 Poster: A snowHead
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The poor Asian lady who sat next to me on a two hour flight and vomited into a bag about once a minute throughout the whole flight 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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agreed.
Garuda are not always great, and easyjet often have problems, and refuse to deal with them.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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No bad experiences here, but I stick to local airports.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Who would you never fly with again?
To ski in europe for a week or more ? All of them, I m driving from now on!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Quote: |
Not too fussed about airports
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It all depends on the day. Flew from Chambery to Southampton yesterday - very pleasant, very quiet, very prompt. Parked a few yards from the door of Chambery - free. Walked a few yards to the station at Southampton. But apparently Chambery can be chaotic on Saturdays (except when all the planes are diverted to Lyon, then it's nice and quiet. ). I've had no problems with Geneva but my only experience is scheduled flights, and very rarely on Saturdays.
I'm a fan of easyJet - not been messed around by them, I think it's a pretty good outfit. The only airline who really messed us around was Go. But they've Gone.
I think the M25 analogy is a good one - you have to get somewhere, you choose the least worst way of getting there.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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At the end of the day customer service or free snacks are the least important part of a short haul flight. Punctuality is the number one priority for me when travelling to the alps. When flying to/from Heathrow you always seem to spend 25 mins getting to the runway and taking off and nearly always seem to be stacked over London on the return which is why Gatwick so much more appealing. When you arrive at T5 the ground staff can be caught by surprise and unable to link up with the arrival of the aircraft and operate the ramp. Ridiculous when ATC know of the arrival. This is must be down to staff shortage but hey who cares about the passengers. If you are on a late evening flight then you can end up being put on a remote stand (is this just for the airlines to save money ?).
The following site can provide some very interesting stats on flight and airline performance based on time and day of the week. Worth using to check before booking any flight!
http://www.flightstats.com/go/FlightRating/flightRatingByRoute.do
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My favourite airport by far is Doncaster. You can go from being in the air to being in your car in literally 15 minutes. Brilliant. 
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Biggles
Dan Air
Laker
Exel
I could go on....................and on............. 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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The problem with ramp staff at Heathrow is as old as I can remember. The Captain congratulates himself on the PA on being ten minutes ahead of schedule; then you wait twentyfive for someone to bring steps.
I think it must be an industrial problem. Manchester can be pretty bad too, if it is near the end of a shift.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Ryan Air, felt like a prisoner, sell, sell, sell. Feck off.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Ryanair
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Longhaul -- My 'Never Again' list : Air India, any African airline except SAA, Garuda ( a long ago bad memory). any internal ex-soviet flight. I would always choose a European national or US - carrier out of choice.
Shorthaul :- Easyjet are my only current 'No Fly' airline not because of their punctuality or reliability, on-board etc. but because of their consistently atrocious 'Customer Service' after the event when things go wrong operationally ( which they do for all airlines). Robbing bar stewards is the only thing that comes to mind - they just do not reply to valid claims. It's only been a problem for about 18 months - concurrently with perceived crew shortages- but seems to be getting worse not better. I can put up with silly boarding processes , late flights etc. but won't be robbed when they fail to operate flights and a refund is (correctly) requested. Great shame ... begs the question why are they hanging on to customers' cash?
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You know it makes sense.
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Agenterre, me too, exactly, on the long haul.
On short haul, Ryanair has always been completely punctual for me, and I've not yet made expensive errors on the website (which I did with BA yesterday  ) so they're still in my good books. Southwest airlines, the US low-cost operator, has also been good for me.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Flybe. My son went down with chickenpox 2 days before we were due to fly. Got all the money back on insurance, except taxes and charges which I had to get back from Flybe.
Taxes and charges on an adult ticket was £51.30 and I had 3 of them. Fine said Flybe, but there is an admin fee of £25 per person, per sector. £153.90 taxes and charges, admin fee £150. Here's £3.90.
Never again. Even Ryanair (who I'd probably not fly with either) charge less to refund taxes and charges.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Lager, I'm no lawyer, but I hazily remember some law about unfair contractual conditions, of which that might fall foul. It certainly ought.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Garuda were quite pleasant but, due to my search for conspiricies everywhere I go and everything I hear, I noticed in their magazine that every country on a map were named apart from Orthodox Christian countries.
