Satisfied Flyer (JMC Air)

Member Name: lukemartin

Product:	JMC Air
Date:	15/08/01 (173 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Promt Service, Friendly Staff, Good Package

Disadvantages: Night Flights, Cramped Seats

I recently arrived home from my holiday in Kavos, Corfu which I booked through Thomas Cook with JMC. My expectations were not that great, and I expected the holiday to compare similarly with other package holidays that I have had in the past… especially the flights, which have never impressed me that much. I have also recently been a frequent flier on scheduled flights with British Airways and British Midland which makes any charted flights a chore.

---> Checking In <---

Checking in at East Midlands Airport for the outbound flight was extremely impressive, although me and my friend did arrive at the desk 3 hours before the flight. At this time there were only a handful of people waiting at the 2 check-in desks that were already open. Being early was also lucky for us, as some of the extra legroom seats were still available, and although split across the aisle we were willing to take these as they would have cost £30 to pre-book. Off we headed to the departure lounge feeling quite content at this stage.

---> Boarding <---

Our flight number appeared on the gate allocated about an hour before the flight was due to take off, so we headed down and got some seats as close as possible. There were no delays reported to our flight so all was still great. Boarding commenced about 40 minutes before take off, and we were directed to board via front/rear stairs depending on seat numbers. It turned out that we were the first people to board via the front stairs, and arrived at the top to see a completely empty airplane… what a strange feeling!

---> Seating <---

We promptly stowed our hand luggage and took up our very spacious seats with extra leg room. A treat indeed as I found on the way back that we had about 1/2 as much! I don’t know how well others sleep on planes, but I find it very difficult. My technique with the extra space was to put the tray table down, and to lean forward onto it. This w
as much more comfortable than having my head swinging around on the chair back, and I got off to sleep for at least half an hour. The Cabin Crew didn’t seem to mind this, and I did also tell the people I was blocking in to wake me if they needed to get out. This position is impossible however in the standard seats as I tried it on the way back, and wondered how I would even be able to get into the brace position because there was so little space. In the end I resorted back to the head swinging technique.

---> Information <---

As everyone got settled in their seats, we were reassured that the plane was going to take off in it’s designated slot. After the captain had introduced himself and the cabin crew and they carried out the safety briefing we were told of the estimated flight time (2hours 50Mins) and weather report for our destination etc. I felt content that I knew everything I needed to know, so that was good enough for me.

---> In flight Entertainment <---

I have to say I myself didn’t take advantage of the film that was available on this flight, as I felt unwilling at the time to pay the £2.50 charge for the headphones. I would have paid the £1 charge for an adaptor to use my own headphones had I taken any with me! On the outbound flight, “The Wedding Planner” was shown, however I didn’t look to see what was on for the return flight. There was also a range of radio stations available for use with the headphones (about 10), and I think had the flight been slightly earlier I might have purchased the headphones instead of going to sleep and saved them in case I use JMC again in the future. My mate did purchase the headphones, and then to his dismay woke up when the plane hit the runway in Corfu!

---> Food <---

I’m not a fussy eater, and always look forward to the food on any airline even though it’s nothing special. It was good that we were shown a men
u card at the beginning of the flight, and I got a sense of something to look forward to because of this. After the menu cards were handed out, there was a chance to buy drinks from the trolley before the meal service commenced a short time later. We were advised to buy all the drinks we would need for the whole journey at this time, as it wasn’t that long. The prices were what you would expect for an airline and you also received a free (very small) packet of mini cheddars to accompany any drinks. There was only one thing that let the food down in my opinion, and that was that it took the cabin crew ages to clear the trays away, so again I had to resort to the ‘head swinging’ sleeping technique and risk taking the tray out with me!

---> Service <---

Although before I mentioned that the cabin crew were a little slow at removing the empty trays, the service with JMC is one of the best I have experienced with a package holiday. There was no point at where I felt utterly disappointed which isn’t usually hard when everyone is in high spirits for a holiday and something goes wrong. During the flight I saw several people asking for blankets and pillows, and from what I saw there were plenty to go around, and I saw them being removed from sealed packaging which told me they were fresh. I had no other quibbles with the flight service other than on the return journey I got a bit fed up with the stewardesses buzzing round asking for questionnaires, charity donations and trying to sell scratch cards.

---> Arrival <---

On this particular occasion the arrival was probably my worst experience, although this was largely down to the size of the airport at Corfu, and the JMC reps informed us fully of what we needed to do before leaving the plane and entering the terminal building. After collecting our cases about an hour later we found the JMC helpdesk who promptly told us the coach number and within another 10 minut
es everyone was on the coach and heading for the resort.

---> Punctuality <---

I have to say I was very impressed with the punctuality of the flights both ways, and in fact we arrived home 15 minutes earlier than scheduled. Upon arriving back at East Midlands and collecting my luggage 15 minutes later, I was on my way home. Fortunately for us on this occasion there had been no delays.

---> Summary <---

I had a fantastic holiday this year, which was added to greatly by the deal that was offered by JMC. They took away all the hassles that I would usually have associated with a package holiday, and I was most impressed, Well Done! The good feeling about JMC didn’t stop at the flights either, they were courteous and polite throughout the holiday and also organised some good outings within the resort I went to. I would definitely not hesitate to use JMC again in the future and would recommend them to friends.

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