[Travel] Canary Islands

[LadySeagull]

Bloody EU. Oh my sides.

You need to get over the fact we left the EU. I know it was a shock to you but please get over it. I never said that EU laws were useless, many of them were very good and most have been adopted and adapted by the UK ages ago. So the B word has nothing to do with people using UK law.

 

[Beach Hut]

Looks like flight cancelled again.....

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

This must be very frustrating to the point of maddening and doubtless the airlines will have some awkward questions to answer about communication issues with customers. But what comes across from interviews with stranded passengers on such occasions is a bit of denial that travelling vast distances can have unexpected consequences. It's as if we have a sense of entitlement that factors totally outside of anyone's control should be 'managed' and resolved by unknown forces if they get between us and our holidays......

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

This must be very frustrating to the point of maddening and doubtless the airlines will have some awkward questions to answer about communication issues with customers. But what comes across from interviews with stranded passengers on such occasions is a bit of denial that travelling vast distances can have unexpected consequences. It's as if we have a sense of entitlement that factors totally outside of anyone's control should be 'managed' and resolved by unknown forces if they get between us and our holidays......

I don't think it's a sense of entitlement as such. Reckon it's more a loss of sense of how bloody big the planet is, and how complex and unpredictable. We take for granted that we can just jump on a plane and be on an island in the middle of the Atlantic two thousand miles away in a couple of hours. Ditto we assume going to the other side of the world involves nothing more strenuous than one seven hour hop to a safe and stable transfer hub in the Middle East then the same again to a safe and stable transfer hub in South East Asia. Most of the time it works amazingly well. Until it doesn't

 

[Beach Hut]

Airport coach park is so interesting

 

[portslade seagull]

Flying out Friday .......... hopefully

 

[dazzer6666]

You’re probably relaxed about it all?

But EasyJet did that to us in the Languedoc last summer, and many thousands of others across Europe, they used severe thunderstorms and another excuse as all beyond their control. Cleverly to avoid the costly to them EU261 claims. We were left stranded at midnight, told to make out own way back to the UK.

Within an hour I booked very expensive alternative arrangements to get back home, took screen shots on an ipad to prove they were the alternatives and we got home the next day lunchtime.

I then used EasyJet’s E261 online claim process, which was predictably rejected due to alleged force majeure.

I then used EasyJet’s other online claim process, with a load of PDF’d receipts. Within ten days the full £2,000 hit our bank account.

EJ do seem remarkably efficient at processing claims. The last two times our daughter has flown down, her return (Edinburgh) has been cancelled at short notice. Both times I've immediately booked her on a BA flight and both times EJ have refunded the cost within a few days (the second one was also in business class as that was all that was available, even though they say they won't refund premium cost flights - it was £400 one way)

 

[Weststander]

EJ do seem remarkably efficient at processing claims. The last two times our daughter has flown down, her return (Edinburgh) has been cancelled at short notice. Both times I've immediately booked her on a BA flight and both times EJ have refunded the cost within a few days (the second one was also in business class as that was all that was available, even though they say they won't refund premium cost flights - it was £400 one way)

The thing I learnt was that they will deal with the customer (rather than third parties such as ambulance chasers) in a very prompt manner, but make sure that you have proper invoices/receipts of costs and also screenshots when booking alternatives. I was able to prove that only first class seats on a TGV from Montpelier to Paris, also Eurostar Paris to St Pancras, were available on the very first trains, by screenshotting the SNCF webpage.

Probably different with other airlines, I would imagine that Michael O'Leary's Ryanair would be sods.

 

[Weststander]

This must be very frustrating to the point of maddening and doubtless the airlines will have some awkward questions to answer about communication issues with customers. But what comes across from interviews with stranded passengers on such occasions is a bit of denial that travelling vast distances can have unexpected consequences. It's as if we have a sense of entitlement that factors totally outside of anyone's control should be 'managed' and resolved by unknown forces if they get between us and our holidays......

I've experienced many delays over the decades, some 24 hours plus.

Purely by luck my personality is to stay calm and resigned, I patiently look for the solution, even if there isn't one in the end. I'm as bored as anyone else, but what's the point of getting angry?

But most times I've witnessed the archetypal belligerent Brits, abusing and going nose-to-nose with innocent airport staff. Control freaks, out of their comfort zone, because there's been a setback. Their accent can sound like Phil Mitchell or that of an arrogant posh boy, rudeness cuts across all classes. "Don't you know who I am" or "I have an important meeting in London" statements churned out.

 

[dazzer6666]

I've experienced many delays over the decades, some 24 hours plus.

Purely by luck my personality is to stay calm and resigned, I patiently look for the solution, even if there isn't one in the end. I'm as bored as anyone else, but what's the point of getting angry?

But most times I've witnessed the archetypal belligerent Brits, abusing and going nose-to-nose with innocent airport staff. Control freaks, out of their comfort zone, because there's been a setback. Their accent can sound like Phil Mitchell or that of an arrogant posh boy, rudeness cuts across all classes. "Don't you know who I am" or "I have an important meeting in London" statements churned out.

