Flyglobespan

[scaniaman]

To Globespan shareholder/salesperson. re X millionth passenger. If you read www. complaintsboard.com, you will see that many of us have to put up with FGS as there is NO alternative from East Scotland. (Recently Ryanair !!!!!) x edinburgh. Yes, some of us have had good dealings with FGS, but our bad dealings exceed the good. One regular customer had 66.6% of his flights changed after booking. this was at time of posting his complaint. I know that this figure has increased as a result of his 2007 flights. Again, no competition x edinburgh. This flying people all over the place to fill plane is just not on, unless the punter has prior knowledge of the fact that this MAY be a possibility. As said previously, this should be made clear at time of booking. It is for customer to make this decision, not FGS. If my memory serves me correctly, I recently mentioned that the CAA made recommendations to airlines to follow a code of practice, following customer complaints. Some airlines chose to ignore this code as it was not mandatory---so much for the CAA the regulatory AUTHORITY.

[buzby]

Whose the shareholder? Isn't it a private company? As for 'salesperson' - you assume because I'm not jumping on your bandwagon I am somehow in their employ? Dream on!

You main complaint seems to be about competition, doI explain how this is a fault of FGS. If they are your only choice, then the problem lies elsewhere. You also appear to wish to stifle any opportunity of competition by having the CAA regulate everything for the benefit of consumers. If it did there would be only ONE airline (in Russia, Aeroflot comes to mind).

I think we get the point that for whatever reason you don;t like FGS. That's your right. Hopefully you'll not/never fly with them again as by voting with your feet, you'll ensure no other airline would want to provide a similar service from Edinburgh... or is that not obvious?

[scaniaman]

Dear , dear Buzby, so sorry for ruffling your feathers. We obviously think in very different levels. Of course I agree that there are two sides to every coin. Unfortunately, i will be flying with GS this year, as Ryanair were too late announcing their routes. It may help you understand my point of view if you tap away there, and try to book a DIRECT flight from any of the three EAST of Scotland airports to Med holiday resorts. Forgetting Ryanair, I think the only direct flights are from Dundee to Jersey/Guernsey, which are not Med resorts. Everywhere else is by GS.
If Ryanair have any sense at all, they will play the game straight, give reliable service, and not treat their passengers like ----. By doing this, they will give GS such a dent as to make them realise what competition really is, and hopefully improve their ways of working.
For the record, competition is not what this is all about. It's the lack of competition which allows GS to get off with what they do. The real issues, again from east scotland, are Changing flight times after booking, and without offering a full refund if new times not acceptable. Carting people all over the place, without their prior knowledge and consent. and failure to provide a reliable, effective and cheap access to a Customer Services Unit. Those involved in translantic flights obviously take issue with the lack of personnel at airports when things go wrong.
To quote GS as being a small outfit, and not having certain resources, is no excuss. They should be like the rest of us and trade within their limits.
Of course limits have sometimes to be stretched to grow a business, but surely even you must agree that there has to be "A line". Going away for a few days with my spell checker. Likely hear from you next week!!!

[PhilGuy]

Buzby, you're right, a smaller airline simply doesn't have the resources that a larger one does. And, of course, what airline doesn't have complaints against it? You're right, when things are done properly no one posts a message, usually only when things don't go as planned. I'm participating in the message board on another site and I will readily admit that I am seeing good things also written there about GS. I do like their schedule from Hamilton to Belfast (and return) and their price is great for the dates I'm thinking of. I've traveled a lot (yes, even Air Canada) and I can tell you some interesting stories (who can't?). But I just don't want to be unduly delayed overseas when I need to be back at work, especially since I will also have a multiple-hour drive back to my home from Hamilton. It's a legitimate concern. The old saying holds true: do your homework!

[Rooster-UK]

It's the old principle that if you get it right, nobody remembers. But get it wrong and nobody forgets.

[scaniaman]

Surely we should treat these posts like a pendulum. If service or whatever is particularly bad, then we are entitled to complain. If anything is exceptionally good many of us would find it incumbent upon us to write a favourable review, praise where it is due. But one can't expect praise where a service has just gone routinely, all part of a days work.
As far as GS is concerned, pre 2006 I had no complaint with them, they delivered what their web adverts said they would. Not exceptional, neither bad, therefore no comments required.
But they are sharp operators, their T&C prove this.
At week end I was away for a few days. During our stay i happened to get into conversation with the restaurant manageress. It transpired that her family are also in dispute with GS. They booked (and paid in full)flights very far in advance. Unforseen and sudden health problems caused them to cancel, still giving GS months to re-sell seats. Apparently, they were offered a miserable £20or£25 each as a refund. This greatly angered a family member, who instead of cancelling, will just do a No-Show, therebye not allowing GS to resell the seats and not make a killing at customers expense. Other firms manage to operate a time related sliding scale for refunds----but gs?? (the words Need & GREED spring to mind)

[buzby]

Sharp Practice? It's the industry NORM! No point making this a GS issue, ALL charters work this way! Indeed, the prospect of not cancelling and somehow leaving the airline with an empty seat ('and serve them right') overlook the fact that even charters overbook seats, so whether you do or do not cancel - and let's be realistic here, you made a commitment and then didn't follow it through - doesn't give that passenger any moral high ground... just a petulant one.

[scaniaman]

For goodness sake, how can you possibly use the words commitment and globespan in the same thread. They can't even be used together in the same book!! How often does GS make a commitment, then fail to follow it through??? You mention that all airlines are bad,then show everyone the websites that are so prolific in blagging these firms, as compared with Flyglobespan.

[buzby]

If you read what was said, the commitment required was on the part of the passenger, not the airline.

[scaniaman]

DOUBLE WHAMMY. If you want to know the best way to f---- up your annual vacation, just book with Flyglobespan. not only did they change the flight times of GSM401/402, they have just announced that these flights are unavailable on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Because Globespan is so unreliable, it's totally impossible to forward book transfers, accommodation and any other holiday requirements. In this instance they are reputed to be offering a full refund if customers can't use alternative flights. Live horse and you'll get corn!!!!!! Again, no other airline flying to Barcelona.

[scaniaman]

Strange goings on at globespan!?! In addition to the last thread, daughter was in hairdressers today and she said her flight to Palma had also been cancelled. On checking their website, it would appear that some Tuesday flights are cancelled. This has provided much fodder for the rumour merchants, especially since an early morning TV presenter mentioned that 18 airlines had gone down the swanny this year already!!!!!!!!!!!

[scaniaman]

DIET WITH DALRYMPLE. After sitting on tarmac for three hours, flight gsm 401 eventually took off. The trolly dolly's sprang into action---only to announce that the catering supplier hadn't loaded any food in the container. This was bad, considering the head steward sat idle for three hours and didn't think to check the container. Flight gsm 402--more of the same. Only a short time after starting to serve, the stewardess announced that they had run out of sandwitches etc etc.

[buzby]

At the prices they charge - they were doing you a favour! Like most other airlines, Globespan make an additional charge for providing food - ThompsonFly even say only 7 of passengers pay the extra, so I'd only hope that those that DID pay, got a refund or rebate on the relevant amount.