then look at the invoices received, they will see, in most cases, that they get a dam good service and that all staff bend over backward to help. If only this could be said by some of the airline staff themselves.. .Servisair and GlobeGround are now working together to make things better. Is ground handling alliances the way to go? It seems to be working for the airlines!

Good luck Groundstar at STN....you will need it!. . <img src="wink.gif" border="0"> <img src="wink.gif" border="0"> <img src="wink.gif" border="0">

Forgive me if I am wrong, but is the case of the lady being left on the aircraft because the wheelchair company at STN went bust? Not because of any ending of contracts. Please shed more light...

According to our local rag, which I must say often gets the story wrong Ryanair ended the contract 2 days earlier. The lady went on to die a few days later after experiencing Ryanair customer care. <img src="confused.gif" border="0">

Please let that not be a sick joke. If it is true, then it is terrible shame.

I’m afraid this was no joke. She was on the aircraft 6 hours as the flight was delayed after boarding. After waiting 2 hours her family carried her off the aircraft. A few days later she was dead. Could this be Ryanair’s first fatality? <img src="mad.gif" border="0">