This is what happened:
I've booked a ticket on Easyjet to fly with my baby to Marrakech yesterday, and have paid for an extra two pieces of luggage, in advance, on the internet.
when I went to Check-in, 2 hours before flight, I've been told that I was only allowed to 20 kilos total, whatever the number of luggage.
I explained that to me, paying for 2 pieces of luggage, meant twice 20 kilos, because when I buy one piece of check-in luggage, it gives me right to 20 kilos, so logically, if I pay the double, I get the double.
The manager told me that double the price was just to allow me have my 20 kilos split in 2 bags! It did not make any sens!
She offered me 2 options:
1- to pay over £250 excess luggage or,
2- to buy an extra seat for my baby under 2 years (supposed to travel on my lap) for £106, with an extra luggage.
As the second luggage was full of clothes for charity destined to an orphanage, I decided to leave it to the charity of the airport, if there was one, or leave it at the left luggage facility, for less than £7 per day, and call a friend to come pick it up for me.
I told The manager to check in the suitcase I was allowed to, and that I will manage for the rest a solution.
She answered: " I will not check your suitcase in until you get rid of the extra luggages"
I did not understand why she would have any rights over my private property and tell me how or when or where I would dispose of it, before even I check in or board!!!
The discussion went on and on. I tried to explain to her that if I wanted I could also open the bag, and empty the clothes one by one in the bin, my right to dispose of my belongings as I please!
She kept telling me that she wouldn't let me check-in unless I first get rid of my things, and kept saying that my only other option was to buy another ticket for my baby.
It was like a blackmailing situation, where I was cornered with my baby in my arms crying for his breast feeding, the passengers behind me were following the story and started trying to help me, they were all disgusted. The situation was very humiliating, my tears started flowing.
And this is the best part:
When she's seen my tears, she told me: " Ah! Crying? you're not even boarding this flight then. Please step aside until I say you are able to proceed, and until I say you can travel"
The whole thing was turning to madness, and I could see that she was doing all this on purpose. I think she decided that she did not like me and that she would do anything to complicate the situation.
Passengers who heard it all, behind me in the queue came to the rescue, giving her looks of disgust. She wouldn't change her mind, and she was so rude, giving me orders to step aside.
I begged her to finish my check-in so I can sort out my baby and the left luggage, and that I was too tired pushing the trolley with my right arm and pushing the pushchair with my left one, to go all the way downstairs to the left luggage facility and come back again, and I asked if there was any assistance to help me do all it faster, at least...
She said no to everything, I even offered that she sends someone with me after the check-in, to make sure she knows exactly what i am doing with my property.
She said No!
During all that time, my baby was crying of hunger, to the point that one of the easyjet persons who is in charge of the check-in queue, felt pity and brought me a chair, in a corner, to sit and breastfeed. I was so distressed, I was crying facing this tyranny...
My friend, who was following all this with me over the phone, told me: "Don't move, I'll buy a seat for baby now on the internet and it will be sorted".
So we purchased a new ticket over the net instantly, but the system booked it automatically for the day after! That's because we were only one hour and a half prior to my flight.
I got back to the check-in counter, and another lady agreed that the luggage issue was solved, because I bought another ticket, but she told me that now, I had another issue! The new ticket was for tomorrow's flight.
I asked her if today's flight was fully booked, she said " No, there are plenty of available seats"
I asked if there was a possibility for me to board on today's flight, nowing all I've been through, and to save me going back home, Gatwick express and minicab, and three floors with no lift, with baby and luggage, She said: "My manager can do that, I'll ask her"
And guess what?
The same very rude manager, who caused me and my baby all this distress, and made me pay an extra ticket that I did not need, That very same person, refused to let me board, and she sent to me another person, who told me that I had to wait until the flight closes, and that only then, I had to go to the Easyjet Counter to change my old ticket for tomorrow's flight, and pay another extra £45 for that, and fly tomorrow with baby. Because Their system couldn't make the booking for the same day!!!
I stayed another half hour waiting, for the flight to close, and after another session of breastfeeding baby, I went to the Easyjet counter, to pay the extra £45 to be able to fly the day after.
I asked the agent at the counter to give me a contact number to complain about his manager, and to change my date of flight.
And guess what he did?
He called the very same manager, telling her that I wanted to have a chat with her! I kept telling him during that call, that I did not want to deal with her anymore, and that I just needed to change the date on my ticket, and a contact number to complain.
She came to me and said: " My staff is not serving you, go away! " And she ordered the agent at the counter not to deal with my request, and she handed me a phone number to call and complain if I intended to.
So I'm back home, missing my holidays, and wasting my money in trains and minicabs: another £79...
I am filing a complaint and looking for other passengers she mistreated, to sign a petition against that Manager, in Gatwick Airport, Her name is Tara Lang.
Please contact me if you have experienced such a treatment from Tara Lang, and together we will act: [email protected]
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