Copyright © Louise Bostock 2007-2013. Please give credit where credit is due.

Wednesday 27 October 2010

Ten reasons why I will never - EVER - fly Easyjet again

Four degrees at 8am, rising to 19 degrees later. Bright and sunny, and nice enough for lunch outside on Cannobio's lungolago.

I recently exchanged my normal airline, Flybe, for Easyjet. It's been a long time since I flew Easyjet, and the experience was not pleasant. In fact, only my experiences flying pre-Soviet-collapse Aeroflot with the Olympic-hammer-throwing squad for cabin crew were worse, and even then I was at least recompensed with plenty of dinner-party material.

Being very much older now than I was in my Aeroflot days, and more interested in maintaining my self-respect than I am in thrift, I have decided to vote with my air-pounds and never fly Easyjet again. 

Why? Here are ten good reasons why:

  1. Passenger wranglers who redirect lost families by superciliously tapping an information board and slowly spelling out the words on it instead of politely giving directions.
  2. The it's-not-our-fault attitude - okay, so we're late because of striking French air traffic controllers - say it once and have done. Twice can be forgiven to ensure understanding. Eleven times on one 90-minute flight smacks of defensiveness. They're really saying, "It's usually our fault, but this time it's not and boy are you going to know it! Oh, yes, and God forbid we apologise..."
  3. Stewards who shout at passengers in English when it's clear the flight is packed with Italians and we might all get into the air sooner if a little intercultural competence were brought to bear.
  4. Stewards who make no secret of how much they despise the passengers - [Loud voice] "The passenger says this wine is corked. It's not of course, but the customer is always right, so please fetch another." 
  5. The Priority Boarding system, which brings out the superiority complexes in all those stupid enough to pay 50% more to board first. On a 90-minute flight, only fools and giants care about where they sit. Oh yes, and don't forget, if everyone on your flight happens to have paid for Priority Boarding, you've been had.
  6. Boarding areas that are more like sheep runs - narrow corridors that get narrower and narrower until there's nowhere to go and no space to breathe and you wonder who is going to get killed in the stampede down the open-plan stairs when they call for the clowns with Priority Boarding to come forward. (I need smelling salts just writing about it.)
  7. Cabin crew who are too busy gossiping about the passengers to greet them or say goodbye.
  8. Cabins that don't have space for one piece of hand luggage, a Duty-free shopping bag and a coat for every paying passenger. Is it too much to ask?
  9. Queues for the computer-check-in baggage drop that are longer than those for people who haven't checked in. Why on earth do I waste good printer toner printing out my own boarding pass at home when I still have to do regular check-in at the airport? 
  10. Staff who've forgotten who pays their salaries - and the consequent all-pervasive sense that the customer is at best a nuisance, at worst an illiterate cretin, and always wrong whatever, despite what Mister Onboard Wine-Expert may claim.
Easyjet, you may brag about being the Web's favourite airline, but if this is really true, why is it so hard for the people you are pleased to call passengers but treat like morons to get hold of a comment form? 



10 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a nightmare! Even Ryanair aren't as bad as this! Last time, I tried Norwegian Airlines and had a very pleasant experience indeed.

choirgirl said...

Love it - about time someone demanded some customer service. Don't they know who pays their wages?

Woodman said...

Hi Louise, This seems to be the norm these days. The series on t.v about Easyjet says it all and is exactly as you describe. The stewards seem to be 'nice boys' poncing around and the stewardesses think they are budding superstars, preening and gassing amongst themselves.The customer is always last and the staff couldn't care less. Don't get upset about it, just take your custom elsewhere, but where could you go, they are all similar.
Try complaining and all you will get is a proforma letter saying virtually yer yer yer and go away.

LindyLouMac said...

Oh dear, whilst I have to say I agree with some of your points, it is also only a budget airline and I do not expect to get as good a service, although I do expect politeness, courtesy and decent customer service.

Debbie said...

It made me so uncomfortable just to read about all that mistreatment.
The first one particularly bothered me. I hate that attitude.

Louise | Italy said...

Hi - yes, I agree, LindyLou that it's only a budget airline, but the passengers are still paying and the staff are still earning their money. Everyone deserves a little respect. Aviation fuel costs money, but good manners, politeness and helpfulness don't.

Louise | Italy said...

Hi Debbie, I agree. I couldn't believe this woman's attitude. The family were obviously a bit stressed - and possibly had never had to negotiate a large and very busy airport without a tour rep before. They were confused, and scared that they would miss their flight. A smile and some clear instructions could have turned their day around. Instead she chose to humiliate them. Nasty.

Vanessa said...

Hee-hee. I guess one instance of rudeness could be put down to PMT or a bad hair day. But so many in one flight? Sounds like something's going wrong at the organizational level if ya know wot I mean....

LindyLouMac said...

Absolutely Louise, those would be the points where I agree with you.

Karin said...

Hope you wrote their CEO or Pres. just to register your disgust. Totally agree with you on every point. In Canada we are so blessed with WestJet! The best crews ever - customer service par excellence!

