Editorial Story: Bruce Arnold: Why our 'friendly' airline has lost me as passenger

n97 mini

A story about very poor customer care from Aer Lingus.

I think he paraphrases it well at the end... AL (a bit like IE at times) seem to be mimicking some aspects of Ryanair without mimicking the other aspects that make Ryanair so popular.

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/bruce-arnold-why-our-friendly-airline-has-lost-me-as-passenger-2854086.html

hardCopy

She should have known the flight would still be boarding - do they EVER leave on time?

-Chris-

What a whinge!!

Left home, relying on public transport, crossing the city during the lunchtime rush, with virtually no leeway on timing.

Got there late, wasn't allowed on the plane.
It's happened to me. It was embarrassing, but I'd never have the gall to blame the airline for the fact that I was late.

And the moral of the story seems to be "I've flown Aer Lingus for the last half-century and found them to be kindly and essentially flexibile, but I made a mistake and because they showed me no flexibility on this one instance, they've lost my business forever".


You're going to need a bigger violin, Bruce...

invinciblePRSTV

As it's civility month in C&T I'll spare the forum from saying exactly what I think of this overpriviliged gobshite's moan.

L1011

Arrived after check in close time, wasn't let on. Boo hoo.

He's effectively crying that he wasn't let on because of who he is, despite the fact that that Who isn't particularly powerful.

mikemac

Crossing the city at lunchtime and cutting it far too close even if the bus was not delayed

I've seen better rants on boards and the posters don't have columns in national papers
Zero sympathy

n97 mini

Well, he was told the gate was closed when it clearly wasn't.

He should get a refund on the ticket he didn't need.

AlekSmart

n97 mini wrote: »

Well, he was told the gate was closed when it clearly wasn't.

He should get a refund on the ticket he didn't need.

Gate closed,or Check-in Closed..?

http://www.aerlingus.com/travelinformation/knowbeforeyoufly/check-in/check-intimes/#d.en.6200

Check-in times


Flights Check-in Closes Recommended
Long-haul routes
(Depart or arrive outside Europe) 60 mins before departure* 3.5 hours before departure
Short-haul routes
(Depart and arrive within Europe) 45 mins before departure* 2.5 hours before departure

By Bruces own admission he presented at 1410.

There I was told I was too late for the flight. It was then 10 minutes past two, half-an-hour before the scheduled departure time for my flight. The girl told me I could buy a ticket for the next flight, assuring me there were seats. She pointed towards the ticket desk nearby. I was behind three other passengers and it was 2.20pm when I got to the counter clerk.

It may well have been 30 mins before the scheduled departure,but it was equally 15 mins after the advertised close-of-check-in.

Then it gets a bit wavy....

I got the first intelligent response that day from an Aer Lingus official whose immediate concern was with passenger care.

The young man told me to sit down on a seat beside the queue. He shortly returned with a new boarding pass inviting me to join the queue. He tore up the one for the later flight.

Phew,that young man does'nt realize how his fate hung in the balance there....can you Imagine the role he'd play in Bruces article had he not recognised him....;)

Mind you,once he tore up our Brucies 2nd Boarding Pass it ensured that he would then be a No-Show for the second flight.....thereby bringing this into play....

Passengers who do not comply with Check-in Deadlines will not be accepted for travel. They may change their booking up until the flight they were booked on has departed, thereafter it will be treated as a 'no-show' and the booking will be forfeited.

Bruce just did'nt give himself enough time...which I suspect he knows full well,hence the little aside about Solpadine Man or more snipingly,the "Official" who's guilt was in being too Customer Friendly,but not to Bruce himself...

On the way I found myself behind a traveller who was looking for Solpadeine. The single official on duty was telling him that he could get the drug on the floor below or on two floors above. In the vast space around us it was, on the official's side, a lyrical set of instructions. Three times I tried to interrupt and get to my gate. Three times I was told to wait my turn. Eventually I got through and hurried to the late-flight desk.

