When (very) Basic Service is an Inconvenience

Copenhagen – Barcelona SpanAir JK034 December 8 2008.

As December 8 is a holiday in Spain, I spend the morning at the Copenhagen office, and took the afternoon flight down to be able to have a full day on site Tuesday.

I knew we would be delayed already when I reached the gate, as I passed the passengers who had just arrived from Barcelona on the way.

The departure gate was A23, an area of the A-pier, where each gate has a closed-off waiting area. This enables passport and boarding card control already on entry to the waiting area, which -in theory anyways - would make boarding faster and smoother than normal.

However, the ground service staff (the full 1-person army assigned) decided to take this concept to a new level: She refused to open the waiting area, leaving a full flight off passengers to wait around in the walkway area on foot, blocking the way of passengers going to gates further out, and the golf-cars moving walking impaired passengers, cart-collecting vehicles etc. The monitor announced an expected departure delay of 10 min, slightly optimistic when we were all still standing outside the waiting area 10 min before planned departure.

When the area was finally opened and it became my turn, I asked the 1-lady army if there was any explanation as to why we had to wait outside the empty waiting area she said: “Off course there is: It is much easier for me to check you in this way”!

How stupid am I… I was under the illusion that Airlines provide passengers with a service. Now it is finally confirmed that they do in fact regard passengers as an inconvenience…

PS: Take-off was 25 min delayed, but we landed in Barcelona on time.

My Loyal Companion

Black, but recognizable.

Small but big enough for the week.

About Leaving 12 Hours Early to Arrive 2 Hours Late

Czech Airlines OK 0509 Copenhagen Prague OK 0690 Prague - Barcelona 21 (and 22!) September 2008

I needed a full Monday at client site outside Barcelona. Unfortunately SpanAir has a virtual monopoly on direct flights to Barcelona from Copenhagen, and only 2 daily flights; at 8.30 and at 14.00. So even taking the "first flight out" means not getting to my final destination until well after noon.

Decided to sacrifice my Sunday evening at home, and get going. Only feasible possibility was to fly over Prague with Czech Airlines. The connection seemed excellent, and the total travel time would be around four and a half hours, not bad compared to 3 hours for a direct.

We were delayed out of Copenhagen, and the connection was very tight (landing 20.20, flying out 20.55) but as I was flying on with the same airline, I was confident that they would either wait or help me get from one flight to the other quickly (or both!).

Czech Airlines produced no such service. On the contrary; I was required to pass through security, which took about 15 min. Why is it not possible to transfer when travelling between 3 countries in the European Union? When I reached the gate, the plane was still there, but the staff informed me it was closed, and there was nothing they could do, I had to go to the service desk.

The Czech Airline service desk was tired and could not care less.

In the queue I met several passengers from the Copenhagen flight. Two French ladies started crying, as it became clear it would take them at least 36 hours to reach their final destination. Others (myself included) just got plain angry. The two staff on duty dealt with one passenger at a time, issuing vouchers for evening meals, hotels and new tickets, something they obviously have quite some experience with. Got my vouchers (They put me in the Marriott Courtyard, a decent hotel at least, and no bus or other travel required, as it is literally 100 meters from the arrivals hall).

I was issued a new ticket for 10.30 Monday morning. I said it was “too late and unacceptable”. He didn’t even look up, just said: “You have to accept it. You have no choice”.

And he was right. I had no choice but to accept it. So, long story short: I went out of may way, sacrificing my personal time to arrive at client site early, but ended up arriving 2 hours later than I would have, had I spend the night at home in my own bed and taken the regular 8.30 SpanAir flight… Tried that, but wont again.

Why I will do (almost) anything to not check in my bag...

British Airways 2489 Barcelona - Gatwick 2914 Gatwick - Manchester
25 September 2008

I only travelled this route over Gatwick because I desperately want to avoid Heathrow. On the Monday, my colleague Miss W travelled Edinburgh – Heathrow – Barcelona with British Air. When she arrived in Barcelona, her suitcase did not. BA assured her, that it would be delivered to her hotel that same evening. That didn’t happen. Not Tuesday either, and Wednesday she was travelling to Manchester (again over Heathrow) and called the airline to inform, that she would pick it up at Barcelona airport herself.

When she arrived at the airport, the airline had not bothered to go through the trouble of identifying her back, but send her to a big warehouse to find it herself. She did, slightly damaged, but it was there. She then went to the counter to check it in for the flight to Manchester, and had to hand over her suitcase again. Arriving in Manchester, the suitcase was missing, presumably in Heathrow.

