Travel problems poorly handled
'Easyjet Christmas delays were made worse by lack of communication'
WE SUFFERED from Easyjet flight cancellations because of snow at the end of last year – but the situation was made worse by lack of communication.
Scheduled to fly from Bordeaux to Luton with a 21.05 Friday-night departure, we left home in Pons in the early afternoon but at check-in time, around 19.00, our son-in-law in the UK told us the Easyjet website said the flight was cancelled.
Bordeaux staff insisted the aircraft was at Luton and would soon take off to collect us but around 23.00 we were offered a free drink and told there would be no flight.
We were told to queue at the airline desk for information and, as two flights were involved (including one to Geneva), the queue almost became a riot with queue jumping, children screaming and arguments.
After about 90 minutes we got to the head of the queue to be handed a piece of paper giving details of how to make a claim.
We were offered a flight on December 23 which was useless as we had to be at a family event on the 20th. We drove home and took the ferry on Saturday night.
Subsequently we emailed Easyjet advising them that as we were unable to use the return flight on December 30, they could release the seats to other travellers who may not have been able to get a flight. We received no acknowledgement.
Disasters happen, but we suffered from the usual problem of lack of information.
No one was in charge, staff in France were not aware of the situation and one lone woman was left to handle probably around 200 irate passengers.
If she had made an announcement to all along the lines of “Here is a piece of paper for everyone regarding claims; if you wish a later flight then please queue at the desk” then most of us would then have been able to go home at a more reasonable time.
Why can’t there be a contingency plan in place to avoid this familiar situation when “customers” are herded like animals and not kept informed.
D. Skinner
Les Roches, Charente Maritime
EASYJET said: “We apologise unreservedly to our passengers who were affected by the Europe-wide disruption and also for the obvious lack of communication on the part of some ground-handling staff, especially at smaller airports.
As soon as we learned of the problem at Bordeaux we organised the printing and distribution of extra information leaflets.
