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Gotta Love Stansted Airport

  • 29-12-2005 1:29am
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,984 ✭✭✭✭Lump


    This is probably not the right place, but bear with me.

    Due to leave Dublin at 21.45, got a little worried with the snow in the UK. Arrived at the airport to find that the flight was delayed (Shock!) Anyway, eventually arrived in Stansted airport at 23.45, still with 45 minutes to catch the last train to central London.

    Arrived in the baggage reclaim hall, waiting, waiting, waiting, then the announcement that our bags would be delayed, clearly everyone was gone home for the night. Anyway, bags eventually arrive at 00.50, 20 minutes after the last train had left.

    Most people are standing in the mile long queue waiting to buy a ticket for the 24 hour bus. I on the other hand decided to doss on the internet and buy some snacks. The master plan is to get the first train at 6.00 and then get the tube home. Makes more sense then waiting till 3am, getting the bus and then dragging my bag around the streets looking for the combination of buses to get me to Acton. Anyway, I will report back when I get bored. Hopefully my 2 years working security will keep me sane, also WHS is open all night and I warned the Fit burd I'd be back.

    Gotta love Ryanair, although it's not really their fault.


    John


«1

Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,204 ✭✭✭kensutz


    Well Lump that is the joy with Stansted, they take bloody ages to get your bags out and thats why I only carry hand luggage now. I normally fly in late on a Friday and catch the bus/train to Norwich. Longest I waited was 90 mins to get my bags out. Did you go down to the bus station and ask the lads there about the buses they would've got you one to get near to Acton.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,403 ✭✭✭The Gnome


    Not as good as the maze that is Schipol. Had to navigate from gate 20D to 87D with 15 mins. The travellators help but the whole fiasco is very annoying.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,783 ✭✭✭Binomate


    Lump wrote:
    This is probably not the right place, but bear with me.

    Due to leave Dublin at 21.45, got a little worried with the snow in the UK. Arrived at the airport to find that the flight was delayed (Shock!) Anyway, eventually arrived in Stansted airport at 23.45, still with 45 minutes to catch the last train to central London.

    Arrived in the baggage reclaim hall, waiting, waiting, waiting, then the announcement that our bags would be delayed, clearly everyone was gone home for the night. Anyway, bags eventually arrive at 00.50, 20 minutes after the last train had left.

    Most people are standing in the mile long queue waiting to buy a ticket for the 24 hour bus. I on the other hand decided to doss on the internet and buy some snacks. The master plan is to get the first train at 6.00 and then get the tube home. Makes more sense then waiting till 3am, getting the bus and then dragging my bag around the streets looking for the combination of buses to get me to Acton. Anyway, I will report back when I get bored. Hopefully my 2 years working security will keep me sane, also WHS is open all night and I warned the Fit burd I'd be back.

    Gotta love Ryanair, although it's not really their fault.


    John
    Unlucky. Why don't you try sneak in behind the sceens and take a ride on that bagage conveyer belt thing?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,474 ✭✭✭YeatsCounty


    I feel your pain, I've travelled three times on an airplane and something has gone wrong each and every time. I hope you can get through the next three and a half hours without losing your mind!

    As a forum to allow me to bitch and moan about my own personal flying experiences, here it goes:

    First Time: Flew on an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Heathrow. After waiting at an hour for my bags to come through the carousel, I asked a lady at the Air Lingus desk what was happening. She replied that she couldn't tell me this information, and that I would have to wait until my bags showed up, if ever. She was quite rude, and if it wasn't for mycousin who was waiting for me, I would never have gotten anything out of her.

    Long story short, I got my bags three hours later after they had been placed on the flight after my one.

    Second Time: Flying from London to Dublin, again with Aer Lingus. The flight was scheduled to depart at 2:30, which left me plenty of time to get the last train to Sligo at 6 (or 6:30, I forget). The plane was delayed for two hours and I only got into Dublin City Center at 6:25, therefore missing my train. After I had paid for a cheap hostel bed and the train ticket for the next day, I had €2.16 left in my pocket and nothing left in my bank account. I had been running on empty for the last week of my backpacking trip around the UK and Ireland already.... :-/

    Third Time: Belfast Airport. Zoom Airlines. Going to Canada. Had talked to Canadian Immigration before I booked my ticket and I was assured my the Immigration representative that booking a one way ticket would be perfectly fine as long as I truthfully declared my intentions to claim residency and work in Canada at the Immigration desk in Toronto.

    Anyway, I brought my one-way ticket to Belfast and was promptly told by a Zoom Airlines representative that I couldn't get on the plane without a return ticket. She called up an Immigration "expert" to back her up. I wasn't angry at her, but I was incredibly pissed at the World.

    A frantic two and a half hours followed, comprised of of my phoning up Zoom Airlines to get a single ticket from Toronto to Belfast, them sending me the wrong ticket twice and sending it to the wrong e-mail address two more times, and me harassing two girls at the Information desk to please print it out for me. They were lovely and they did.

    I was let on the plane and arrived in Toronto. During my interview at Immigration, I relayed my experience to the Immigration officer. He gave me a very weird look and told me that a one-way ticket was perfectly fine for my purposes, and that the airline was wrong to stop me from boarding the flight.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,984 ✭✭✭✭Lump


    Well I'm still surviving. I found a power point, so could charge my Phone and Mp3 player. Pity I gave my sister my Portable DVD player as she is taking the boat/train to London in a couple of days, if only I had that, I could be watching Scrubs series 2. Anyway, I'm happy enough. Only 2.5 hours or something to go. Gonna wander to WHS Smith, buy a Magazine, then read that for a while, listen to some music, wander around a bit, and then around 4.30 have a feed before heading on the journey home. The plan is to get to Out of town before it gets mobbed with people going to work. I should be safe enough.

    kensutz - There's still about 100 people in the queue for the bus tickets.

    Right, I think that's all I can moan about now. I hope Ryanair do the Decent thing and give me some kind of refund. In other news, the ****ing cocks that run the Express train will be refunding me 11 quid for the trip out to the Airport last week. The pissin' train left 30 minutes late, and then terminated one stop before the airport. Eh ! Hello, I paid for a ticket to the airport.... express apparently.

    Anyway, the baggage going missing in "Swissports" Fault. Ryanair use Service air in most airports I've been to.

    John


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,474 ✭✭✭YeatsCounty


    You seem to be holding out OK, at least you've got Internet access anyway.
    Lump wrote:
    Anyway, the baggage going missing in "Swissports" Fault. Ryanair use Service air in most airports I've been to.
    Yep, they're the ones. Aer Lingus didn't even tell me who their baggage handlers were though, the woman at the desk just kept repeating "We do not cover lost baggage" over and over again. They could have given me a clue anyway.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,984 ✭✭✭✭Lump


    Yea, pity the internet access is 10p a minute! Robbery, In the home straight now. This page was blocked on the computer I'm using for some reason, but I haxx0red the box. Now I only have a few minutes left. Oh well hopefully gonna get the train in an hour or so.... there are a few hundred people here to get on the train though. So who knows. 30 Seconds left!!!!

    John


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 322 ✭✭boardy


    Reported by Reuters.........

    "There was a security alert at Stansted Airport early this morning when a drunken, crazed Irishman would not get off a rotating baggage carousel. Sources at the scene said that the terror suspect (he was Irish) would not get off the carousel as he was convinced it would take him to his home in Acton. It seems that the drunken man (he was Irish) named locally as 'Mr. AJ Lump' had earlier found an unlocked bar in the airport and deemed it his right to consume alcohol at enormous speed due to the high Internet costs at the airport".


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 771 ✭✭✭spiderlegs


    Hope ya got/ get home soon!!! Waiting for stuff is always so boring...:(


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,323 ✭✭✭Hitchhiker's Guide to...


    Lump wrote:
    I hope Ryanair do the Decent thing and give me some kind of refund.
    John

    don't think they have to give you a refund. that new EU legislation says that you are due refunds for any significant delays except to do with the weather or factors out of the airlines control. Maybe, they might do the decent thing, but highly unlikely...


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,739 ✭✭✭BigEejit


    don't think they have to give you a refund. that new EU legislation says that you are due refunds for any significant delays except to do with the weather or factors out of the airlines control. Maybe, they might do the decent thing, but highly unlikely...
    Hehe ... Ryanair and "do the decent thing" in the same sentence ... that has to be some sort of poor grammer or something


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,147 Mod ✭✭✭✭robinph


    I think that its a problem with Stanstead airport and not with Ryanair though. Was going through there a few weeks ago and the baggage for every flight was delayed, not just the Ryanair ones.

    It could have been that all the baggage handlers were watching the smoke from the fire in Luton that day though, but it wasn't that interesting to look at from a distance.


  • Posts: 0 CMod ✭✭✭✭ Kristopher Victorious Grenade


    BigEejit wrote:
    Hehe ... Ryanair and "do the decent thing" in the same sentence ... that has to be some sort of poor grammer or something
    "grammar" ;)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 36 BizMaker


    bluewolf wrote:
    "grammar" ;)

    But he did say "or something".:p


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,984 ✭✭✭✭Lump


    Hello Hello, I got home eventually at 8am. Didn't have a second of sleep. But sure life's a bitch. Anyway, went to bed at 8, just got up around 5 and there's nothing in the house, so I'm debating getting dressed and going to the shop!

    Oh, after my last post last night I was hiding behind a shop sitting on a Radiator and using the Electric outlet to charge my phone. Next thing a Security guard sticks his head around wall and shouts "Is that you phone?" To which I replied "Yes", then he said "You're not authorised to use that electricity"

    I had to hold back telling him that there was "No ****ing sign saying I couldn't use it" and that "Your ****ing work buddies in baggage hadnling mean I'm stuck here" and that he should "Shove it up his ass"

    I thought if I did that I'd be sitting outside.

    Anyway all is good, time to write the letter to Stansted Express, BAA and Swissport and probably Ryanair too!

    John


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 23,248 Mod ✭✭✭✭godtabh


    On the 26th arrive in Dublin Airport at 12. Due to fly out at 3. Flight gets dealyed. Then canceled.

    Was due to fly from Stansted to Iceland at 19:40. Ryan Air offers either a free flight at 20:10 or come back on the 27th and pay for a flight in the hope we get on the next Icelandic Express flight.

    Get to stansted. Cant get a hotel. So we have to in the airport till 5 the next evening to see if we can get on the next flight.

    At about 2 in the morning I lose my psp.

    At 4 in the morning people arrive for lights and one person stood on my head while I was sleeping on the floor.

    Spend the hole day bored out of my tree on my birthday.

    Eventually get on the next flight to Iceland with 8L of spirits so it ended ok.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,984 ✭✭✭✭Lump


    There were literally hundreds of people in the airport all night. Don't know were they waiting for connections, or waiting to go to London. But there were **** loads, couldn't get a seat anywhere, I think Stansted airport is a dump TBH, I will Never fly from there again, no matter how cheap the flight is. I think I'll be flying BMI Baby from heathrow from now on.... it's cheap if you book in advance and only 30 minutes away on the tube, don't need to change of anything.

    John


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,359 ✭✭✭Sarsfield


    If you were going to Acton, then what the hell were you doing flying to STN?

    If you factor in Stansted Express and other costs, surely Heathrow & the Picadilly Line would be better and faster?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,673 ✭✭✭✭senordingdong


    Sounds like you had a laugh all the same...bit of an adventure like, far more interesting then getting to your destination.

    I'll never forget the time I spent a night in the airport to save a few quid.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,984 ✭✭✭✭Lump


    Sarsfield wrote:
    If you were going to Acton, then what the hell were you doing flying to STN?

    If you factor in Stansted Express and other costs, surely Heathrow & the Picadilly Line would be better and faster?

    Because I booked the flight before I moved to Acton. And considering flights from heathrow were £200 and the flight I got was £38. I could have stayed in a hotel last night and it still would have been cheaper even with the stansted express and tube.

    John


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,638 ✭✭✭bombidol


    Airport adventures are savage!

    I was travelling from Detroit to Chicago then on to Dublin. Due to Severe traffic i missed my flight to chicago by 10 mins so i had to wait for the next one that was in a few hours. Got to Chicago after missing my flight to Dublin by 15 minutes. Went to the Aerlingus desk and there was NO ONE there. I mean No One. I was the only person around. At this stage it was past midnight.
    Tried calling the emergency numbers for Aerlingus and no luck, no one answered. The information desk was unmanned, i was fooked. Walking around Ohaire with 2 huge bags and no where to go.
    I seen the Hotel board and rang a number, They got me a room in the HILTON! for a hundred dollars, so i got in there and rang home and went online to figure out a way of getting home.
    Was ringing Ireland all night as they were 5 hours ahead and could contact Aerlingus before they were open in the states. Finally got it figured out that i could leave the next day on the 1.40PM flight for an extra 100 Dollars.
    Made it home 2 days later than expected or something.
    Was a great laugh though, an expensive one though.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 322 ✭✭boardy


    I'll never forget the time I spent a night in the airport to save a few quid.

    Was it in Christchurch?
    That was a ball of fun.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,673 ✭✭✭✭senordingdong


    No, it was Cardiff 'internationl' airport.
    It was about the size of a shoebox.

    We went to a gig which was gonna end late, and our flight was early, then there was the two hour checking in thingy so ew decided it'd be a ridiculous waste of money to spring for a hotel or b&b or whatever...so we caught the last bus to the airport and kipped there.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,984 ✭✭✭✭Lump


    Yea on the Stansted Express desk there was absoultly no one there this morning. One sign said the Trains weren't running another said they were. I didn't want to sit in the Train station to see if it arrived, and there was no waiting room down there, wandered to the coach station to see if anyone knew if the train were running, eventually found out they were, even though 3 had been cancelled because there was no driver. The phrase "What a joke" comes to find.

    John


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,531 ✭✭✭jrey1981


    from the stories I hear, taking a flight with Ryanair is essentially gambling...

    Would always avoid them where possible


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,673 ✭✭✭✭senordingdong


    Hmmm...not sure about that.
    When I gamble I'm at risk of losing money.

    When I fly with Ryainair...I'm usually at risk of saving money.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 322 ✭✭boardy


    Never had a problem flying with Ryanair.
    And thank God, they exist. Now, I get to fly to cities all over Europe cheaper than taking a train from Cork to Dublin.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 450 ✭✭Willymuncher


    The only adventure I ever had was when I missed my flight from Atlanta to Shannon because my previous flight from Dallas to Atlanta had been delayed due to a Hurricane (Dennis I think it was), was a pain in the arse....but didn't have to spend the night in the Airport, managed after a long while to grab a flight from Atlanta to Manchester, Manchester to Heathrow...and then onto Shannon, which then all my bags were missing....but I got them back the very next day, so it wasn't so bad.

    Flying out from Oklahoma to Chicago to Dublin on Saturday....hoping theres no drama like that this time.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,633 ✭✭✭stormkeeper


    My plane from Dublin to Stansted was delayed for about half an hour... I was flying with Ryanair as well. At one point, they said that a plane was going to arrive at A2, then A3 (where I was), about 15 minutes after our plane was due to arrive!

    It's crazy, but I have to say, I've never had any problems with Ryanair, apart from the fact it cost me 150 for a ticket ages ago because I had to change the date I flew out about 3-4 times!


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,984 ✭✭✭✭Lump


    TBH, Swissport were at fault here.... they were the baggage handlers.

    BTW, here's the letter I'm sending them
    THE LUMP wrote:
    To Whom It May Concern,

    I am writing to request a refund and Apology having travelled with you on the 28th Dec 2005. Below are details of my journey and the reason I am requesting compensation.

    I was on the 21.45 Flight (FR298) leaving Dublin. I arrived and checked in using my confirmation number PJ3KLR. When I checked in, I asked if there were delays, and I was told no, that the flights were leaving on time. Then when I got through security, about 5 minutes later, I found that the flight was already delayed 25 minutes, with an estimated time of departure of 22.10. I asked at the Ryanair desk near the A gate when the last Stansted Express train left, and was informed 00.30. This still gave me time to arrive, collect my bags and get to the train.

    The flight eventually left around 22.30, and with a flight time of 55 minutes, as suggested by the captain, I assumed I would arrive in plenty of time. However, that’s when it all went wrong.

    I arrived in the baggage reclaim hall after the mile long walk from the plane at 23.45, with only 45 minutes to get my bag and catch the last train, I was getting worried. I stood with about 500 other passengers from various Ryanair flights waiting for bags to arrive, 5 minutes – No sign of the bags, 10 minutes – No sign, after 15 minutes, the monitor suggested that we “wait” for our bags. It sounds pretty stupid as what else would we do. Then came the announcements that “There will be a delay with transferring your bags from the plane to the baggage reclaim hall, Swissport baggage handling apologies for this delay”. At this point I had given up hope of making the train.

