It started with a flight from Portland to Dublin, a journey that was less than ideal from the get-go. The pre-flight experience was a lesson in frustration. We were told check-in was only possible two hours before the flight, a piece of information hidden from plain sight. The only indicator was a sign at the beginning of a long line. After a lengthy wait in line, we were turned away because we were too early! This was just the beginning of a nightmare.
Ryanair’s Flight to Forget: A Lesson in Poor Management
The flight itself was a disaster. Our pre-paid priority boarding, which included two carry-on bags, was met with resistance. The agent insisted my CPAP machine, which had a letter of authorization from Ryanair, be stuffed under my seat, even though it wouldn’t fit. Ryanair had overbooked the priority boarding, and there was a chaotic struggle for overhead storage. The inflight ordering service was also a failure. It’s safe to say, this wasn’t a cheap flight, and I will never fly Ryanair again.
A British Airways Catastrophe: Missed Connections and Running in Gatwick
The connecting flight from London’s Gatwick to JFK was equally awful. I was unaware that arriving passengers needed to go through immigration/customs and then back through security to retrieve a new boarding pass for their onward flight. With only a 1 hour 20-minute layover, it was impossible to navigate this process, and several passengers missed their flight. I was lucky to make it, but I had to run through long hallways, up and down escalators and stairs, and even on the moving walkways, arriving sweaty and breathless just in time to board. Give yourself at least three hours to make any connections at Gatwick.
The British Airways Debacle Continues: Missed Flights, Lies, and Frustrating Service
The return trip from Italy to Portland was even worse. Our flight from Pisa to Heathrow was delayed by an hour, causing us to miss our connecting flight. A flight attendant told us to find any British Airways colleague for help rebooking. After waiting in a long line with other passengers, a British Airways representative asked if we had already been rebooked. We were unaware that they had already rebooked us for a flight leaving in 45 minutes, but we didn’t have a boarding pass. The representative told us to go through security and explain that we didn’t have a boarding pass. However, this process was confusing and chaotic. No one knew what to do, and we were sent from one person to another. After 30 minutes of being shuffled around, we were finally allowed through security. We had to go to Delta to get our boarding pass, only to be told the flight was already closed. We were sent back to British Airways, where we waited in a 30-minute line with only two agents trying to help everyone. Finally, they got us on a new flight leaving the next day, with a connecting flight to Seattle. British Airways put us in a run-down hotel with other stranded passengers. They sent us to a buffet where we were forced to sit in the back, and the food was subpar. I nearly choked on a chicken bone in the “chicken sauce” and then found several other chicken bone slivers. The “chicken curry” was filled with large bay leaves, and the “fresh steamed vegetables” were frozen.
The next morning, we rushed to the airport to avoid another disaster. The flight from Heathrow to Seattle was good, but upon arrival in Seattle, we were stuck on the plane for half an hour, missing our connecting flight. After a 1.5-hour wait for our luggage, I reached out to British Airways customer service for help, only to be told, “It’s not really my issue.” After other passengers insisted, they found our luggage, and British Airways rebooked us with Alaska for our connecting flight. Alaska was fantastic and made sure we got home that day.
A British Airways Travel Nightmare: Lost Baggage and Unresponsive Staff
The final straw came when our luggage was lost again in Nice. British Airways staff were unhelpful and blamed their handling agent. There was no emergency kit available, and attempts to contact British Airways were met with delays. They eventually found the bag, but it was on a later flight. Trying to get help from British Airways was impossible. The agent stated he could only help with future bookings, not the present chaos. If you want good service when things go wrong, choose any airline but British Airways. I’m joining ABBA (Anyone But BA) once again!
