Poster: A snowHead
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Just been to Morzine for three full days skiing, departed Sunday eventually after a two and a half hour delay, one hour of which was spent in the aircraft at Luton. Geneva had been shut on and off on sunday due to heavy snow which had caused a back log out there of getting planes in and out. Not the fault of easyjet but two flights scheduled to have left in the morning where cancelled completely and the majority of those passengers didnt get out until the next day (Monday), we were very lucky given the short duration of the trip we had arranged.
Coming home on the last flight out at 2155 we were delayed for another two and a half hours due to a technical fault on the intended plane and a replacement aircraft having to be found. maybe this was the fault of easyjet I dont know.
I get the impression there is not much room for manoeuvre in their logistical planning and you and i cop the fall out. Maybe one shouldnt expect too much for £46 return, but by the time i got to bed at 3am this morning I wasn't a big fan of easyjet.
I feel particularly sorry for people who lost their flights completely and those who could not get public transport into london at 2am this morning from luton.
In summary 5 hours of delays for 2.5 hours of flying. From leaving the hotel i could have driven home last night and been in bed about the same time without the terrible signposting to return the hire car and boredom of geneva airport after 2100 hours which basically shuts.
this is the fourth time I've used easyjet and the first time I've been delayed.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I flew Liverpool - Basel on Jan 8th with easyJet and had a similar story.
Liverpool airport was affected by very high winds, so nothing was being allowed in or out. I arrived at the airport at 10.30, to find that nothing had used the airport that day. I was lucky, the Basel aircraft had flown in the night before, so was in Liverpool ready to go as soon as allowed. Many other flights (all airlines) were not so fortunate, as the aircraft needed to be flown in first!! Numerous flights were cancelled and those thet weren't were delayed (the Geneva flight was about 4.5 hours late - we were about 1hr behind schedule).
I don't know what any airline could have done in those circumstances, different to what easyJet did. Safety has to come first...and if it means that the passenger is inconvenienced, then so be it. (Better late than never!!) One flight (rumoured to be Ryanair, but I can't guarantee that) did take off at around 11.30am, but easyJet refused to, saying that the risk was too great.
ian bloomfield, I'd be interested to know what you think easyJet should have done in your situation.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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As I said above it was not the fault of easyjet, one might blame them for a few things but the weather wouldn't be one them. Maybe the people who lost their flights completely might take a less benevolent position.
One thing to be aware of is that easyjet don't shuttle their planes back and forth from one place to another they could have a number of destinations in any one day, and some of those might not include a UK airport at that, maybe their aircraft availablility, when faced with a problem like the weather, is influenced by this factor.
I did feel the captain on the day was doing everything he could when we were held in the aircraft at Luton.
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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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I flew with Easyjet Gatick- Geneva- Luton and couldnt fault them. £45 return.
To be honest I think even the scheduled airlines had problems getting flights in and out of Geneva over the weekend.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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There's a saying ..."Time to spare, travel by air".
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Utilisation of aircraft usually mean there is little slack in the schedule, all the time a plane is on the ground its costing money. Its also pretty normal that an aircraft going from one airport is unlikely to return to that airport each time, i.e. out and then back.
I'd agree, in terms of weather and technical faults you can't really do much, its better to be grounded because of a fault/weather than hit the ground from either
As for BA, i was due to fly to geneva a couple of years ago, but heathrow was in really thick fog, they cancelled the flight and that was at gone 9pm, no further flights that day. In the end I managed to rebook on the first flight out of gatwick the next morning with BA but i had to use my initiative rather than them suggest anything....and transport myself there at my cost, then sleep in the checkin halls...
If you have a gold card...then they might look after you, other than that you are pretty much on your own.
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Sorry to be statistical and boring, but the only way of looking at this objectively is to look at recent percentages of cancelled flights and flight punctuality. I think the data is collected independently for all airlines, so straight comparisons can be made.
Geneva last weekend was obviously a freak show, or rather a freak snow.
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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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I've been stuck at Luton airport waiting to fly to Geneva with EasyJet. No planes could take off or land because of heavy snow falling in Luton!
EasyJet organised a decent hotel for 5 of us, and reimbursed us, and we flew out on the first flight next morning. No complaints there.
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Hope i dont sound like too much of a moaner, it was just that the flights took the edge of an otherwise perfect few days away, and i thought i would tell my story for everyone's info for when they are making their minds up how to get away.
As I get older i like a bit of a grumble.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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ian bloomfield, I flew from Newcastle with Easyjet. No problems going on Saturday, got there on time. Coming back though there was a delay of 1 and a half hours because firstly the plane arrived late but then for some reason they could not get the bridge to connect to the plane because the captain put the plane in the wrong position! Can't really complaint though, as I was not travelling on Sunday when Geneva closed.
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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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I used easyjet a lot in days past and I have to say - they might have the odd delay more than BA but they (appeared) to try and move heaven and earth to get the flight in the air. A few years ago France changed the way they fly aircraft over their country and during the changeover halved the number of slots available. Geneva-> UK flights were a mess with cancellations galore, but easyjet got me home (OK hours late but home!).
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I flew Easyjet (and prior to the takeover - Go) regulary for 2 years when stationed in N Ireland - and to be fair - they were reasonably punctual, the only complaint I had is when trying to get information from them, it was, on occasion, like trying to get blood from a stone. I'm flying with them tomorrow to Lyon - so with any luck! (made sure I left a couple of hours play between scheduled arrival and my transfer!)
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