    Then came another announcement that there was to be a further delay. Eventually the bags from my flight arrived at 00.50 an hour and 5 minutes after we landed. I went to complain to Swissport, but they claim that the responsibility lies with you.

    As the last train had left the airport, I toyed with the idea of getting a bus until I saw the 200+ long queues of people; the man selling tickets suggested that I would be lucky to get a place on the bus before 04.30. That’s when I decided to stay in the airport for the night, and to get the first Stansted Express train in the morning as I had already purchased a return ticket through your website.

    I would like to be refunded for the flight, and it would be nice to be refunded the £10 I spent on getting a coffee and meal while sitting on the floor in the airport. I understand that the problems with the baggage are not your fault, but since you choose to use Swissport instead of Servisair then the responsibility lies with you! I regularly fly with Ryanair and believe you to be a great company. However, after having no sleep for 23 hours and sitting in the airport for 5 hours that support waned a little.

    My address is as above, my e-mail is XXXXXXX and my phone number is XXXXXXX. I look forward to your reply.

    John


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,673 ✭✭✭✭senordingdong


    Respect.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,958 ✭✭✭✭RuggieBear


    Good luck John

    I'd be very suprised if you got anything but a PFO at best.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,698 ✭✭✭✭BlitzKrieg


    more airport stories:

    about 5 years ago i visited my father in kosovo. Trip over was fine. I had only one warning...do not get into the same truck as the irish army (sort of makes sense).


    The trip back though. Firstly the boarder between kosovo and Macedonia (skopje airport) had been closed off due to the attacks in macedonia by rebels.

    So i had to get a fake UN document done up by my father stating i was some offical represenative of Ireland and therefore authorised to travel on UN vehicles. So i left in a UN bus. Arrived at the airport to learn my flight had been cancelled and a new one was schedualed for the next day.

    reason for cancellation, rebels were firing onto the runway and it was deemed unsafe to allow civilian aircraft to leave.

    Now this airport can be described very simply as 2 very big rooms. One for checking in, the other is security...that was it. And i was stuck here for 24 hours. (I was 16 at the time) So i camp down to survive the night, but i was desperate to tell my parents that i was alright.


    Stroke of luck occured. I started emptying my pockets for change when a newspaper clipping my father handed me on the first day of my arrival fell out. IT was an article about the disarming he was involved with...and there at the bottom, in print was his office number to contact him. I asked to use the telephone and rung him and told him the problem.


    Turns out staying at the airport was the worse idea, so he arranged a hotel for the night. This was the same night Rioters blew up Mcdonalds down the street from me, so i spent most of the night awake terrified of what could happen.


    thankfully next day was mostly uneventful, got to the airport and there was only one hiccup. We had found while in kosovo a WW2 German cross of Iron and my dad allowed me to keep it, but passing through the airport i had forgot it was in my pocket and there emptying my pockets in front of everyone i drop out this swatzika stamped iron cross, all the soldiers looked at me, with this sheepish grin and shaved head. Never been so embarrased and scared at the same time. Got my flight and made it home safely.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,984 ✭✭✭✭Lump


    Well I'm posting the letter tomorrow. I'll let you know if I hear anything back.

    John


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,638 ✭✭✭bombidol


    Hmm Shaved head, Nazi Memorobillia and a username of Blitzkrieg. Are you trying to tell us something?


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,474 ✭✭✭YeatsCounty


    Best of luck with the letter, here's hoping you get somthing out of them. Hell, an apologetic letter would be something anyway.
    Lump wrote:
    I went to complain to Swissport, but they claim that the responsibility lies with you.
    Hah! That's a laugh. They handle your luggage, they fail to get it to the carousel for over an hour (for whatever reason) and they claim that it's the passenger's responsibility! Sure, you chose to fly with an airline that uses Swissport and that was your responsibility, but the fact that the baggage was delayed for over an hour is not your responsibility, it's theirs!

    This reminds me of the first time I flew, when my luggage was lost. I was eventually told by an Aer Lingus representative to go to Counter One of the Swissport desk. So i make my way to the Swissport desk, where the following exchange occurs:

    Me: *exhausted* Is this Counter number One?
    Man: No.
    *Above his head is the number "1"*
    Me: Are you sure? This looks like number one to me.
    *Points to sign above his head*
    Man: *looks* Err......yes, this is Counter One.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,984 ✭✭✭✭Lump


    Well, maybe Ryanair will pull it out of the bag and suprise me. TBH Servisair operates at that airport, they should use them.

