Calis Beach and Fethiye Turkey Discussion Forum
Flights, Airlines and Airports => Flights to Dalaman and Turkey, Airlines and Airports => Topic started by: Scunner on August 08, 2009, 23:28:28 PM
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Was it Rimms who asked about the ridiculous time taken to check in with Easyjet at Dalaman airport? Anyway, this may be why...
We aimed to get to Dalaman to check in earlier than normal, and when we arrived the desk numbers (3) were showing. 57-59 which are about as far away as you can get but at least three. A good number of people were there before us, although a single queue (rather than 3 separate ones) had formed, leaving us no more than six or seven metres back. Check in opened, but only one desk at 59 - the queue had formed more in line with 57, and immediately on opening a human mass lurched to the right almost as one. We had a number of cases so couldn't join the newly formed queue.
In a rather untypical stroke of luck for us at check in's, 57 opened with nobody left in line with it and we had gathered our cases and simply walked forward instead of right and we were first in the queue [:o]
From here I shall give you the whole painfully slow process in painfully clear detail :D
We gave our booking confirmation and were told they didn't want our booking confirmation, they wanted our passports. Then an incredible number of key presses on the keyboard that seemed to go on forever. I put two suitcases on the belt and they were tagged and sent on their way. Eventually we were given our boarding cards and I had a confused look which generated an equally confused look from the check in guy. I cleared his confusion by lifting our other two cases on the belt. He never asked how many cases we were checking in (actually, he didn't ask us if we packed them ourselves, were carrying fireworks or any of that formality stuff whatsoever.
Much tapping of keys. Second lot of 2 cases tagged. Eventually. Then he informed us that we were TWO KG over our allowance. I asked him if he was serious. Yes, he was serious. "Your allowance is 80 Kilo, you have checked in 82 kilo". I asked if he wanted me to pay. "Yes, £9 per kilo, £18". I informed him that (as he knew) there were 4 of us so he was making us pay for being 500g over each. "Yes, 2 kilo over".
I asked if I could take 2 Kg out, he said I could. Problem was that the only suitcase left was the one with the girl's clothes in, and to remove 2kg worth from that would be a large amount to carry. Had it been easy to get to a toaster or any single 2kg lump I would have. I turned to explain to Steph what the hell was going on and he really wasn't bothered that in doing so I was holding up the whole queue!
In the end I had a discussion with all the poor customers behind me and explained what was going on and again he sat uninterested. Our fellow travellers were very much with us, one even offering to carry to 2kg for us. I informed the guy that after this 10 minute stand off I couldn't be bothered and would pay the £18.
There is a form that is filled in when you pay, and this took a while. Now you would think that there was a well oiled mechanism for paying. No such luck - another bozo must accompany you to the Easyjet office to pay (he holds your boarding cards, if you don't pay you don't fly). How do you think the check in clerk contacts the accompany you to the office guy? A mobile phone perhaps? Two way radio? Not a bit of it. Stand on the luggage belt, looking around the terminal for a distant figure...ultimately waving arms high to a third party airport worker, pointing at accompanying man, who eventually came.
You pay your £4.50 each (in our case) in an office really close to the Easyjet check in desk. It's no more than 3 metres away! Sadly, 3 metres BEHIND the check in desk, meaning 150m walk back along all the right side desks, with a double back to right behind where you started. In the office, another employee starts up (and apologises for) another painfully slow computer. Twenty quid presented leads to a major discussion on how to find £2 change. Eventually all done, receipt is completed and I am thanked, and wished a good flight.
I am sure this quest for £18 took 15 minutes at the check in desk, forgetting the payment side. Ultimately I couldn't care less about £18, I've got away with much more excess baggage on DLM-UK flights with other airlines. Whether the time was invested wisely by Easyjet, with a huge restless queue behind me is not for me to decide.
