"We are sorry to announce the delay...." (Sabre)

Member Name: Smidge

Product:	Sabre
Date:	16/08/00 (93 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Food was ok - if you like bland

Disadvantages: Having to look at air-hostesses with orange faces

When choosing a last minute holiday, your choice of flight is pretty much made for you. I found myself a passenger of Sabre Airlines, on my way to the Greek island of Rhodes, in July this year.

On arrival at the airport (4.15am check in) we found that the flight was delayed by two hours - (why don't they show delays on teletext?). When the flight was called, we were herded (literally), to the boarding gate where we had to wait for another half an hour. Once on the courtesy bus to go to the aircraft, I thought we were finally on our way - wrong! We were delayed on the tarmac by another plane with engine difficulties (not Sabre's fault obviously). The bus halted at the foot of the steps and the air-hostesses were in an incredible hurry to seat us - they needn't have worried as there were still two more busses to come - they then counted us and recounted us several times. By the time we were ready to take off, the 'plane was so late that the pilot had lost the take off slot and we had to wait another 20mins for another one! The pilot apologised and explained that the first delay was due to the original pilot being ill and them only having one other person to step in for him - hardly inspiring confidence in the company!

The rest of the flight passed fairly uneventfully (apart from an appalling film, which had to be broadcast to the whole plane because of sound difficulties on the video player) and we arrived in Rhodes at 4.30pm local time (2.30pm UK). So the total delay time was 3 hours for a 4-hour flight!

The real comedy was the over-made-up hostesses rushing to put on their hideous uniform jackets (red) and black gloves, to escort us from the 'plane in 32°c of heat!

Our return journey with another carrier was far less eventful and we actually arrived back in the country 1½ hours early due to us being able to take the take-off slot of another delayed aircraft?. You guessed it the returning Sabre flight!
Given
the choice - go Virgin!

Summary: