Earlier on this year Airtours merged with JMC and are now operating their flights through My Travel Airways.

Our date for departure Saturday 22nd June 2002 arrived and we made our way to Gatwick Airport South Terminal and checked our luggage in and went through to departure lounge. We were awaiting for our gate number to appear and looking on the screens and we started to get agitated as we were meant to be taking off at 10.30am and there was no gate number at 10am then at 10.15 it said next information will be at 1 o'clock. So we waited until 1pm and were given a £5 drinks and food voucher to use on the plane or at the airport whilst we were waiting. So we grabed a bit of lunch and 1pm came and it was still stating next information at 1pm. So we waited patiently until 3pm then my mum went to the servisair desk to try and find out what was going on along with hundreds of other people. At 3.45 pm they made an announcement that "could all passengers awaiting the flight to Sanford MYT067 please come to the Servisair desk situated on the lower floor, thats all passengers for the Sanford Flght number MYT067 to come to the servisair desk immeadiately. So people started gathering together and some going mad because they had waited at the airport all day.

We were also given 2 soft drinks vouchers each at the same time.
Because they had already took our luggage we were not able to have this back so it would save time tomorrow and we could depart quicker. People were hopping mad as they had no underwear to change into and no costumes to go swimming in the hotel.Servisair said it wasn't their problem and we could buy some in the airport and then it was upto us to claim it back off our insurance company and they were unable to provide us with any money for any or any of these items.
My mum was not happy. She actually told me this happened to a group of her friends once when they were going to Canada and they demanded clean underwear and swimsuits and got it.
Anyway back to us.
We all got settled in the hotel and dinner was at 6.30 pm and there was a choice of chicken and pasta and veg. They were told to cook 200 pieces of chicken and when it got near the end of the queue there was about 30 of us that didn't get chicken.
Because people were greedy and took two pieces there wasn't enough to go round. So there was a big argument about this and people were demanding the chefs to cook more and they wouldn't because they said it would take too long. In the end they sent us lot upstairs to the posher restaurant and we had soup, carvery and desert. Which was great. We got the best deal in the end. It was still however done badly and they should of had us providing tickets so people couldn't take two pieces and extra pasta.
Anyway that was the evening. Then breakfast was at 7.30 am and the same thing happened. All the cereal, cakes, toast and crossaints that were put out were gone and there was still 30 people to eat. They also ran out of tea and coffee and juice and were not prepared to feed these other people. Luckily every one in our family got something but I felt so sorry for those who didn't. They demanded their breakfast and didn't leave until they got something and the cheifs were saying it wasn't their fault and to blame airtours/mytravel for mis counting. It could of been an error on their behalf for mis counting but it was also people that were going up for seconds and trying to be too greedy and had they had a ticket system in place this would not of happened. So I say an error by both the hotel and My travel.
Anyway it was time to go back to the airport and try again and hopefully we would take off today.
We went outside and waited for our transport of coaches back to the airport and some came but they were not letting us on. They parked up for a bit and then drove off. They had doubly booked the coaches. But then only two came to seat 200 people and there was a few of us left. So we had to wait whilst they booked another coach for about 10 of us. Anyway this came and we went back to the airport and went through checking again showing our boarding cards and the lady that checked them for us said we shared the same surname as her and as there was 5 seats left, 5 of us and we had been such nice people she ungraded us which was a good thing at least. But we had to keep quiet about it because it may of got people mad. Anyway we went into departure lounge and our gate number appeared at 9.50am and we moved through to the gate and they began boarding at 10.20. We were meant to be going at 10.30 so there was no way we were taking off at 10.30 as they still had to get 360 people on the plane. They did board actually quite quickly and did it in seat numbers. We all got seated comfortably and the captain says his usual piece and we prepared for take off and we were up in the air at 11.00am. Because we were in the premiair gold class seats, first class we got free drinks and extra channels on the tv and radio which was cool. Our seats were wider and we had a foot stool.
My mum was telling me they were the equivalent of the economy seats on their British Airways flight to New York in December 2001.
Anyway the worst was over. But I did find on the plane the airstewardesses never used any eye contact and they kept on walking past people too quickly and missing people out when they wanted drinks or to ask something. I didn't find them the most helpful of stewards and stewardesses at all.
That's going out. Now coming back.