Wednesday 27 October 2010

Ten reasons why I will never - EVER - fly Easyjet again

Four degrees at 8am, rising to 19 degrees later. Bright and sunny, and nice enough for lunch outside on Cannobio's lungolago.

I recently exchanged my normal airline, Flybe, for Easyjet. It's been a long time since I flew Easyjet, and the experience was not pleasant. In fact, only my experiences flying pre-Soviet-collapse Aeroflot with the Olympic-hammer-throwing squad for cabin crew were worse, and even then I was at least recompensed with plenty of dinner-party material.

Being very much older now than I was in my Aeroflot days, and more interested in maintaining my self-respect than I am in thrift, I have decided to vote with my air-pounds and never fly Easyjet again. 

Why? Here are ten good reasons why:

  1. Passenger wranglers who redirect lost families by superciliously tapping an information board and slowly spelling out the words on it instead of politely giving directions.
  2. The it's-not-our-fault attitude - okay, so we're late because of striking French air traffic controllers - say it once and have done. Twice can be forgiven to ensure understanding. Eleven times on one 90-minute flight smacks of defensiveness. They're really saying, "It's usually our fault, but this time it's not and boy are you going to know it! Oh, yes, and God forbid we apologise..."
  3. Stewards who shout at passengers in English when it's clear the flight is packed with Italians and we might all get into the air sooner if a little intercultural competence were brought to bear.
  4. Stewards who make no secret of how much they despise the passengers - [Loud voice] "The passenger says this wine is corked. It's not of course, but the customer is always right, so please fetch another." 
  5. The Priority Boarding system, which brings out the superiority complexes in all those stupid enough to pay 50% more to board first. On a 90-minute flight, only fools and giants care about where they sit. Oh yes, and don't forget, if everyone on your flight happens to have paid for Priority Boarding, you've been had.
  6. Boarding areas that are more like sheep runs - narrow corridors that get narrower and narrower until there's nowhere to go and no space to breathe and you wonder who is going to get killed in the stampede down the open-plan stairs when they call for the clowns with Priority Boarding to come forward. (I need smelling salts just writing about it.)
  7. Cabin crew who are too busy gossiping about the passengers to greet them or say goodbye.
  8. Cabins that don't have space for one piece of hand luggage, a Duty-free shopping bag and a coat for every paying passenger. Is it too much to ask?
  9. Queues for the computer-check-in baggage drop that are longer than those for people who haven't checked in. Why on earth do I waste good printer toner printing out my own boarding pass at home when I still have to do regular check-in at the airport? 
  10. Staff who've forgotten who pays their salaries - and the consequent all-pervasive sense that the customer is at best a nuisance, at worst an illiterate cretin, and always wrong whatever, despite what Mister Onboard Wine-Expert may claim.
Easyjet, you may brag about being the Web's favourite airline, but if this is really true, why is it so hard for the people you are pleased to call passengers but treat like morons to get hold of a comment form? 



10 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a nightmare! Even Ryanair aren't as bad as this! Last time, I tried Norwegian Airlines and had a very pleasant experience indeed.

choirgirl said...

Love it - about time someone demanded some customer service. Don't they know who pays their wages?

Woodman said...

Hi Louise, This seems to be the norm these days. The series on t.v about Easyjet says it all and is exactly as you describe. The stewards seem to be 'nice boys' poncing around and the stewardesses think they are budding superstars, preening and gassing amongst themselves.The customer is always last and the staff couldn't care less. Don't get upset about it, just take your custom elsewhere, but where could you go, they are all similar.
Try complaining and all you will get is a proforma letter saying virtually yer yer yer and go away.

LindyLouMac said...

Oh dear, whilst I have to say I agree with some of your points, it is also only a budget airline and I do not expect to get as good a service, although I do expect politeness, courtesy and decent customer service.

Debbie said...

It made me so uncomfortable just to read about all that mistreatment.
The first one particularly bothered me. I hate that attitude.

Louise | Italy said...

Hi - yes, I agree, LindyLou that it's only a budget airline, but the passengers are still paying and the staff are still earning their money. Everyone deserves a little respect. Aviation fuel costs money, but good manners, politeness and helpfulness don't.

Louise | Italy said...

Hi Debbie, I agree. I couldn't believe this woman's attitude. The family were obviously a bit stressed - and possibly had never had to negotiate a large and very busy airport without a tour rep before. They were confused, and scared that they would miss their flight. A smile and some clear instructions could have turned their day around. Instead she chose to humiliate them. Nasty.

Vanessa said...

Hee-hee. I guess one instance of rudeness could be put down to PMT or a bad hair day. But so many in one flight? Sounds like something's going wrong at the organizational level if ya know wot I mean....

LindyLouMac said...

Absolutely Louise, those would be the points where I agree with you.

Karin said...

Hope you wrote their CEO or Pres. just to register your disgust. Totally agree with you on every point. In Canada we are so blessed with WestJet! The best crews ever - customer service par excellence!