MUSICAL CHAIRS (British European)

Member Name: kevrus

Product:	British European
Date:	04/11/00 (47 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: MODERN AIRCRAFT

Disadvantages: USELESS AIRCREW

I travelled to and from a holiday in Jersey at the beginning of September with my wife and two children, I had the misfortune to travel with British European (formally Jersey European). To be fair the outgoing flight was adequate, but on the return flight chaos ensued. There seemed to be a proble with double booking the seats on the aircraft which caused confusion whilst embarking the aircraft. I had requested (and thought I had) two sets of two seats so each child could sit with one of the adults. I got into my seats with my son just before someone else arrived for the seats but my wife and daughter were forced to stand in the aisle as their seats were already occupied. The stewardess at the front of the aircraft was French and spoke little English and didn't understand what was occurring. My daughter (aged 6) was now getting upset as the cabin crew were no help at this stage. The French stewardess asked my wife to take her seat and was most irritated when my wife told her she did not have a seat. My daughter was by now crying and two seats were found near the front of the 'plane but not next to each other. My daughter was now hysterical and the cabin crew were stll no use. The French hostess now turned to my wife and barked "Take your seat" followed by "well, find one then" when told no seats were available next to each other, she then snapped "WE HAVE TO GO, FIND A SEAT" then "YOU CAN GET OFF!" offered as an alternative. Fortunately the passengers instigated some seat swapping to throw up two seats together and the situation resolved itself easily but with no help from the cabin crew at all.

A letter of complaint had to wait over a month for a reply which then gave £20 to purchase a gift for my daughter 'entirely as a gesture of goodwill' in other words we don't have to do this so be grateful! Having left my daughter with a fear of flying this does not seem p[articularly generous.

In s
ummary if you have children do not fly with British European, they simply have not got the common sense on board to sort out the most trivial problems letting them escalate until departure is delayed. (in my case by 20 minutes)

Summary: