Well as I'm sure many of you know (and are probably fed up of hearing about now), we went on holiday in September to Tenerife. We were flying EXCEL airways. We have never flown with these before but my mum had on a couple of occasions and couldn't fault them.
On arrival at Gatwick with tons of time to spare we thought we'd go and see where to book in thinking it was early and we'd be at the front of the que of people...how wrong! Excel had about four flights checking in on as many desks so the que was pretty massive. It moved steadily and soon we were at the front. We were asked all of the usual about packing our own bags etc. The check in staff were okay but not overly friendly. Oh well they couldn't dampen my spirits we were going on holiday! One thing I did find strange was they didn't ask to see our hand luggage (I've always been asked when flying before but maybe it's not a standard procedure?!)
The flight was on time so it was all looking good.
They had just started boarding the flight then an announcement came over that they had found a fault with the plane so all of the people already on were taken off again and we were all sitting waiting patientley. It turned out to be something wrong with one of the batterys. The Excel staff and the captain kept us up to date during the 2 and half hour delay.
Finally on board and ready for take off. Staff were very helpful and friendly. They went through the safety procedures and done the checks before taking off. The flight itself was generally fine, no better or worse than any other flight I had been on. Leg room as always on these types of flights was cramped and was worse for us as we couldn't put back our chairs to relax as we were in the last row of seats before the toilets in the middle of the aircraft. Luckily for us the kind people in front didn't put back their own chairs.
The stewardess came around with drinks and snacks which could be purchased but we never normally buy from the trolley because it is very expensive for what you get. We always take a bottle of water on with us.
The TV screens showed exercises which could be done during the flight to help reduce the risk of DVT. Whether anyone apart from me actually takes any notice of the film and does the exercises I don't know. I think it is good that a lot of the airlines are starting to do this more and highlight the dangers.
Headphones could be purchased from the cabin crew, If I remember rightly they were about £2.00 (ish) per pair. You could then plug it in to the arm rest and listen to the numerous music channels or watch the inflight movie. Going was Mr and Mrs Smith, and although we had already seen it we decided to watch it as it was a good movie. The headphones were huge things which were suppose to just 'hook' over your ear though mine kept falling off. Maybe I just hadn't got the hang of it. Coming home I went to put them on and on one of the little hook things snapped off! Good job the film was some action kind of thing I didn't want to watch. I won't be taking that pair with me if we fly with excel again!
The meal outbound was chicken as it was an afternoon flight. Chicken with potatoes and veg. A strawberry cheesecake, a (celebration size) galaxy chocolate, cheese and biscuit and roll. With of course your choice of tea or coffee. All cutlrey of course nowadays is plastic with a napkin, salt, pepper, milk and refreshing wipe. I think plane food is one of those things, a bit like marmite, you either love it or hate it. Personally I love plane food (strange I know) but I found the food to be hot quite nice. The stewardesses tidied the cabin and before we knew it we were landing a bit of a bumpy one at Tenerife South!
Disembarking was quick and efficient and all excel staff polite on leaving the plane. Overall going apart from the delay (which I didn't mind too much as I'd rather get there in one bit) was fine, quite pleasant in fact. The plane was clean and tidy, staff friendly and leg room was about normal!
FAST FORWARD 7 days and it's time to come home (boo hoo) and were at the airport again waiting for the plane to arrive. This time we were just half an hour late leaving (Due to the slow loading of the new batch of holidaymakes at Gatwick apprentley).
Again, staff very polite and helpful when getting onto the plane. It was pretty much the same as going really except they done the duty free (booklet in the seat pocket in front of you but I thought their products were a bit lame. I have seen much better range of products on other airlines which was a shame as I always like to stock up on perfume on my way home from holidays) They had a range of men and womens perfumes and aftershaves, beauty products, watches and other jewellrey, sunglasses, gadgets, toys, alcohol, cigarettes, snacks and drinks in the brouchre. I brought a excel airways plane for my neice (which she loves) which you pull back and it goes accross the floor with flashing lights and sounds like a plane taking off, with a airport playmat and accessories. I also brought her the excel airways teddybear. I know i'm soft, I'm a sucker for all things cute looking! When I asked the stewardess about something to do with the playmat set she went out of her way to help me and told me not to be silly when I kept apologising for holding up the trolley and being a pain.
The only other difference again on the return flight home was we had a choice of meal, either Sausage and Mash or chicken again. I went for the sausages which was nice (A bit more gravy would have made it less dry) and my other half went for the chicken he tells me was nice, again with veg, roll, cheese, bisuits, tea or coffe, galaxy chocolate and chocolate cheesecake. Overall another not bad meal.
Again, another pleasant flight and soon to be back home in England.
Back at Gatwick one of our cases didn't come off the plane. To cut a long story short we went through the procedure of reporting the bag 'missing' with servisair and given all of the details that we would need in trying to get our case back. First of all I understand that this may seem like I am going off topic because in theory this is an issue of the baggage handlers and me and not excel airways. Well not really because after five days of the case not being returned to us (and me having no joy with the baggage people) the 'missing case' case was handed over to EXCEL airways baggage locator people. After 5 days of not getting our case back I was starting to get frustrated. I tried to contact the airline direct via their website by sending them an email. (I eventually got an automatic email back two days after sending the email saying that they hope to respond within 15 days.) I also set about finding a phone number to ring the airline direct as well. Funnily enough they do not have their phone number on the website but with a little bit of searching on the internet I manage to find a phone number for them. I rang (even though it was a Sunday) and actually got a real person to speak to. He said it was not his department and that he would take all of my details down and get someone to ring me the following day. Funnily enough that phonecall never came. Later on the same day I did recieve a phonecall from the excel airways baggage handlers saying (as mentioned above) that they had taken over the case of my missing bag and that they would ring me with any new infomation but I should still ring in the mean time (How frustrating is this I am thinking we have to keep making phonecalls for someone elses mistake and our phonebill getting more and more higher) So when I didn't get a phonecall from the airline I tried them again on the Monday and the number I had rang turns out was not the customer services number but they gave me their number and I tried them again.
Although very frustrated I was trying to hard not to get cross with anyone I had spoken to as at the end of the day it is not their fault that my case had got put on the wrong plane. I spoke to a lady in the claims department who appreciated me not shouting and said that I would need to keep chasing the excel baggage people and that there was nothing she could do until after 30 days of return. Only then, if the bag had not been returned, could they issue me a letter to say that they had lost my baggage (which in turn could send to my insurnace people because they weren't interested either). They lady I spoke to told me that at present they have a three week back log in sending out letters for lost baggage (Maybe it's a regular thing with excel?!) so if I didn't have my bag back by the following week, even though it was not 30 days I should write to them to get the process in motion as they are so far behind. I did appreciate the advise she gave and I think she was genuinley trying to help me.
So I kept chasing the excel baggage people just to be fobbed off with another story about my european travelling case. Very frustrated indeed I was now preparing myself for a long time and money consuming mission to get the case back. Saying that a week after returing from holiday there was a knock on the door, me all bleary eyed opened the door to a man saying he had a parcel for me. Was it Christmas? I wasn't expecting a parcel. He told me to mind my feet as he lifted it into my hallway and I could have kissed him when my roaming case had made it home! The next day I rang excel to see what they had to say (I mean all these wasted phonecalls, just the day before it was returned I was told it was still in Manchester!) So the lady on the phone said, "hang on I'll look up your ref, yes I'm sorry but your case is still in Manchester". I had to laugh, no communication!
Eventually, 21 days later from my original email to the airline I had a reply from excel airways. Very sorry how they had not lived up to my expectations etc and they would speak to the baggage handlers (I wonder if they really did?) but no actual mention about the missing case which I found to be highly amusing considering that was what the original email was about in the first place. I wouldn't however found it so amusing if I was sitting here still waiting for my case. So I replied regarding the case and how I thought it is unacceptable I have had to run around like a blue bottomed fly trying to sort this whole sorry mess out and got myself a massive phonebill in the process (yes it was massive it came through the other day - not impressed) purley for someone else's mistake. Although I understand that it is the baggage handlers but the airlines must be able to do something, at the end of the day they pay these people to load and unload their planes. Anyway I suppose I will have to wait another 21 days for a reply (yes I got the automatic one saying thanks for my email!). I have said I think their should be some kind of compensation though I'll probably get told there isn't anything they can do but it is worth a try at least. I'll update when I hear something (If I hear something!)
All of this spoilt my inital 'fairly good' thoughts of excel airways.
We paid £292.00 (£146.00 pp) for two people return flights to Tenerife from London Gatwick (This included £10.00 each for meals both ways)
www.xl.com
Well I said I would update you when I heard back from my second email to Excel airways about any form of compensation regarding my missing bag for a week. Basically it was no all the way. They apparently do no accept any liability for delayed baggage for passengers returning and who reside in the UK! (Flipping cheek!) They suggest I try for compensation out of my travel insurance (their not interested either). There really is something wrong with the system. While I am now out of pocket just trying to get my bag back (from someone elses mistake) it's now my problem (how convienient). I am very disappointed and I replied and told them I think it's a cop out when they paying customer ends up in this situation.
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Economy
How often do you travel with this airline
First time
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Other
Safety
Good
How well does it cater for disabled people
Well
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