Same.......I think you're right - I suspect your average gold card holder in club is far more likely to be acting like a knob. One of the worst I saw was in Jo'burg, after a flight to Heathrow was cancelled a passenger virtually screaming in the face of receptionist in the BA Lounge 'demanding' that she find him a seat on ANY plane THAT NIGHT as he SIMPLY HAD TO GET HOME (there were no more flights that night, obviously - and wouldn't have been her job anyway). Only time I've intervened in such a situation, told him to back off and leave her alone and stop being an arse. Delays are part and parcel of regular travel, just have to suck it up - getting stressed about it won't change anything. Either find a lounge (for a long delay and if you don't otherwise have access, the pay as you go lounges are OK if you've got a few hours to kill) or somewhere else comfy and try to chill out.

 

[Weststander]

Same.......I think you're right - I suspect your average gold card holder in club is far more likely to be acting like a knob. One of the worst I saw was in Jo'burg, after a flight to Heathrow was cancelled a passenger virtually screaming in the face of receptionist in the BA Lounge 'demanding' that she find him a seat on ANY plane THAT NIGHT as he SIMPLY HAD TO GET HOME (there were no more flights that night, obviously - and wouldn't have been her job anyway). Only time I've intervened in such a situation, told him to back off and leave her alone and stop being an arse. Delays are part and parcel of regular travel, just have to suck it up - getting stressed about it won't change anything. Either find a lounge (for a long delay and if you don't otherwise have access, the pay as you go lounges are OK if you've got a few hours to kill) or somewhere else comfy and try to chill out.

Being peasants who fly economy, we’ve laid across metal benches overnight after delays/cancellations, or at Montpellier where we were kicked out for a few hours in the middle of night as the airport literally locks up ... lying under beach towels to keep warm. Absolutely no point in aggression or hissy fits.

I’ve intervened to stop queue jumpers at airports ... normally a 65 year old couple playing dumb, craftily wandering to the front past patient travellers. “Excuse me, get to the back of the queue” never met with any resistance.

 

[Invicta]

Maybe not Costa Adeje for a while

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavi...ronavirus-as-case-confirmed-in-adeje-11942764

 

[Beach Hut]

Finally we can fly home today

 

[Wrong-Direction]

Maybe not Costa Adeje for a while

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavi...ronavirus-as-case-confirmed-in-adeje-11942764

She's decided to go somewhere in England now [emoji849]

Sent from my SM-A600FN using Tapatalk

 

[Beach Hut]

Endurance test finally completed back home but £163 for a cab from Stansted Airport to Gatwick is outrageous

 

[clapham_gull]

Endurance test finally completed back home but £163 for a cab from Stansted Airport to Gatwick is outrageous

Alternatively, Terravision bus to Victoria then Gatwick not very Express. You would have got home by Friday.

 

[vegster]

Endurance test finally completed back home but £163 for a cab from Stansted Airport to Gatwick is outrageous

£163 for about 2 hours work? And the petrol used is tax deductible too probably. Ever feel you picked the wrong profession?

 

[dazzer6666]

£163 for about 2 hours work? And the petrol used is tax deductible too probably. Ever feel you picked the wrong profession?

More like 4 hours.......?

 

[Dave the OAP]

Maybe not Costa Adeje for a while

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavi...ronavirus-as-case-confirmed-in-adeje-11942764

We stayed at the H10 further around the bay and the Baha’i Princess in Costa adeje. We used to be really cheeky and walk around to the H10 that is currently facing this Coronavirus outbreak, wander through reception, grab a free sparkling wine and go and see their shows on an evening.

It’s a fabulous hotel, although it does have KIDS! Which of course is an absolute no no for us. Ha ha ha.

 

[wellquickwoody]

I've experienced many delays over the decades, some 24 hours plus.

Purely by luck my personality is to stay calm and resigned, I patiently look for the solution, even if there isn't one in the end. I'm as bored as anyone else, but what's the point of getting angry?

But most times I've witnessed the archetypal belligerent Brits, abusing and going nose-to-nose with innocent airport staff. Control freaks, out of their comfort zone, because there's been a setback. Their accent can sound like Phil Mitchell or that of an arrogant posh boy, rudeness cuts across all classes. "Don't you know who I am" or "I have an important meeting in London" statements churned out.

Playing the trump card now, my worst delay was 56 hours! About 30 years ago when going to Greece.

Recently did the arguing thing in Dubai when returning here from the UK. Most people had a delay between 12 and 36 hours after a 3 hour delay at Gatwick affected onward flights. We refused to accept this, were asked to wait to one side, when we were called back we were given a direct flight which got us in about six hours later than our original that was due to refuel. It can work in the right circumstances.

Did mention that our house sitters could not stay and our dog might die of thirst.................might have been true if mobiles did not exist.