David's World

June 28, 2007

9-hour delay of a jet2 plane because the crew couldn't install seats into the aircraft.

8 hours 35 minutes
a bad poem of a bad dream

two lonely reclineable seats near gate 2
power plugs for the laptop near gate 1, far away
a £3 voucher for airport breakfast
what a fun day.

got up before 6 for the flight at 9
the monitors say it's delayed to 15.30
What the hell?
"I'm sorry sir, you've got to take it up with jet2, and that's not me!"

But don't leave, we might get going earlier!
Exploring Edinburgh Airport on a rainy Saturday.
delayed: 15.45.

8 hours 35 minutes, why?

Bad weather caused a delay at Stansted on late Friday. The jet2 crew went over-time - and they then weren't fit to fly the plane back to Edinburgh. At the time, the plane was configured to fly cargo, but it was brought to Edinburgh for the 9-o'clock passenger flight to Prague.
A new, not-so-sleepy crew arrived and brought the plane back to Edinburgh overnight. What we were told about the furhter delay was quite incredible. They didn't manage to put the seats back into the plane! It wasn't until 17.30 that the jet2.com plane finally took off into the grey Northern skies.

The flight was full, and most of the passengers were understandable grumpy. The delay was foreseeable in the early morning. Why weren't passengers not informed? Their web site said "on time" all along. The flight crew with the "jet2" badges say: take it up with jet2. Jet2, that appears to be someone else.

And then they had the guts to sell us drinks on board.

"Thanks for flying with jet2, and we hope to see you again."
Foxtrot Uniform.

PS.:
I managed to find a direct number (no call center!) though -- inofficial, and almost certainly not meant for us "valueable" customers: +44 1202 597600, and 0113238744. If you have any success with these numbers, let me know in a comment (below).