Just for the record, here is my receipt for the 500g per passenger excess baggage charge so inflexibly enforced:
(http://www.calisvilla.co.uk/ejexcess.jpg)
I always believe that life is a 'swings and roundabouts' affair, and so it proved. £18 down, I ultimately arrived at the Europcar desk at Manchester airport. My request for a rather dowdy Ford Mondeo for our 5 hour drive to Scotland had been upgraded to an AMG Mercedes beast of a car :D
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:)I'll make sure I dont get a flight back with them, I hate the going back bit, everyone seems to change from their holiday happy mode, to there pushing in queue, argumentetive,getting drunk mode.no wonder we all want to stay.:P
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I hope Ryanair are better, We`re flying to Dublin with them next month
(http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/pp173/crabbit49/crab.gif)
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:) They are worse Crab, much worse, hahahahaha. ;) especially with the boarding, one mad rush.:P
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After reading Anna Smith column in the New of the World today and her experiences with Ryanair. I think the advise would be get to the Airport really early. Ryanair seem to have too few check-in desks for the number of passengers, from this lady's experience they close the flights whilst people are still queueing with their baggage.
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They haven`t met me yet. : :): :)
(http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/pp173/crabbit49/crab.gif)
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Take the point about not being bothered Scunner!
I was just thinking about how crappy they were over 2 kilos. You even get 10% on a speed camera!
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blimey i am having a panic attack just reading this help
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Just to ice the cake, if you read the bottom line of the document, you won't be surprised when I tell you I had to adjust the scan to make the writing easier to see; it's actually yellow. So they didn't even give me the right copy :D
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Four of us flew with Jet2 (excellent airway by the way IMO). I'd reserved seats on the way back so wasn't bothered too much about the wait at check in. Our check in guy told us our 4 cases weighed 81Kilos so we would have to pay for the extra 1 kilo - I showed him my Jet2 information sheet which allows 22 kilos per passenger, therefore giving us 7 kilos under!!! (He didn't offer us a reimburesement however!)
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They're a laugh a minute aren't they.
My friend flew out from manchester 2 kilos over which she paid.
Coming back she had finished her toiletries, suncreams,coffee,coffeemate,2 books and had only bought 1 kids pair of shorts. Result was they said she was 2 kilos over ??? and she had to pay again. She couldn't possibly have been but how can you argue?
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W :o :ohen challenged at dalaman for being similarly overweight(luggage)!! i opened my suitcase and put 3 extra layers of clothes on and gifted the chek out girl a beach towel!! sooo annoying!!
seriously though,the point has to be made about the individuals weight? as scunner said kids usually weigh very little.
when you ask about luggage being slightly overweight on check in they insist that its airline policy for reasons of jet fuel consumption, and is a bid(so they say) to make people more green/aware about emissions etc.
on that premise should someone weighing double what i do in body weight pay extra? of course they should? then begs the question what is an acceptable weight for an adult? should very overwight people have to pay for 2 seats if they are spilling over in to your seat?
the reality is, its a scam as we all know to increase revenue for
the airline. :o
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I wonder what they would do if you said you had no cash or cards of any sort to pay the excess
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They wouldn't let you fly, the gits. They hold all the power.
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sorry to appear dumb, but what does "SA" & "B" mean? i've figured out the "SB" obviously, but have never noticed the others on my tickets, so don't understand. thanks to whoever replies!!!
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Safe Arrival and oops youre bu**ered:D
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quote:
Originally posted by arrian
sorry to appear dumb, but what does "SA" & "B" mean? i've figured out the "SB" obviously, but have never noticed the others on my tickets, so don't understand. thanks to whoever replies!!!
Taken from a post made by gyr
SA Special assistance, wheelchair and families with children
SB Speedy Boarding, a paid 'upgrade' for priority boarding but not available at Dalaman.
Group A, the first 30 (?) people who checked in, but this also includes people who check in on line, so front of the queue does not mean you will be in group A.
Group B, the rest.
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Watched Airline last night where Easyjet had overbooked a flight by 14 people what a fiasco it was.
I think the only thing to do with Easyjet is to get to the airport at least 3 hours in advance, as they seem, as a matter of course to over book flights.
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Since 99.9% of people book easyjet flights online, wouldn't it be easier to have a seat choosing option there? They can still keep their Speedy Boarding, then people who booked and printed off their seat numbers, then a much smaller scrummage at the end for those who didn't. They still wouldn't need to allocate seats at the desk.
They seem to think having no seat allocation means faster turnarounds, but the scenes at the boarding gates suggest otherwise.
