Shocking! Have to say I passed through without incident - security was quick and we were in the departure lounge within ten minutes of being dropped off at the station. Granted it was four in the morning but still.

The staff on security didn’t seem to be the friendliest however and one of the young women working on the Ryanair gate should really look up the definition of customer service as the way she was talking to some of the passengers was utterly disgraceful!
Kevin's post details a shocking experience. I never know whether the airline, the airport or the company contracted to assist less mobile passengers is really to blame. I tend to the view that the passenger contracts the flight with the airline and they have the primary responsibility but without reading the detailed terms and conditions it might not be that straightforward.

How in heaven's name can an elderly lady be abandoned in such a way at one the country's leading airports? If I was the CEO of the airport (presumably acting CEO at BHX) or of the airline I'd be wanting full details of this lamentable event and I would ensure that whoever was responsible, with the management level mainly in my firing line, was given the very strong benefit of my tongue.

As for security staff, in my experience the majority I've encountered at airports are professional and polite, but as with most jobs there will be a minority who don't normally find themselves in a position to exercise 'power' over people but when they do they will use it to satisfy their pathetic needs.
 
Did she have checked in luggage?
Apparently not, only hand luggage. I know an aircraft cannot leave with checked in luggage, if the passenger hasn't boarded and wonder if this had an affect. Possibly, the cabin crew thinking that the passenger hadn't arrived but had no checked in luggage.
I think the blame lies squarely with the special assistance operator (OCL Ltd). They, afterall have a contract with the airport for these services and had accepted the booking.
My girlfriend said there had been some incident involving the Police (not involving her mother, obviously), but there is absolutely no excuse for an elderly lady to be abandoned at an airport gate.

Kevin
 
It does sound like a complete disgrace. I and i'm sure others would like to know what responce you get
from the various people involved
 
A short update on the above situation.

My girlfriend's mother was not the only person left behind. Another elderly lady (also in a wheelchair), was also left abandoned at the gate.
From what I've heard, the other lady was left without her medication as her checked in luggage was loaded onto the aircraft and departed to NOC.
My girlfriend arrived (in a very anxious state - she worries greatly if anything happens to her mother), at the Special Assistance desk, where all responsibilty was denied. Instead, they suggested that the blame lay with either the handling agent or the airline.
She was taken to the airline desk, where they simply said 'sorry' and that there would be an investigation.
Later, she asked her mother whether there had been any other special assistance passengers (other than herself and the other abandoned lady), to which she said 'yes' and that they were boarded.
I've asked my girlfriend to write down the events in chronological order, whilst they are still fresh in her memory.

I'm still having trouble believing that this could happen!

Kevin
 
Kevin if it turns out that another passenger was left behind and in similar circumstances but their hold luggage was carried surely that is a serious breach of security and could result in a fine and possibly every passenger carried or not on that flight may have a case for compensation of some sort I am no solicitor but a good one would know.
 
07/08/18

Birmingham Airport check in and security.

We arrived at the airport earlier than usual (I'll explain why later) and were very pleased to see check in for our flight already available and after being greeted by a very cheery young man we joined the back of a lengthy queue. Any fears of a long wait soon vanished as things were moving very steadily and in no time at all we reached the front and were greeted with a big smile from a very pleasant young lady. After completing the check in procedure I was asked a question that I have never been asked in the past, "have you used Birmingham Airport before?" When I replied that I had she smiled and said have a lovely trip but the family next to us had Merseyside accents and must have been asked the same question as their check in agent was giving them directions past the Jet2 desk, right onto the escalators then straight forward into security. A very nice touch I thought.

As it was school holidays we had booked express lane security and walked straight to the front. As usual it was very efficient and we were heading into World Duty Free in only a few mins. Looking across the regular queue was very small so we may not have needed express lane after all but it sure didn't hurt. After watching with tears in my eyes as Mrs F and the kids emptied my bank account into the World Duty Free till we headed straight to Wetherspoons for some lunch.

Last year our flight to Porto had a similar departure time, one that was within 15 mins or so of EK40 and the departure lounge was heaving. This time we decided to get to the airport a little earlier and it sure paid off, Wetherspoons was roughly 75% or so full and we got a table with ease. After finishing lunch I got myself another Abbott Ale but noticed that it was bursting at the seams now with people circulating for a table. Feeling guilty that we were no longer eating I gave our table to a very grateful family and finished my drink at the bar whilst Mrs F and #1 sprog went off to spend even more money. That departure lounge extension cannot come soon enough.

After the family had finished spending there was still 25 mins till our gate announcement and as the departure lounge was now heaving we headed up to the pier for a bit of peace and quiet. This really is a great spot, light, airy, so much quieter than the main lounge and best of all it has great views over the aprons and runway. We watched several flights boarding and there looked to be some very healthy loads.

I bought a beer from Costa and settled in for some viewing :)

Emirates A380

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Qatar 787 recently arrived from Doha

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Arriving on stand with 'our' Jet2 aircraft turning on to the stand next to it.

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Which livery will it be, the kids had a bet and one was left very disappointed :)

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Part II coming in a min.
 
LS 1245 BHX-IBZ-BHX

Almost as soon as I took the last sip of my beer the screen showed that we were to board from gate 41, at the far end of the pier, so we had a slow walk up and took a seat. As soon as we arrived we saw that the aircraft was to be G-JZBF, in the Jet2 Holidays Livery, one kid was overjoyed with the other not happy at all :LOL:

Boarding was finally announced and a orderly queue formed, passes were shown and we descended the stairs and walked across the tarmac to stand 42R. As we boarded the cabin crew were extremely friendly with one guy cracking jokes with the kids and with G-JZBF being a pretty new aircraft the inside was immaculate. Boarding was completed pretty quickly and after an announcement from the flight deck about routing etc we pushed back on time. Looking out of the window we noticed Emirates, a Flybe, a Ryanair and another Jet2 in front of us with a TUi and another Jet2 behind and after holding for a few landing (including what looked like a Ryanair go around) we departed about 20 mins later. After making a right turn the seat belt signs came back on within minutes of going off due to turbulence, as it turned out it wasn't that bad and they were off again by the time that we reached the channel.

Climbing over the leafy Shires of Middle Earth

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The routing took us over London and Paris, both of which were obscured by cloud, then over France towards the Barcelona area then out over the Mediterranean towards Majorca where we made a right turn towards Ibiza.

Palma de Mallorca

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We then flew over head of the Island giving great views of the coast before making a left turn

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A further left turn lined us up with the runway and the final descent into Ibiza

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Part III next :)
 
Arrival at IBZ

After a smooth landing we had a short taxi to stand 29 where we were greeted with an air bridge. The cabin crew had been fantastic throughout being very attentive but not in your face, they were all very cheery and great with the kids. As we were leaving the aircraft one of the guys noticed my lad looking into the cockpit and invited him in for a look around. With turn around times so tight and lots to do on the flight deck I thought that the crew might have reluctantly let him have a quick peek before we had to leave but they genuinely seemed pleased to have him in there. Both pilots asked him lots of questions and when he said that he was five years old the captain started talking to me about his daughter who was the same age. As you can imagine this meant a huge amount to my son who was absolutely beaming, he hasn't stopped talking about it since and tells anyone who'll listen that they have to fly with Jet2.com.

Ibiza immigration was quick, there was a little wait for the bags but nothing major, as we exited into the main concourse the Jet2 rep was immediately visible (again with a huge smile) and we were soon sat on the coach ready to head to the resort and start our holiday :)

Fantastic service from Jet2 (y)

Part IV our return up next.
 
18/08/18

LS1246 IBZ-BHX

Pick up this morning was at 09:30 for the 20 min ride to IBZ which was busy but not heaving. Jet2 had several desks open for flights to Glasgow, Stansted and ours back to Birmingham. Check in was efficient taking around 15 mins and Ibiza security took less than 10 mins to clear.

Once the gate was announced (number 8) a queue quickly built up but with the Jet2 agent taking families with young children out of the line to form a second it quickly became two queues. With some angry looking faces to our right the family line was first to board and after descending the stairs we boarded a bus for the journey out to a remote stand (17 I think) to board G-JZHP, which wears the silver and red livery making one child extremely happy. As we made our way onto the aircraft the cabin crew were again very friendly and once boarding was complete we had an announcement from the flight deck apologising for the delay (I hadn't even realised that there was one) and departed RWY06 21 minutes late, which is not what I would consider a 'delay'.

Soon after departure we made a left turn over Santa Eulalia (where we were staying) routing to the west of Barcelona, over Andorra and up towards Toulouse. FR24 shows that we made a left turn towards La Rochelle then a right turn up towards Caen. There were a couple of left and right turns over the Channel, a left turn to the west of London then a left hand circuit over Warwickshire before landing on RWY33 almost on time. As we made the left hand circuit over Warwickshire three more aircraft to the left of us following the same routing were visible against the clouds with more behind as we looped further round.

The flight back was a little more subdued, which is often the case, and other than one sudden jolt which bought a squeal or two it was pretty smooth. The cabin crew were again very friendly and attentive and on both journeys the on board sales seemed to do very well.

After landing back at Birmingham we parked on stand 42R and after a short wait whilst the guy had about 11 shunts trying to manoeuvre the steps (someone else came across to do it in the end :) ) we left the aircraft, walked across the same tarmac and up the same stairs that saw us doing the reverse 11 days ago and made our way the full length of the pier to UKBF. We were through very quickly and after getting to the carousel it started moving within minutes. As it was our second bag was the last but one to come off but we still managed aircraft to exiting the building within 30 mins or so.