    John


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,474 ✭✭✭YeatsCounty


    Lump wrote:
    Well, maybe Ryanair will pull it out of the bag and suprise me. TBH Servisair operates at that airport, they should use them.

    John
    Maybe, you never know what will happen......but I have reservations about Ryanair (or any airline in this situation) acknowledging any fault on their part. They might, I hope they do, but I have a bad feeling that they will just refer you to Swissport again. Or perhaps it's my negative experiences while flying that are making up my mind in this case.

    I agree about Servisair. Obviously they aren't 100% perfect but in my experience they are better than Swissport.

    *waits for someone to post a horror story about Servisair* :p


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,984 ✭✭✭✭Lump


    They lost my bag once.... But it arrived in the hotel the next morning, so it was fine. And they were helpful. But going on the success rate, I've been serviced (Tee hee hee) by Servisair lots of times and had one **** up.... Swissport are 1 for 1 in the **** up dept.

    John


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 23,248 Mod ✭✭✭✭godtabh


    Lump wrote:
    TBH, Swissport were at fault here.... they were the baggage handlers.





    John

    I was there on the 26th and was told that Ryan Air couldnt staff the baggage handling at thats why our bags were delayed by an hour.

    I was told so many lies on Monday that there are gona be a few letters wrote when I get back from Iceland.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,984 ✭✭✭✭Lump


    Well, all I know is that they use 3rd parties to baggage handle. Maybe Ryanair were covering for Swissport when you were there ;) Cause when I got there the bloke was making announcements every couple of minutes and clearly saying Swissport were to blame ;)

    John


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,531 ✭✭✭jrey1981


    As far as the gambling goes with Ryanair, a friend of mine was flying from Stansted and got caught up in traffic due to an accident on the M11.

    He got there 5 minutes after boarding had closed and was told he would get no refund, would not be put on the next flight, zilch. A colleague of his was in the same situation and they had spent several hundred pounds between them on return tickets to Europe.

    A proper airline would most probably have just put them on the next flight rather than tell them where to go - I was late for a flight on Aer Lingus from Heathrow and I gave them the "car crash on the motorway" excuse. They were understanding and just put me on the next flight.

    That is customer service. Telling you politely where to go is not.

    There have been several stories about Ryanair passengers being stranded in Europe and told there is no flight till next week or something and then having to get any combination of trains, planes and buses home.

    Thus - it is a gamble and should be advertised as such.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,997 ✭✭✭jaggeh


    my one and only airline adventure was with continental (possibly the best airline i have ever flown with)

    i was in florida in 2001 in december, i was coming back on the 2nd of january. this was during the time of the MASSIVE blizzard in north america practically all flights were being delayed or cancelled. by the time i had gotten through the huge que my flight had been cancelled.

    The girl at the desk was marvelous. it started off that the next flight out of orlando on my route was 2 days away. I politlely said this was extremely unacceptable as i had to be back in work that day. So she organized a new route for me.
    instead of orlando>new york>dublin
    i went Orlando>Tampa>atlanta (overnight stay in hotel)>washington dc>new york> dublin.

    She also bumped me up to first class for the entire trip. i made it back the day before i was due in work and managed to get some sleep.

    But after that any time i go to america it has to be with continental.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,213 ✭✭✭✭therecklessone


    Lump wrote:
    BTW, here's the letter I'm sending them

    I'd very surprised if you get anything out of either party, even an apology.

    I had the undoubted pleasure of dealing with all sorts of this s*it for six months in 1998 when I transferred into the Aer Rianta unit managing baggage delivery in Dublin.

    1. I've seen 300 passengers stand for 3 hours waiting on bags from a flight from Toronto while Servisair staff hid in their back office (unseen by their despairing customers) due to a problem with the high loader required to removed baggage containers from the aircraft. They were eventually sent home and told their bags would arrive within the next 48 hours, but only after I called an Aer Rianta duty manager to intervene.

    2. I've seen Aer Lingus make announcements that the late delivery of their baggage was due to congestion in the baggage hall...to an empty arrivals area, because the plane was still stuck on a taxiway.