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quote:
Originally posted by Jacqui Harvey
I think the only thing to do with Easyjet is to get to the airport at least 3 hours in advance, as they seem, as a matter of course to over book flights.
Jacqui, even that is no guarantee :(. I posted ealier about friends who managed to get adjacent seats across the aisle and when all the seats were taken there were 4 passengers stood at the front of the plane with no seats :(. They had to disembark and presumably the flight was delayed for their baggage to be offloaded. I repeat, do the check in staff not know how many seats there are on the aircraft [?]
I watched it last night too, diabolical[:(!]
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Too sensible but it's the obvious route to go down - c'mon Sterios and make it less hassle for everyone !!
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quote:
Originally posted by Jacqui Harvey
I think the only thing to do with Easyjet is to get to the airport at least 3 hours in advance, as they seem, as a matter of course to over book flights.
Its not just Easyjet, most airlines (scheduled that is) overbook flights. Usually there isn't an issue as regular carriers will either offer cash/flight incentives for folks to take an alternative flight or upgrade a few lucky ones to free up space in economy.
Personally I don't have a problem with Easyjet - use them regularly from Edinburgh to Madrid/Malaga plus Luton to Istanbul when I cant get on KLM (or if KLM are to expensive!). Never had any major issues over luggage, boarding etc. Check in staff in Spain can be a bit surly sometimes, but nothing to get upset about.
JF
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I think the budget airlines over book which is why they don't allocate a seat as they expect some no shows so they will make extra cash.
I always like to have my seat pre-booked then I will not have to join in the stramash to the plane.
We have also used Easyjet in the past for internal British Flights and for weekends in Amsterdam, and had no problems. I would be a bit worried about a longer flight to a two/three week destination, but may be tempted if they ever started flights from Aberdeen... some hope!!
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Jet2 offer the chance to book your seat online at the point of sale. At least you know you will have a seat even if it does cost a bit more.
Easyjet are a joke at times and I won't use them unless I have to.
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Hello Keith,
I had rigmarole with ThomasCook out of Luton. After chatting with appointed baggage handler Aviance (to pay my excess overcharge), the officer said check-in staff are being strictly audited now and can't afford to run risk to let you take over weight (I dont know if he means a governing body, union or their Manager?) I would,of course, have thought a 1 kg tolerance on each suitcase be permitted. He said it would have been in that case but mine was unfortunately way too much! As you say you win some, you lose some. I begin to think a lot depends now on which airline and which airport.
(Me, I've never used Easyjet - size of aeroplanes freak me out!)
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We flew out in June with BMI and the check in girl let us through with about 2kg over. However she did mention that we should be careful when coming back as Dalaman were getting very strict. Not a problem as we left quite a bit of stuff at the house so were well underweight coming home.
We, along with many others, checked our weight at an empty desk. It gives you a bit of time to remove any items you need to to get the weight down.
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Easyjet have the most modern fleet of aircraft operating in Europe.
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quote:
Originally posted by jwood
Easyjet have the most modern fleet of aircraft operating in Europe.
The seats are on order and are due to be fitted in 2011. :D
(http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/pp173/crabbit49/crab.gif)
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Hats off to the Easyjet cabin crew, they can even fill a 4.5 hour flight with things to sell you. Drinks and snacks, duty free, drinks and snacks, scratchcards, drinks and snacks. They are up and down that aisle constantly from start to finish. Every minute an opportunity to make another quid out of you.
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quote:
Originally posted by jwood
Easyjet have the most modern fleet of aircraft operating in Europe.
Quite true but it doesn't mean that much really.
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No it doesn't except that Jacqui said she would be worried about flying further than within GB or Amsterdam !?
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Hi All
re excess baggage at Dalaman-it is not just one airline-all are affected by the airport's baggage policy. They operate a zero tolerance policy unfortunately, so even 1 kg over the baggage weight allowance on your ticket is charged for! i work there for a UK tour operator & we always advise our customers on arrival how strict they are at Dalaman & the cost per kilo for excess(ours is £10!)for their return flight. As someone has said-you can weigh your cases on any empty check-in to give you an idea of what you have, & remember to use your full 5kg hand baggage allowance (alot of passengers don't). To answer the question about having no money etc to pay then it's simple-if you can't, or won't, pay then you have to offload the amount you are over & leave it behind at the airport!
it's harsh but it's the reality of charter airline travel worldwide these days unfortunately.