Cyprus, Greece, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Russia, Moldova, Ukraine, Montenegro, Macedonia (Skopje) and even poor old Ethiopia! Blatant prejudice there so on that basis I will not fly with them again.
Or maybe I'm just paranoid?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Once flew on an Indonesian airline Merpati, from Jakarta to Bali.
As we boarded my work colleague turned to me and said "It's Merpati and I'll cry if I want to"
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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bladeskier, and you'd never fly with that colleague again, right?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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As short haul flights only last a hour or two, I couldn't care less about most of the benefits that the so-called full service airlines offer. All that matters to me is total price, reliability, punctuality and conveniently timed flights from a convenient airport. I want a bus service in the sky, not a pastiche of a 1920s hotel.
Unfortunately, the traditional airlines don't score well on these points. Their punctuality is terrible because they use congested airports; their hub and spoke model works badly unless you live in London; they regularly bump economy passengers and economy luggage to make room for favoured frequent fliers; and their massively unionised workforces are always threatening strikes.
On my criteria, the discount airlines win every time. BMI baby, Easyjet, Ryanair, FlyBe - I love you all. Thank you for saving us from the dinosaurs.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Lager wrote: |
Flybe. My son went down with chickenpox 2 days before we were due to fly. Got all the money back on insurance, except taxes and charges which I had to get back from Flybe.
Taxes and charges on an adult ticket was £51.30 and I had 3 of them. Fine said Flybe, but there is an admin fee of £25 per person, per sector. £153.90 taxes and charges, admin fee £150. Here's £3.90.
Never again. Even Ryanair (who I'd probably not fly with either) charge less to refund taxes and charges. |
I hope the person who informed you of those charges was wearing a mask and carrying a gun ! shocking !!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| laundryman wrote: |
| Lager, I'm no lawyer, but I hazily remember some law about unfair contractual conditions, of which that might fall foul. It certainly ought. |
Unfortunately I think they can get away with it. This certainly suggests so.
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stewart woodward, only 40 minutes later for me.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Ryanair
A couple of years ago they closed check in whilst me and a mate were standing right in front of them, then claiming we were 2 minutes late when we'd waiting there 5 minutes. A heated argument with a 20 year old 'manager' in a cheap suit followed (I was so tempted to deck him in the end). We then got in the car and drove to Austria!
Been with Flybe since and had far better experiences.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Mr Technique wrote: |
| Most of these opinions are base on a single negative experience that could have happened to any airline in the world, aren't they. |
well said spot on!
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Actually, no. I used to travel extensively with work, making 80 + flights a year. A reputable airline will always make every effort to get you on your flight - I have been whizzed through airports on golf buggies many times! There seems to be a massive gulf between the 'proper' airlines and the budget ones if something doesn't go to plan and companies like Ryanair really don't care as long as they've got your money.
A quick google search will soon tell you how many people have had bad experiences with Ryanair for example!
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You know it makes sense.
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Any airline which uses planes
I don't like flying
Actually I love flying I'm scared of crashing
Yes I know it makes no sense
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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BA - every time I fly with them I am disappointed.
Top marks to Swiss (although very matronly in service style they get the job done) and Quantas as long as it is an Oz based crew. The london - singapore team were as miserable as sin.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
My favourite airport by far is Doncaster
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So was mine when Easyjet flew from there to Geneva. 45 mins from home and park literally across the road.
If you could tolerate the loud "I'm it" Yorkshiremen barging women and children out of the way to get the exit seats, it was fab. Sadly AFAIK you can only fly to sunshine destinations from there now.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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TUI to Innsbruck - I accept that leg room will be tight as I am 6 foot tall - but it was tight for my 5'6" friend - and then I had to put up the 'complaining man' behind who was suffering in a louder fashion behind me - non stop for an hour and a half! - First charter we had done for ages (last minute deal) and last we will be doing for a while!
