Flyglobespan

[john deed]

Watch out for this shard outfit. They more or less have monoply in flying out of Eduinburgh to popular holiday destinations. They advertise good flight times in early season (i think without confirmation from airports). After a few weeks, when plane is fairly well booked (and paid for) they contact you with flight times that are normally unacceptable, as these ridiculous times don't allow onward travel arrangements to be honoured.

(transfers & collection of property keys). To add insult to injury, no refund is permitted if you want to cancel.

Their other trick is to advertise direct flights. Once on board you may find that they are going to trail you all over the place in order to collect sufficient passengers to fill plane. The staff know this, yet no warning is given to the punters at time of booking as to the possibility of this happening, so that an alternative flight may be booked.

It's high time that this outfit had some real competition!!!!!

[buzby]

I think you are being unduly unfair - what you describe is pretty typical in many cases for no-frills/charters and having flown with them several times, have only been inconvenienced once, when a supposedly direct flight from Glasgow to Orlando stopped both in Belfast and Bangor (Maine), This was due to a smaller plane being used (they hadn't filled all the seats on the scheduled plane, so sent a smaller one as this had reduced range, a stop at Bangor was required to refuel, Do also remember if the flight times change significantly from those booked you can cancel, but the chances of making it at all to your destination close to your departure date are slim. As for transfers and property keys collection, etc - that's never been an airline's responsibility - if the connecting flight is with the same airline, you may get some leeway, but even Ryanair explain they won;t be responsible if one of their connections fail as they don;t through-ticket, they are all separate journeys.

 

Finally, I flew to Florida 10 years ago for £308 return. In 2008 my Globespan ticket is £319 - so in real terms my flight cost is a quarter of what it reasonably should be, so the issue isn't competition - they'll all apply the same or similar rules - but going with the flow and making it work to your advantage.

[scaniaman]

You are entitled to your opinion of course. log on to [EDIT] type in flyglobespan(or globespan) and you will see 40+ complaints. There is another site of complaints against them, too many to count. I can't remember name of site as it mainly concerned transatlantic flights, which are of no interest to me. Even this afternoon, I had a visit from a young mum who is furious with globespan. They booked flights which were suitable considering the age of the children. Globespan changed the times and now they are due back in edinburgh at 4.30AM. Unless their T&C have changed recently, this mum claims that she could not cancel as she would have lost all her money. She feels dreadful for having young children out at this ungodly hour, but can't afford to lose all this amount of money. The flight I referred to in my original thread could have been changed if we had been advised timeously. There was a direct flight at lunch time.

Edited June 19, 2008 by Rooster-UK
Commercial website links removed.

[buzby]

As you are yours, but whilst I have no intention of supporting Globespan's customer policies (they can do that themselves) the fact that they've probably shifted a million passengers in the last 12 months, the fact there are only 40+ whatever forum complaints to my mind is a pretty good average. As I understand it, BA have more complaints per passenger flown than any other UK airline. So does that mean you'd rather have BA flying your preferred route?

 

Human nature being what it is, folk will not usually write to forums to state that things went well - they only moan when stuff goes wrong and they're angry. Add to this on 3 sites I noticed it was the same bloke who was complaining about bad treatment by Ryanair for the same incident - which would give the less observant an impression that this was a common occurrence.

[scaniaman]

Yes Buzby, there are complaints about all travel companies, especially the budget ones. Im'e not sure that it is fair to compare BA (apart from terminal 5 fiasco)though. It used to be said that there were more Ford care involved in accidents--quite so, as there were considerably more Ford cars on the road than others. Would BA not come into this category?? I don't know. The point I am making about Globespan is that as far as Edinburgh is concerned, they have no competition, and play on this fact, treating customers like dogs dirt. They do have competition from other airports, so if not happy with Globespan there are other carriers available. They used to offer extensive package deals, but I notice that the choice of hotels has been drastically cut??? In todays paper they advertise their winter flights, and Prague seems to have been dropped. This may be because that last year JET2.com offered a much better flight time. It is my understanding that airport charges are considerably lower during "unsocial hours" and I think that's what Globespan are going for, but can't advertise this initially as no one would book.

[buzby]

I'm not sure what your primary complaint is...! Globespan are BASED in Edinburgh (all the numbers I call are 0131) so I assume they have some presence there. As for no competition, that complaint should be levelled at, well - the competition! That's not GS's fault. I fly 3+ times a year to Florida and used to have varied choices to get there - My Travel, Icelandair, Continental, GS and others. For 10 years this worked well until 2007 when after October, the ONLY airline flying direct is GS. OK, they've dropped their almost daily schedule to weekly, but at least they STILL fly there, so hats off to them for that, as my inconveniences are minor compared to if they did what the rest do and simply suspend flights until May. As to why the page deals are so bad (for hotels) how about the lack of people using them? It is often cheaper to arrange your own accommodation as you avoid the price hike associated with an airline package - the market is volatile, but in the last 5 years the trend has been for folk to arrange their own elements of the trip, so blaming GS's lack of choice seems msplaced in the extreme.

 

The bottom line, GS are no better or worse than any other - as a Scottish company I like to support them where I can in preference to competitiors, and for obvious reasons, I would never fly with BA (and indeed haven't since 1973. Tks for the debate, but I didn't want the impression the GS were spectacularly worse that other carriers, when their service record doesn't support this.

[scaniaman]

Thanks again Buzby. I don't know exactly why GS being an edinburgh firm, prevents them from giving better service. The competition you mention don't appear interested in the huge potential available X edinburgh. I understand that Ryanair are to start some flights in the late summer though. My complaint, like most of the others, is simply that we don't receive what we have paid for and GS won't give full refunds where they have changed "What it says on the can". They continue to hide behind their "Terms & Conditions" which were investegated in 2004 and may be investegated again this year by the OFT. Whilst I don't wish appear to be argumentative in any manner, forgive me for suggesting that you sound rather like a Tam Dalrymple sales person. I too. would prefer to patronise a Scottish based company, but experience has taught me that several EDINBURGH firms are completely shard. Happy flying.

[john deed]

27/5/08.Todays Courier carries an article stating that Flyglobespan are to be prosecuted by the civil aviation authority for supposedly running a plane with a faulty engine pressure gauge. On another count, they are charged for not notifying this fault in the appropriate manner.

How can they repair faults when the planes are seldom on the ground long enough for maintanance? Now,remind me , WHO'S safety is at stake here??

[buzby]

Whose plane was it? As an operator, Globespan use at least 4 firms (that I'm aware of) that supply aircraft and crew for Globespan to use. Under those circumstances, I would expect maintenance &c would be the full responsibility of the contracted supplier, with Globespan having no input into the maintenance or crewing of the plane, unless directly under their full control. The Courier probably thinks that every plane Globespan uses belongs to them. If it WAS their own plane, then shame on them, nut if it wasn't.... Remember Air Scotland?

[scaniaman]

buzby, rather think it would be one of their own planes, or one which they are responsible to caa for. Can't see CAA bringing court action against GS if not their responsibility!! Don't know how licensing system works, but whoever that plane is registered to will be accountable to CAA.

[buzby]

Absolutely, but Flyglobespan's routes don't disclose who the plane's owner is - even one's actually painted in FG's own livery. Have a look at Flyglobespan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for more details, espcially the on-off ESOP licence which only has relevance to FG's own fleet of aircraft.

[scaniaman]

Thanks for that Buzby. Knew that GS sometimes sub-contract Jet2.com, but headrest covers and cabin crew uniforms are changed to FGS.

There are other serious complaints in the pipeline for GS, but can't expand at present as you never know who is watching these websites.

[Thailand]

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Edinburgh, East and Fife | Airline faces safety prosecution

[buzby]

Pat on the back for Globespan!

 

They've been badly hit with the rise in the cost of aviation fuel, and have talked about having to impose a £25 increase per set per leg to cover the increase. We had already paid a deposit to book 6 seats to the USA in December, so the addition of £300 to our flight costs would be substantial, so we called a travel agent for advice.

 

They said SCHEDULED carriers will lock the fare provided it is paid in full before the surcharge is imposed, however CHARTERS (of which Globespan is) can impose a fuel surcharge irrespective if whether the ticket is fully paid for. We'd need to contact GS for their policy.

 

Spoke to their Edinburgh HO, to be told that they have NOT imposed surcharges yet, but expect to do so unless the fuel costs stop rising at their present level. That said, anyone who already has a confirmed booking (by either paying in full or a deposit) will NOT be surcharged. This will only affect those who purchase seats if the future, and the cost will be shown as part of the booking process.

 

Good on them. A fair resolution to a thorny problem!

[scaniaman]

As Auld granny used to say "live horse and you'll get corn". Remember, it's Flyglobespan you're talking about here. They are an EDINBURGH company!!! Many people would like to give them pat on the back----with a cricket bat.

[buzby]

True, but I think there's many more who fly BA and question why, having already been found out price fixing fuel surcharges, they still retain the right to continue to charge it after such abuses, and have hiked it twice in the last month. GS may be an Edinburgh company, but I trust them slightly more than BA...

[scaniaman]

Buzby, Just checked GS website and clicked on to their T&C which I haven't read for some time. I suspect that the volume of complaints have prompted them to admit exactly what you might expect from them in comparison to what is advertised. What I can't fathom out is what they mean EXACTLY in the last sentence, in reference to passengers own insurance. Are they suggesting that an insurance company will compensate for Globespans bad organisation??

I bet that every coach and lorry operator in the country wished they could impose T&C's like GS to facilitate maximum profits. When would we ever arrive at our destinations or when would our goods ever reach the shops.?? Take the latter in the context of fresh food/milk.

[buzby]

I'll grant you it's ambiguous, but then is;t that the basis of much of UK law ? It's all about interpretation. I looked at other carriers and found the only generic similarity is with other charters (as opposed to full-blown scheduled airlines) so I don't think they're being that onerous - but I agree it woukl be 'nicer' if the clauses weren't there!

[PhilGuy]

I'm in the US and I find it interesting that this airline seems to have so many complaints against it but still it continues to operate. Here in the US our air transportation system is not perfect, of course, but certainly the UK must have some type of regulatory body which ensures that consumers are not cheated, right? Isn't there some form of recourse in the UK against air transportation companies which are not acceptably performing? I thought the EU had pretty strict rules. Anyway, I am thinking of flying with Globespan from Hamilton, Canada, in the fall for a vacation in Ireland, but I'm seeing so many complaints against this company I am a bit hesitant to fly with them even though their price and schedules seem to be quite good. One would think that the UK's regulators would require better performance. Has anyone flown Hamilton-Belfast recently? Were their flights reasonably on time? How was their on-board service? Any comments you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[buzby]

I'd query the 'so many' complaints. What airline doesn't? Do you think Air Canada are any better If someone feels aggrieved, they complain, if they don't, they won't - so it's a very one-sided process as you only hear from those who weren't satisfied. They've just celebrated carrying their X millionth passenger recently, so there's a lot of folk out there who have had a positive experience and not bothered to tell about it.

 

THis is a SMALL airline, and with it goes the problems of reduced resources and a limited ability to cope when a problem arises, but having seen how the flag carriers are now leaving passengers at the airport when crew changes do wrong, I don't think thats the kind of parity we hoped for...

[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.