Statistically I don’t think that is even a remote possibility! Also, what kind of airline does not plaster a suitcase that has been lost for 3 days with orange PRIORITY stickers and make sure it isn’t lost again? Well British Air sure didn’t seem to care…

Watch this space for an update on Miss W’s misadventures in reimbursement…

PS: Just for the record: I have never lost my bag, and that is because I never check it in...

"It's for Security, Mam"

BA 2489 Barcelona - Gatwick
BA 2914 Gatwick – Manchester
22 October 2008

At the gate, 2 BA people were acting British Boarder Control. An Asian family had their passports scrutinised and a teenage son was questioned regarding his resident status. I find this practice somewhat disturbing, and don’t understand exactly what qualifies cabin personnel to act as border control. If I had been through the same treatment, I would no doubt find it degrading and also a lack of protection of my personal rights. I just don’t think it is ok that an airhostess questions travellers on such personal matters. I am aware that airlines are somehow responsible for passengers having valid travel documents, but does that really give them the right to ask people about their residence status, job, education etc?

Next stop was the Spanish border control. This guy was alone, he wore a uniform that made it clear that he was a public employee, and furthermore, he greeted everybody with a smile and a casual wave. And I mean that in the nicest possible sense!


I had to change flight in Gatwick. Never seem to be a direct flight between Barcelona and Manchester when I need one. (British Air, Monarch and BMIBaby do fly direct, but unfortunately never on the date or time that I need!).

Anyways; It is not possible to transfer directly i.e. “inside” the airport, so you have to walk out through passport control, out through luggage claim and then go up 2 floors to check in again.

In Gatwick, security check is no laughing matter. First, you get photographed, and the picture is linked to your boarding card. Then the regular security thing; PC out of bag, jackets and belt off, and plastic bag with liquids visible. And they have a special machine, just for checking footwear! Unfortunately, you have to remove your shoes to put them through the machine, and as there is only one, this can be quite a bottleneck. At all 3 steps do you show you boarding pass, and at the picture-stand, also your passport.

As you might know, Gatwich airport gates are organized in clusters at the end of a number of piers. To access the pier and waiting area, you must show you Boarding card yet again, and your live image must match the picture taken at general security to gain access.

At the gate, I had to show both Boarding card and passport again, and thus got slightly annoyed, when the cabin staff also insisted on checking my Boarding pass. They informed me, that it was “for security”.

What a relief! Who needs border control, bombs-in shoes detecting devices, pictures and X-rays, when you can have your boarding pass checked by a British Airways air hostess!

When Monarch Air is delayed, it is really delayed

SAS Manchester - Copenhagen 22 October 2008

My flight was scheduled for 13.50, and I arrived at the airport around 12.45. No delay in sight, but couldn’t help but notice, that a Monarch flight scheduled for 8 AM take of that same morning was still on the screen, expected take-off 14.00(!) I knew that my colleague Mr. B was scheduled to fly home to Barcelona on that flight, and for a second considered calling him to keep him company for some of the wait, but quickly decided against it. I can only imagine how furious he must have been. I talked to him later in the evening, when he could confirm the story, and also tell me that there had been no information regarding the delay during his more than 6 hour wait, and stranded passengers had been offered no more than a sandwich voucher.

I belive, that according to EU regulations, Airlines are requeired to offer either reimbursement or a new flight after 6 hours of delay. Maybe I should look into that...

On-line check-in is Great - When it Works

SpanAir JK 032 Copenhagen - Barcelona 10 November 2008

Web-check still not working properly. Had to call my travel agent on Sunday to get the 8 digit Airline reservation code to be able to check in online. Wondering why Spanair still asks for the 5 digit confirmation code…

But at least now I know what works, so I am able to check in online and avoid the queue at the airport. Unfortunately, despite Spanair being owned by SAS, their systems don’t talk together, and the SAS self-check in machines didn’t recognize any bookings in my name (The Spanair website lets you print a boarding card in pdf format, but conveniently avoids to inform its passengers, that they aren’t accepted by security in CPH airport).

I asked an SAS person which was the allocated service counter this morning, and was told that I could just go to security with my SAS/ Star alliance frequent flyer card. I mentioned to her that if the check in machines didn’t recognize my card, security probably wouldn’t either. She failed to see the problem, and I gave up, and picked the baggage drop-off counter with the shortest queue to ask for a boarding pass.

He tried to make me check my trolley, but fortunately let me keep it.

Take off about 15 min delayed, no explanation from the pilot once in the air. We hit the ground in Barcelona at 11.40. and spend about 10 min in taxi. It was 12 o’clock before we all got out and into the 2 busses, then a 5 min drive to the terminal, so it was 12.10, before I could step into the taxi queue. Not what I was hoping for, as planned arrival is 11.20. It just got to be possible to do better than that.