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Crabbit, that would explain why they book all those passengers in but there are never enough seats for them all....nice one:-\
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Actually, Easyjet are not a charter airline and like BA, AA , KLM and all the scheduled airlines they usually over book by a percentage because of 'no shows' which you don't tend to get with charter airlines such as Thomas Cook, Thomson, Monarch etc.....
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quote:
Originally posted by Rimms
quote:
Originally posted by arrian
sorry to appear dumb, but what does "SA" & "B" mean? i've figured out the "SB" obviously, but have never noticed the others on my tickets, so don't understand. thanks to whoever replies!!!
Taken from a post made by gyr
SA Special assistance, wheelchair and families with children
SB Speedy Boarding, a paid 'upgrade' for priority boarding but not available at Dalaman.
Group A, the first 30 (?) people who checked in, but this also includes people who check in on line, so front of the queue does not mean you will be in group A.
Group B, the rest.
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thanks for that, rimms, but i think maybe tribalelders' explanation might be the more accurate one sometimes!!!!
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quote:
Originally posted by jwood
No it doesn't except that Jacqui said she would be worried about flying further than within GB or Amsterdam !?
It's nothing to do with the quality of the planes, it's not the safety aspect I would worry about. I don't mind a flight on Easyjet for 1 hour for short break within the U.K. or to Amsterdam. I would be concerned about going to Turkey on three week holiday for these reasons.
Firstly, I would hate standing in the queue at Check-in wondering would we get on the flight or not, would it be over-booked?. If it was what do we do then? Our well planned break would then be in jepardy as we would have to re-book with Easyjet for the next day and take a chance we would fly, or accept compensation and try to find another flight. We fly from Scotland and there are not a lot of flight choices here.
Secondly, if we are lucky enough to get on the flight, We have no seat choice. I may have to sit for four and one half hours between two sweaty people, having to hold in my elbows, whilst my husband is probably half way down the plane somewhere. This is a really stressful way to start your holiday.
Lastly, it would be on my mind during my holiday that the same senario would happen at Dalaman on the return journey.
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quote:
Originally posted by Jacqui Harvey
quote:
Originally posted by jwood
No it doesn't except that Jacqui said she would be worried about flying further than within GB or Amsterdam !?
It's nothing to do with the quality of the planes, it's not the safety aspect I would worry about. I don't mind a flight on Easyjet for 1 hour for short break within the U.K. or to Amsterdam. I would be concerned about going to Turkey on three week holiday for these reasons.
Firstly, I would hate standing in the queue at Check-in wondering would we get on the flight or not, would it be over-booked?. If it was what do we do then? Our well planned break would then be in jepardy as we would have to re-book with Easyjet for the next day and take a chance we would fly, or accept compensation and try to find another flight. We fly from Scotland and there are not a lot of flight choices here.
Secondly, if we are lucky enough to get on the flight, We have no seat choice. I may have to sit for four and one half hours between two sweaty people, having to hold in my elbows, whilst my husband is probably half way down the plane somewhere. This is a really stressful way to start your holiday.
Lastly, it would be on my mind during my holiday that the same senario would happen at Dalaman on the return journey.
I guessed that's what you meant but did not want to assume anything. I agree entirely. OK for a short trip to Spain or Portugal but 4.5 hours to Turkey - no way.
Other companies can 'sort out' scheduled no frills so why can't easyjet? We flew with Airasia (Virgin) in Thailand and their speedy boarding cost about £2.50 and worked a treat. They even make sure anyone over the age of 65 gets on first as well at no extra cost.
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When we flew with airasia over 50's were getting on first along with the kids ! It was great.
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I must look young then 'cause I had to pay extra:D
You must have looked an old lot as they normally insist on 65's + for free xpress boarding ;) and those under 65 have to pay even if you are travelling with an 'oldie' ;)
Still a great idea and it means they can turn a plane around in 25 mins :o