Making a left turn over Santa Eulalia

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Clearing the clouds over the Med

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Making a left hand circuit with BHX just about visible

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Final thoughts next then I promise that I am done :)
 
It is probably obvious from the above that our experience with Jet2.com was excellent, at every turn there always seemed to be a smiling face and someone in a Jet2 uniform clearly visible. I cannot mention enough positives about the cabin crew and the pilots that allowed my five year old to visit the cockpit but I would like to add a little about Jet2 Holidays with whom we booked our package.

Once at our hotel the Jet2 information was easily obtainable and the representative made seven visits per week over six days. As Jet2 say, they want to be clearly visible but not intrude on your holiday and I think that they have achieved a perfect balance.

In the past I have never used a rep for anything more than booking a trip or asking where the nearest supermarket is but on this occasion my little one came down with a nasty ear infection and after getting some stuff from the pharmacist it was getting worse so we decided she needed to see a doctor. We went to the rep to ask where the nearest medical centre was and expected a map with directions, which she gave us. She also called the doctors to obtain their opening hours and to confirm whether they would treat her with the EHIC Card or whether we needed to bring insurance details. Within 2 hours my little one was set with antibiotics and pain relief with the only sadness being 48 hours out of the pool. On top of the above I got a call the next day from the rep asking how we got on at the docs and a few hours after that I received a text from Jet2 advising me of their 24 hour emergency helpline should we require any further assistance.

Absolutely first class service (y)

Our whole experience with Jet2 from initial booking to returning back to Birmingham has been fantastic and when we needed that little bit of assistance they went above and beyond.

The only downside is that it's now all over :(

If anyone has made it this far then thank you for reading :)
 
Above is the review of our Jet2 flights to and from Ibiza. I originally did them in the airline reviews forum but I think that they also have a place here :)
 
Lovely report Ray seems Jet2 were just about o.k. then? we are flying with them for the first time next May to Gran Canaria, flight only as we book our accommodation seperatly really looking to see if Jet2 are as good as their reputation.

We are due out there with Ryanair (same destination ) next month hoping for a better experience than last time with them last chance saloon for them despite the pricing.
 
Welcome back Ray, it sounds like you had a great time in Ibiza. Was it really hot or OK ?

It sounds like Jet2 and the holidays part of Jet2 are a really efficient company to go with.

We have all kept things ticking over for you over the past week or two but you have not missed much tbh apart from BHX and Turkish Airlines going over the top with the announcement of a new double daily service to IST, lol. I dont think some in the media realised that this service is double daily 5 days of the week anyway but hey ho we have agreed on this occasion not to be harsh with the media team at BHX as due to the disaster that was Primera Air, any good publicity for the airport is to be welcomed. Wizz Air to Cluz was also formally announced and is on the webpage too.

We also get our regular peak holiday season Turkish A330 in the next couple of weeks.

Oh well Ray time to get your shirts ironed for work tomorrow, you have got work to do. ;)

Cheers
 
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Lovely report Ray seems Jet2 were just about o.k. then? we are flying with them for the first time next May to Gran Canaria, flight only as we book our accommodation seperatly really looking to see if Jet2 are as good as their reputation.

We are due out there with Ryanair (same destination ) next month hoping for a better experience than last time with them last chance saloon for them despite the pricing.

We enjoyed it, hopefully you'll have a similar experience :)

Welcome back Ray, it sounds like you had a great time in Ibiza. Was it really hot or OK ?

Fabulous time, Santa Eulalia is really beautiful.

Weather was hot with the temperatures 31/32 and the 'feels like' temperature 37/38. On our last day we had a major thunderstorm and rain of monsoon proportions which lasted about an hour and a half, it felt much cooler afterwards but still very pleasant sat outside for dinner in the evening :)

Oh well Ray time to get your shirts ironed for work tomorrow, you have got work to do.

:bigtears:
 
Just got back from Malta with Jet2. Very good airline, perhaps a bit Hi de Hi on board but staff attentive. One thing though don,t pay in Euros as the change in Sterling you get is ridiculous, 2 Pepsi's cost £10 that way. Arrival into BHX was quick, parked on 72 and bus was there quickly, immigration was a short queue even though the sign said 10 mins,bags arrived in 10 mins so overall very good. Malta is also a very efficient airport!
 
Just got back from Malta with Jet2. Very good airline, perhaps a bit Hi de Hi on board but staff attentive. One thing though don,t pay in Euros as the change in Sterling you get is ridiculous, 2 Pepsi's cost £10 that way. Arrival into BHX was quick, parked on 72 and bus was there quickly, immigration was a short queue even though the sign said 10 mins,bags arrived in 10 mins so overall very good. Malta is also a very efficient airport!

Good to know about Malta airport as we are on a fly cruise from there next June but the cruise company (P&O) cannot confirm the airline yet but say its TUI or TCX.

Flying from BHX naturally.
 

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9 trips in 9 days done 70 miles walked and over 23-00 photos taken with a large number taken at 20mph or above. Heavy rain on 1 day only
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wondering why on my "holidays" I choose to get up 2 hours earlier than when going to work. 6 trips in 6 days soon coming up with 3 more days to sort out

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