I suppose if the single official had just nodded or mumbled to the Solpadine Seeker then that person would be writing to the media complaining of surly inattentive employees....heads you lose....tails you lose too....:)

Really where will it all end...first David Norris and his letter to the Israeli's and now Bruce Arnold and his to the Gael....it's a long way we've come since phone tapping and Sean Doherty.

If Bruce is expecting any different from BMI,Ryanair or indeed any other Airline then I'd recommend he head for Goff's yearling sales and pick up that pony...:eek:

serfboard

Folks, do ye not get it? Bruce is a Very Important Person and like all other Very Important People, the rules don't apply to him.

This country is full of behaviour like this.

Cookie_Monster

blah blah, aviation and aircraft ---->

Padraig Mor

MYOB wrote: »

Arrived after check in close time, wasn't let on. Boo hoo.

He's effectively crying that he wasn't let on because of who he is, despite the fact that that Who isn't particularly powerful.

serfboard wrote: »

Folks, do ye not get it? Bruce is a Very Important Person and like all other Very Important People, the rules don't apply to him.

This country is full of behaviour like this.

Never heard of him TBH. Guess next time the twat will check in online eh?

Our man in Havana

Some toff that thinks the rules don't apply to him? Well tough they do. All I can say is HA HA!

LXFlyer

Wow what a rant!

Anyone aiming to turn up at the airport with less than 60 minutes to spare without having checked in online is just asking for trouble, yet Bruce Arnold seems to think that turning up with 45 minutes to spare is perfectly reasonable.

The deadline is there for a reason so that checked-in bags can be processed and delivered to the correct loading area for each flight and that passengers have enough time to get from the check-in area through security to the gate.

Post 9/11 the check-in regulations have been applied rigidly in my experience.

As a fairly frequent flyer, my general experience is that I aim to be at the airport roughly 75 minutes before a short haul flight is due to leave - that allows time for delays en route, security queues etc. and to be able to go through the airport calmly.

Mr Arnold strikes me as someone who really has an inflated expectation of his entitlements, and he's in for a shock if he thinks any other airline will handle him any differently.

Somewhat like the gentleman in front of me in the security queue last Friday who seemed to take umbrage at being asked very simple questions by the staff about his bags and frankly was unbelievably rude. He ended up having his bag fully searched!! :-)

Padraig Mor wrote: »

Never heard of him TBH. Guess next time the twat will check in online eh?

He's a journalist whose phone was tapped in the 1980s (along with Geraldine Kennedy) by the gardai on instructions from the then Minister for Justice (Sean Doherty) with the consent of the then Taoiseach Charles Haughey.

MrDerp

Reminds me of a guy I saw on one of those airline programs.

He arrived at the easyjet desk too late for his flight, and got pissy that he wasn't let on because he'd gone to the wrong (Belfast) airport first.

"I have a valid excuse for being late so I should be let on". It's up there with "I jumped on a train without a ticket because the train was on the platform when I arrived. I'd no time to buy a ticket and still catch my train, and now they have the cheek to fine me for travelling without a ticket"

Tarabuses

MYOB wrote: »

Arrived after check in close time, wasn't let on. Boo hoo.

He's effectively crying that he wasn't let on because of who he is, despite the fact that that Who isn't particularly powerful.

Except, of course, that he was let on.

Losty Dublin

Ah, the good ol days of "I'm late for my flight and it's everybody elses fault bar me when I miss check in" are something I do not miss. Many an afternoon I had to belt across the city with irate and piqued people in the back of my cab egging me on to do anything to get them to Departures, oblivous of the simple solution to their seemingly perilous situation. Of the more memorable ones, one woman demanded I "be cheeky" and drive up the footpath and through red lights so she could make her 6PM flight from a 4:30PM pick up at the IFSC pre DPT, another told me that if she was running late, she'd ring her brother in law who, she assured me, as Ryanair chief pilot would hold up flights for her while my personal favourite was a student who threatened not to pay me if he missed his flight.

All told though, August is what is oft called silly season in the paper trade due to the lack of political stories to report on but surely to God if this is the best that the Indo can run with from a feature writer then God help AP O'Reilly, that's all I can say :rolleyes:

Conway635

I have an ironclad rule which I apply to all flights from all airports - I aim to arrive at the airport 2 hours before departure time. (I'm a fairly regular flyer - probably about 25 return trips from Dublin in 2010).

While this may seem excessive, it ensures that almost no possible combination of circumstances causes me to miss my flight.

And guess what? Unlike every passenger who has ever recounted their travels in a newspaper, I find the airport experience calm and relaxing, indeed it is an enjoyable part of my overall trip.

I have an audiobook on my iPod, the time to relax and wander at my own speed, and I'm happy in my own little world.

In 25 years of flying, I have yet to miss a flight.

C635.

Cookie_Monster

while turning up two hours early is a good idea and nearly the standard these days to be ok, it's still ubsurd IMO. Imagine having to turn up two hours early for the ferry or a bus or train.

Ryanair at this stage are just sky buses, short hops carrying lots of people, there really should be no need to turn up early apart from the ridiculous rules currently in place.

Conway635

I'd generally turn up 5 minutes early for a city bus, 15 for an intercity bus or train.

Ferry is more difficult to judge. I live right beside Dublin Port so I don't need to factor in any delays when going for the ferry. In the other direction, driving from London to Holyhead is a long enough trip that I leave lots early, and then adjust the stops en route to arrive at the terminal about an hour in advance.

Btw Cookie Monster, you & I work in very close proximity, if not in the same building . .

C635

board_stiff

Has he not heard of online check-in?

AlekSmart

Tarabuses wrote: »

Except, of course, that he was let on.

One law for the rich (and Bruce Arnold)...one law for the poor (that's us) ?

Latchy

Re- arriving two hrs at Dublin airport as requested , it is a bit of a nuisance but the fist hr is taken up by check in , going through the security procedure ( shoes, belt ,change etc ) then making the 20 minute walk over to the departure lounge .

The second hr enables one to relax a bit before boarding plane .**** can happen to anybody but it's just to stressful scurrying across the city ,stuck in traffic or some other delay , trying to make your flight on time so take note Bruce .

Cookie_Monster

Conway635 wrote: »

Btw Cookie Monster, you & I work in very close proximity, if not in the same building . .

C635

not any more, I'm off too New Zealand tomorrow

Gave up Pocket Kings a couple of weeks ago

coylemj

For his first flight through T2 he boarded a cross-town bus which if it arrived on schedule would get him there just 45 minutes before his flight, what a prat!

I remember exactly when AL started getting aggressive with late passengers, it was soon after Ryanair started bragging about being more punctual than them so the boys and girls in green started closing check-in desks (remember them?) promptly 30 minutes before the departure time and you got short shrift if you tried to plead with the person at the general Aer Lingus desk.

I turned up one morning for a flight to Heathrow soon after this 'no exceptions, no excuses' policy started and found the check-in desk was closed i.e. the two check-in clerks for my flight had abandoned ship. Luckily I knew someone else on the same flight, I called him, he said he was down at the gate but they hadn't yet started boarding, I related this to the AL person at the counter, she rang the departure gate, said she had a 'runner' and could she give me a boarding pass. She got the green light and off I went, it's amazing what you can get with a smile and a non-aggressive attitude.

The word obviously got around because on my next flight a few weeks later the plane was fully boarded and the doors closed a full five minutes before the scheduled departure time.

Conway635

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

not any more, I'm off too New Zealand tomorrow

Gave up Pocket Kings a couple of weeks ago

Ah, so we were across the road from each other!

Good luck in NZ.

C635

L1011

Tarabuses wrote: »

Except, of course, that he was let on.

I only read the start of the article (in a physical paper) before giving up in disgust.

Pathetic that he'd use an article to moan about it and even more pathetic that his editor printed it.

Padraig Mor wrote: »

Never heard of him TBH.

Lucky you. I wish I hadn't

ur mentor

maybe it will all work out for the best.. he will now fly with everyone other than Aer lingus.. So if he sticks to his short time windows, public transport etc, then he will be refused on airline after airline..If he continues to react to other airlines refusals as he does with Aer lingus..then he will soon stop flying ryan air, air France SAS etc etc etc.. soon he won't be able to leave the country by airline at all. He really will have taught all those airlines a lesson...

L1011

Seeing as I imagine he's a "Heathrow or Bust" type, he has a choice of one now. And as far as I know, BMI are scaling back Heathrow from Dublin, using smaller planes etc...

serfboard

ur mentor wrote: »

He really will have taught all those airlines a lesson...

Good one.

It's like the old "Don't you know who I am?" question. If you have to ask it, they don't.

But, as I've said, there a plenty of people who think like this. For example, those who think having private medical insurance will mean you don't have to wait in an A&E ... :rolleyes:

We're all for rules and laws in this country ... but then we don't want them enforced on us. We don't have the notion of "It's a fair cop, guv", rather, "It's an unfair cop, and I should be allowed to get away with what I want".

n97 mini

The tit. Must've had that air of "do you know who I am" when the first person told him the way ahead was closed. The person who let him on must've have spotted that he was a tit.

board_stiff

When I hear the "Do you know who I am?" line I always think of this urban legend.


A crowded United flight was cancelled. A single agent was re booking a long
line of inconvenienced travellers. Suddenly an angry passenger pushed his way
to the desk. He slapped his ticket down on the counter and said,"I HAVE to
be on this flight and it has to be FIRST CLASS."


The agent replied, "I'm sorry sir. I'll be happy to try to help you, but
I've got to help these folks first, and I'm sure we'll be able to work
something out." The passenger was unimpressed. He asked loudly, so that the
passengers behind him could hear, "Do you have any idea who I am?" Without
hesitating, the gate agent smiled and grabbed her public address microphone.
"May I have your attention please?" she began, her voice bellowing
throughout the terminal. "We have a passenger here at the gate WHO DOES NOT
KNOW WHO HE IS. If anyone can help him find his identity, please come to the
gate."

With the folks behind him in line laughing hysterically, the man glared at
the United agent, gritted his teeth and swore, "F*** you!"

Without flinching, she smiled and said, "I'm sorry, sir, but you'll have to
stand in line for that, too."

AngryLips

It's entirely plausible that the flight was due to depart on time at the time he presented himself to the check-in counter and status only changed to late thereafter where he was boarded accordingly.

corktina

no less funny for having heard it before..(i dont care if its true or not :-) )

dowlingm

When I fly Porter Airlines from Toronto to Ottawa, if I turn up early enough I'm usually offered (without penalty) a seat on the next service if one is open.

The mistake EI made was not adopting FR practices (some of them badly wanted like fleet rationalisation), it's not making people understand that service is worth a little extra money. However, screwing people for decades during regulation meant people weren't as willing to believe that as they might have otherwise.

coylemj

dowlingm wrote: »

When I fly Porter Airlines from Toronto to Ottawa, if I turn up early enough I'm usually offered (without penalty) a seat on the next service if one is open.

There was a time in Dublin and Heathrow when not alone would Aer Lingus allow you on an earlier flight, you could switch to British Airways (and v.v) if they were going out next and had an empty seat, all for no upgrade charge.

But before anyone pines for 'the good old days', we're talking about the time an economy ticket cost about 200 punts and that was 30 years ago, about 500 euros or more in today's money.

runway16

coylemj wrote: »

There was a time in Dublin and Heathrow when not alone would Aer Lingus allow you on an earlier flight, you could switch to British Airways (and v.v) if they were going out next and had an empty seat, all for no upgrade charge.

But before anyone pines for 'the good old days', we're talking about the time an economy ticket cost about 200 punts and that was 30 years ago, about 500 euros or more in today's money.

That often still happens. I have often been offered an earlier flight if I have checked in very early, and on one occasion where i was late, they transferred me to the next flight for free simply because I did not try to blame THEM for ME being late. It's all how you handle the situation.. be nice - chances are they will be nice back!

This guy is just abusing his position to blame someone else for being late. He lost all credibility when he started quoting Michael O'leary's by now famous "gold plated white elephant T2" line. Which elephant would that be michael? Whenever I am there, it is always nicely busy! And no, the tax payer did not pay for T2 either - another area where this hack loses credibility.

coylemj

runway16 wrote: »

That often still happens. I have often been offered an earlier flight if I have checked in very early, and on one occasion where i was late, they transferred me to the next flight for free simply because I did not try to blame THEM for ME being late. It's all how you handle the situation.. be nice - chances are they will be nice back!

I'm surprised to hear that there is an airline which still allows this, especially since most people do online check-in and print the boarding pass at home or do it at the green terminals on the departures floor. How do you manage to even get in front of an EI person to negotiate an earlier flight?

runway16

coylemj wrote: »

I'm surprised to hear that there is an airline which still allows this, especially since most people do online check-in and print the boarding pass at home or do it at the green terminals on the departures floor. How do you manage to even get in front of an EI person to negotiate an earlier flight?

At some airports, online check in or Kiosk check in is not available, and at any airport, if you have baggage to check, you have no choice but to go to a desk. I never negotiate it, it is sometimes just offered. If it is not offered, I dont ask, because maybe the flight is full etc.

Malaysian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, British Airways, and yes, Aerlingus have all done so for me in the past. Just to qualify - I am airline staff myself, but on each occasion, I was NOT travelling on a staff ticket and so there was no way the check in staff would have known that.

You are right, yes, it is more difficult these days due to tighter fare restrictions and the lack of human contact with online check in etc, but it does still happen! Even Easyjet will allow you take an earlier flight on certain fares.

AngryLips

Even if they don't offer to move you to an earlier flight, or if you've already checked in online, they'll still make an effort to put you on an earlier flight if you ask.

ArmaniJeanss

I've also been able to move to an earlier flight recently with, wait for it, Ryanair. Just asked politely at the counter.

When you think about it it makes sense from the airlines pov,
freeing up a space on a later flight so they now have 4 extra hours to sell that seat, rather than having an empty unsold seat on a flight leaving in 60 minutes.

L1011

coylemj wrote: »

There was a time in Dublin and Heathrow when not alone would Aer Lingus allow you on an earlier flight, you could switch to British Airways (and v.v) if they were going out next and had an empty seat, all for no upgrade charge.

But before anyone pines for 'the good old days', we're talking about the time an economy ticket cost about 200 punts and that was 30 years ago, about 500 euros or more in today's money.

If you're insane enough to pay €199 for the ticket that's still standard practice (except that BA don't fly here anymore); however I've found from experience that asking nicely at a human-manned checkin desk and having a GC number usually means you can get on an empty seat on an ealier flight even on a very low fare-code ticket.

runway16

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

I've also been able to move to an earlier flight recently with, wait for it, Ryanair. Just asked politely at the counter.

When you think about it it makes sense from the airlines pov,
freeing up a space on a later flight so they now have 4 extra hours to sell that seat, rather than having an empty unsold seat on a flight leaving in 60 minutes.

Exactly. Eespcially on business routes, like Dublin - London, there are a lot of last minute sales, and it is a wise move to free up as many saleable seats as possible.

Phenomenally Phrank

Somebody call the WAAAAAAAMbulance!!:eek::eek:





Seriously, what an entitled Prick.