Air Europa..naff (Air Europa)

Member Name: jetstar29

Product:	Air Europa
Date:	28/05/02 (451 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: fairly punctual

Disadvantages: seat pitch, food, staff attitude

Having read the UX flight code on the ticket and flown with them many years ago, it is fair to say , I wasn't expecting much. That's exactly what I got.
It was a Thomson Holidays charter to Ibiza..just a little 2 hour affair. Even if it was dire, at least we'd be off in no time. The flight was running 30 minutes late - no big deal. We boarded the 737-300 swiftly and in no time were on our way. It quickly became apparent that the seat pitch was grim..I reckon we're touching on legal minimums here. Still, only 2 hours to suffer it. Unfortunately the service on board compounded my initial impression. The Spanish cabin crew were at best indifferent, at worst ignorant. They bumbled through the safety brief left several items unsecure in the cabin for take-off. The guys up front must've been having a bad day too as they performed several semi-aerobatic manoeuvres throughout the course of the journey - much to the bemusement of several nervous fliers. The in flight meal was a cold and inedible affair which I thought strange as most tour operators insist on hot catering for charters these days. Our arrival in Ibiza came not a moment too soon. I was genuinely glad to get off.

Needless to say our return home was waited with the eagerness of your average trip to the dentist. We were bussed out to the aircraft on a remote stand to find a shiny new B737-800! This one has legroom! and plenty of it! (by comparison). The staff were friendly and fairly attentive. The meal was again cold..but edible this time. By the time we landed I was wondering if this really was the same airline?

Air Europa redeemed themselves somewhat on the return leg however in an increasingly competitive market their lack of consistency is poor. They provided a service similar to that expected of Spanish charter carriers in the early eighties. Not a patch on Futura..but that's another story.

Summary: