John Wright Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 Well, flying to Gatwick this morning. I’ll report back. My hold bag cost more than the flight. I’m flying alone. The ambulift is alleged not to be working. So it’s impractical to solo take my (otherwise free) larger hand baggage on board and cope with sticks and seat cushions up the steps. Then train to Victoria. Return flight £59.98 Return 15kg hold bag £67.98. It only weighs 8kg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Flint Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 Manchester on Saturday. Wish me luck.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asitis Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 ........ and people say those who would be terrorists haven't won ! Yes they have they've crippled air travel. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTF Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 28 minutes ago, John Wright said: Return 15kg hold bag £67.98. It only weighs 8kg. take it to a post office instead of the airport and sent it to your destination in time to arrive before you do. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ringy Rose Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 (edited) Manchester has been a shitshow for as long as I can remember. Staff cost money and what would the shareholders say? It doesn't help that the security staff they do have are all gormless. Turns out only stupid people sign up for a job which involves getting shouted at all day for minimum wage. I avoid it as much as possible, but sadly it's not always possible because Liverpool Airport is such an arse to get to from Yorkshire. Edited March 17, 2022 by Ringy Rose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banker Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 1 hour ago, Amadeus said: Manchester has consistently been one of the worst airports where customer experience is concerned. I avoid it whenever possible. Last time I had to use it, my bag went to secondary screening because something covered something up on the xray, so they had to put it through again - only for the guy to put it through the same way again and the same error being thrown up again, resulting in the bag going through x-ray a third time. When I commented on that, I got a pissy "everyone makes mistakes" as reply. Except that's literally his only job there and they couldn't manage it. The queue was already huge and they obviously have problems with staff. Looks like classic management failure. That’s another issue at Manchester, loads of bags being rejected for things like a lipstick etc in bags or for no apparent reason causing more massive delays, doesn’t seem to happen in Liverpool or Gatwick 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Wright Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 Ronaldsway. 11.38. EZY said be 3 hours early. I did. Check-In still closed. Car park chokka. Only 4 disabled spaces. All full. Parked at the furthest corner. Not the best start. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTF Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 5 minutes ago, John Wright said: Ronaldsway. 11.38. EZY said be 3 hours early. I did. Check-In still closed. Car park chokka. Only 4 disabled spaces. All full. Parked at the furthest corner. Not the best start. good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowman Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 "EZY said be 3 hours early. " They're stating that on all their flights across the network. Not just IOM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amadeus Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 39 minutes ago, John Wright said: Ronaldsway. 11.38. EZY said be 3 hours early. I did. Check-In still closed. Car park chokka. Only 4 disabled spaces. All full. Parked at the furthest corner. Not the best start. Yeah I got that easyjet email as well. I think it's a standard one, maybe because of the Manchester screw up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amadeus Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 2 hours ago, Banker said: That’s another issue at Manchester, loads of bags being rejected for things like a lipstick etc in bags or for no apparent reason causing more massive delays, doesn’t seem to happen in Liverpool or Gatwick Gatwick has improved tremendously in recent years. The security area is super efficient now and the last few times, staff were friendly and the whole experience was probably as good as it'll ever get outside Asia. Really impressed. Maybe Manchester could send their staff and management there for training. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Wright Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 Through security. In lounge. Now I've got 90 mins to waste. I notice the 2 x-ray machines are new. Plenty of staff. Triggered a security alert. I carry spares for the chair. Essential bolts and brackets, washers, nuts, etc, and a small tool kit. Never been a problem. Supervisor and her line manager had to approve. Was chatting about the ambulift, with someone who knows. A new one arrived, the old one decommissioned, new one was then rejected as unfit for purpose. Second new one is at Ronaldsway, but not been commissioned as ground handling haven’t been trained in safe operation. They kept that quiet! So, it’s the emergency stair climbing evacuation chair, or a struggle up the steps. Check in to lounge has taken 40 minutes so far. If I hadn’t brought the tools and spares I’d have been through in 15. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happier diner Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 1 hour ago, John Wright said: So, it’s the emergency stair climbing evacuation chair, or a struggle up the steps. That is not acceptable. Its 2022. You deserve better. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Wright Posted March 18, 2022 Share Posted March 18, 2022 18 hours ago, Happier diner said: That is not acceptable. Its 2022. You deserve better. Thank you. It was ridiculous. But this isn’t about me. It’s about the airport, and travel for everyone. Travel that doesn’t treat some passengers more like cattle than others. Departures lounge has a decent accessible loo. But the area to the right of the pan, where you’re supposed to be able to reverse a chair and self transfer by sliding, if you’ve no lower body strength to stand, now has a nappy bin and large bin, making it inaccessible. There ended up being 5 of us travelling in wheelchairs. Two were non ambulant and had to use the evacuation stair crawler. That took 3 staff, one passenger at a time. One non verbal young woman with CP was terrified. ( she communicated via a voice programme on a PDA ). The stair crawler and the efforts of the three who struggled up was in full view of the rest of the passengers, who were in the tunnel. Push back from stand was 25 minutes late. Gatwick provided an ambulift. A really good one. But had only been told one person required assistance. Deplaning took a long time. Gatwick Express isn’t running, I’d prebooked an any time/operator ticket to London terminals. Two operators, Thameslink to Kings X/St Pancras or London Bridge or Southern to Victoria. Thameslink carriages have level access from platform. Southern require ramps. By then I was running two hours later than expected and in danger of missing my theatre date. So I took Southern. Network Rail staff were courteous and ramping at both ends worked well. Dumped bags at hotel. Taxi to Wilton’s Music Hall. There I saw an updated version of HMS Pinafore. All male cast. Men singing the women’s roles falsetto. Great acting, dancing, and singing. G&S, repurposed, lives. I sang along. Last time I saw Pinafore was when I was a sailor, in the chorus, at school. How apposite for the day. A Victorian tale of class, snobbery and governmental incompetence. Lampooning WH Smith becoming 1st Lord of the Admiralty despite never having gone to sea, along with star crossed lovers and babies swapped at birth. Its worth saying that between ages 10 & 17 I was in the chorus of 8 different G&S productions, gentleman of Japan, ancestral ghost, dragoon guard, member of House of Lords, juror, sailor, policeman, villager. I know the music and librettos inside out. Watch the trailer, here, 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amadeus Posted March 19, 2022 Share Posted March 19, 2022 The car park sure looks interesting these days https://frankdrives.com/in-pictures-the-big-parking-free-for-all-at-ronaldsway-airport/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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