I like Al Italia to Milan - although dodging the strikes is always touch and go - they seem to me to have a very laid back approach to luggae allowances!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I think my wife would have to say me. I booked our flights to Zurich from Boston via Toronto on Air Canada for our trip to Stuben in late February. I didn't notice it but I managed to book a 6:30 am flight out of Boston to Toronto instead of the 6:30 pm flight. I called hoping and kind of expecting sympathy from the airline but the person on the line seemed to relish my situation and not in a good way for me. The change would have been a total of $2100 to leave Boston later in the day for just three of us. Bizarrely we are now planning a day tour of Toronto as part of our ski trip to the Arlberg! A 14 hour layover certainly presents that opportunity. I can't believe how completely inflexible Air Canada was though, although that is strictly the rules.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| queen bodecia wrote: |
| My favourite airport by far is Doncaster. You can go from being in the air to being in your car in literally 15 minutes. Brilliant. |
+1
Its half an hour further for me than Leeds or manchester & in the middle of nowhere but I have parked for the week within yards of the entance for not much money. Its spotless 'marble', no queues, no hassle, Weatherspoons unfortunately few flights especially now Easyjet have pulled out.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| harryw wrote: |
Ryanair
A couple of years ago they closed check in whilst me and a mate were standing right in front of them, then claiming we were 2 minutes late when we'd waiting there 5 minutes. A heated argument with a 20 year old 'manager' in a cheap suit followed (I was so tempted to deck him in the end). We then got in the car and drove to Austria! |
Ryanair too for the same reason. Unless it was a work trip and I had no other options.
And having an orange faced lady in a Ryanair costume shouting "do you understand?" to us when we were being perfectly polite in trying to find out the options we had. We followed this up with a short walk over to Air Berlin, spoke to the nice chap who said "have you been bumped off a Ryanair flight at all? it happens all the time". Got on a flight 30 mins later than the Ryanair one, but ended up at our hotel about an hour earlier as the airport we landed at was so much more convenient.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| bladeskier wrote: |
Once flew on an Indonesian airline Merpati, from Jakarta to Bali.
As we boarded my work colleague turned to me and said "It's Merpati and I'll cry if I want to" |
I lived in Indonesia, the airlines were dire with the exception of Sempati who got me to civilisation in Singapore.
My wife would divorce me if I used Garuda again after 2 of her flights failed to go, the crew failed to turn up for the first trip, Government Ministers hijacked the second one for a jolly.
I flew Merpati & Boraq regularly and only heard the Leslie Gore joke weekly. I vividly remember the flight arrived back into the mountains of Bandung at 16:30 in time for the thunder storms. The poor little Fokker was tossed around, the seat belts had no buckles and the passengers fingered their prayer beads, wept, screamed or recited the koran. It was regulation for the curtain between us and the pilot to be opened for landing, the number of fault warning lights on the unsecured vibrating dashboard did not inspire confidence. Neither did the Lucas Avitronics sticker with memories of rougue electrics on Leyland cars.
It was still preferable to the white knuckle ride by road. I used to enjoy the rail journey until I met the Dutch engineer who inspected the great tressle bridges spanning the gorges
I now get my scares from skiing.
Ryanair is luxury in comparison and I mourn the absence of the 06:30 flight from John Lenon Airport to Freidrickshafen which allowed me to ski after lunch at Zurs.
Ryanair has been a very successful business model giving me some very cheap flights. It is just a shame most other airlines have followed their example.
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| harryw wrote: |
Ryanair
A couple of years ago they closed check in whilst me and a mate were standing right in front of them, then claiming we were 2 minutes late when we'd waiting there 5 minutes. A heated argument with a 20 year old 'manager' in a cheap suit followed..... |
Oh, if he was wearing a cheap suit whilst you were in your Savile Row, that must have been too awful.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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achilles, now, now, play nicely with the newbie
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| harryw wrote: |
| Actually, no. I used to travel extensively with work, making 80 + flights a year. A reputable airline will always make every effort to get you on your flight - I have been whizzed through airports on golf buggies many times! |
If you fly 80 time a year, it's no wonder the airlines treat you well. The trouble is that many of the frequent flier perks that make full service airlines so attractive to you - guaranteed seat availability, preferential seat allocation, fast-track boarding, dedicated check-in desks, etc - mean that the rest of us have to continuously suffer while you jump the queue.
It's no accident that only 'full service' (full disservice would be a better term) airlines have ever seriously mistreated me by bumping me off a flight (KLM), delaying my skis by 24hrs (BA), inflicting me with truly massive check-in queues (BA), and threatening my holiday with industrial action (BA).
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FAQ