    3. I've seen hundreds of bewildered Ryanair passengers waiting at the old belt 1 waiting for their bags (Ryanair insisted their bags all be delivered to the same belt) only to see their bags emerge on belt 2 beside them.

    4. I've seen a traffic jam stretching from the baggage hall all the way around Pier B because Aer Lingus and British Midland were at each others throats in the unloading area and the place had ground to a halt.

    :(

    @John

    Your case sounds like it was caused by a staffing problem. Your flight was delayed (do you know if the other Ryanair ones were?) probably arriving after the evening shift had clocked off, and the place was being staffed by a reduced night crew. 500 passengers sounds like 3 fairly full B737-800s, if there was only one crew to unload the 3 flights it would take 20+ minutes to do each one (at this time of year, with people returning to the UK after Xmas, bags full of pressies) If any of the other aircraft were required for an outbound flight, then they would have been priortised so that the departure left with as little delay as possible.

    Saw this every single Sunday morning during the Summer of 98, none of the handling agents (Aer Lingus, Servisair, British Midland or Ryanair) could entice enough staff to work on a Saturday night/Sunday morning, so when the 15 or so charter flights arrived between 5am and 7am, passengers faced at least an hours delay in waiting for their bags. Usually, because my work position was right beside belt 4, I used to get it in the neck while the handling agents were nowhere to be seen...:mad:

    Unfortunately, most airlines are intent on contracting out this work to third parties (British Midland split from their own excellent support section, which became/merged with Aviance) and as with most service agreements, as long as they reach certain performance targets, then the contracting body is happy. If Swissport did this with every Ryanair flight into Stansted then they wouldn't be long in losing their contract.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,531 ✭✭✭jrey1981


    jaggeh wrote:
    But after that any time i go to america it has to be with continental.

    That is customer service...a win-win situation. You won a first class seat, and they won you as a long-standing customer.


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 23,248 Mod ✭✭✭✭godtabh


    Lump wrote:
    Well, all I know is that they use 3rd parties to baggage handle. Maybe Ryanair were covering for Swissport when you were there ;) Cause when I got there the bloke was making announcements every couple of minutes and clearly saying Swissport were to blame ;)

    John


    They made they same announcements with us just saying due to the time of year Ryan Air didn’t have enough people to do the job.

    We had been promised it would take no more than 20 mins to get off our plan and getting to the departures desk for Iceland Express. Any slim chance of getting there was dashed with this announcement. We even so our plane taking off when we were waiting for out bags.

    We kept all our receipts for that night in Stansted and they'll be forwarded to Ryan Air for a refund.

    I won’t hold my breath but we'll see!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,984 ✭✭✭✭Lump


    jaggeh wrote:
    my one and only airline adventure was with continental (possibly the best airline i have ever flown with)

    She also bumped me up to first class for the entire trip. i made it back the day before i was due in work and managed to get some sleep.

    But after that any time i go to america it has to be with continental.


    Yes, that's probably why Continental and Delta and such airlines are Millions, if not Billions of Dollars in Debt... Delta is going to make profit for the first time next year hopefully after it basked out a deal with workers to pay them less. I think they said, "We pay you less, or the company goes bust"

    Still it'll only put a small dent in the debt.

    TBH, I have no problem with Ryanair Fobbing you off and telling you to jump if you arrive late for the flight. hey say arrive 2 hours before the flight, most delays I have encountered have been 15 - 20 minutes but 1hour 20 minutes extra should give you plenty of time to get there before it leaves. They have a responsibility to the passangers that arrive on time, and since most of their planes are full, it's hard for them to find you a place on the next flight.... My flight from England to Ireland was rammed full as was the flight back. I do however expect some compensation for being held up through no fault of my own.

    John


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 78,610 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    Binomate wrote:
    Unlucky. Why don't you try sneak in behind the sceens and take a ride on that bagage conveyer belt thing?
    Getting X-rayed may not get good for his health.

    The subsequent rubber glove examination might not be good for his mind.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,984 ✭✭✭✭Lump


    Well the letter is in the Out Mail in work.... It probably won't even leave the building.

    John


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 23,248 Mod ✭✭✭✭godtabh


    Lump wrote:
    Well the letter is in the Out Mail in work.... It probably won't even leave the building.

    John


    Let us know how you get on. I'll be sending mine next Wednesday when I get back.

    Will post up here before I post it to RyanAir


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