Terrible treatment of a dear friend

Glorybee


Joined: 30/04/2010
Posts: 132

Message Posted:
01/10/2011 15:45

A retired friend took a Bristol Airport flight to Larnaca last Wednesday. Having landed she discovered that the Pilot had decided the plane was too heavy and 50 bags had been unloaded prior to take-off- to follow on later. One of those bags was hers although she was not aware at the time. So, along with some other people, she had to wait to be seen by Larnaca Airport staff to report her bag had not arrived and arrange for delivery. All was well until she gave her address as North Cyprus! A female staff member completing the form crumpled it up and threw it away. Then, on another form, the very dismissive staff member wrote NORTH/OCCUPIED but when my friend asked for a telephone number to contact reference bag enquiries, the staff member refused, saying that there was 'no service' for the North. Yesterday, my friend was still waiting to see if her bag had turned up which contained not only her clothes but also her computer. I have heard similar tales to this - anyone else?

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
01/10/2011 16:01

Sorry, can't add another Larnaca tale. I always fly from and to Ercan International Airport in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. And no complaints.

paddywack


Joined: 04/05/2009
Posts: 959

Message Posted:
01/10/2011 16:07

Agree Hans, if you intend to go to TRNC fly to Ercan.

sylvie


Joined: 12/03/2008
Posts: 1081

Message Posted:
01/10/2011 16:12

it happened once case didn't follow but we didn't give our adress (girne) just said that we will track the case through internet which we did and arrange someone to get it -

mmmmmm



Joined: 19/12/2008
Posts: 8398

Message Posted:
01/10/2011 16:17

Hi Glorybee



I'm sure that if your friend writes to the AIRLINE she'll get a better 'reception' ...



What some members fail to realise is that most GCs are taught that all was fine up until July 1974 and then Turkey came and invaded their country and many Cypriots had to flee their homes ..







Despite what DC tries to make out there's the occasional 'bad apple' who makes this personal.. all airports / airlines need the business and your friend needs to be on the airlines case - as THEY choose their handling agent...





The VAST majority of folk transiting Cypriot airports are treated as clients... I have used 'em all

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
01/10/2011 16:29

@ msg 5, 6maalm: All true of course and again. But at Ercan I never had to discuss the history of Cyprus, write to the airline etc. My experience there is that a polite and friendly attitude is returned the same way. And I always received my luggage, of course, without the problems you seem to include when flying from the Rest Of Cyprus.

Enchanted


Joined: 20/07/2008
Posts: 159

Message Posted:
01/10/2011 16:52

Polite and friendly Dutch. I hardly thinks so. The last time I flew from Ercan the delay was 6 hours. This was not the first time either. As for being polite and helpful, far from it, treated like cattle (but no water or food).

I am not aware that there are flights to Ercan from the Bristol, and to to reach the London airports from Bristol would take at least three hours by road, plus a further six flyinf time hours to Cyprus.....not much fun if you are elderly.

If you fly into Larnaca try avoiding the cheap charter flights, and keep to the schedule carriers. Much better service to their customers. (I'm sure someone is going to tell me different)

mmmmmm



Joined: 19/12/2008
Posts: 8398

Message Posted:
01/10/2011 17:02

Oh Hans - are you NOW suggesting luggage doesn't get lost on flights to from Ercan / Tymbou ?!!



Actually, I got questioned - a lot- when I flew via 'your' airport... mostly folk who were intrigued that I chose to travel by the route and I ALWAYS had my 'rump' RoC registered car searched - always politely - when TCs and 'northies' could just drive in and out of LCA airport.. this was back in 2004/5 when travelling via the north was extremely rare for folk from the 'rump' RoC.



That's the difference between you and me Hans... I've done it.. and have no prejudices ;)

doddies


Joined: 16/02/2009
Posts: 102

Message Posted:
01/10/2011 17:04

I thought that according to CAA rules, passengers and baggage had to be on the same flight?

hattikins


Joined: 17/02/2008
Posts: 2793

Message Posted:
01/10/2011 17:15

Sorry Mark but things are not that simple over at Larnaca, a few weeks ago we went to meet my sister, I went into the arrivals hall and then we went outside to wait for my husband to bring the car down. He came along and pulled up, straight away my sister got into the car and as I was about to get in an extremely rude man ( airport staff) ran across and thumped on the bonnet of the car shouting no parking, no parking !!! We were there at most three minutes, my husband didn't even get out of the car so that we could move off quickly, what a welcome to Cyprus that is for visitors.

hattikins


Joined: 17/02/2008
Posts: 2793

Message Posted:
01/10/2011 17:17

Incidentally cars with ROC plates had no problem at all.

paddywack


Joined: 04/05/2009
Posts: 959

Message Posted:
01/10/2011 17:20

Going to the north fly into Ercan,simple, been flying in and out for 6 years never had a problem.

shrimp


Joined: 01/09/2010
Posts: 939

Message Posted:
01/10/2011 17:23

message 10, the same thing happened to us at Gatwick though, very abusive that we had stopped for just a minute or two so perhaps it is airports everywhere............to be honest if everyone did stop even for one or two minutes it would become pretty congested very quickly so perhaps they do have a poiint...

hattikins


Joined: 17/02/2008
Posts: 2793

Message Posted:
01/10/2011 17:23

As someone else said, that's fine if you live in the South of England but anywhere north of Watford gap flights at a reasonable price into Ercan are as easy to find as rocking horse droppings.

islandgirl


Joined: 12/09/2009
Posts: 302

Message Posted:
01/10/2011 17:26

To be fair Hattikins I have seen ROC cars treated the same when we have been deferred to as we were loading children.

mmmmmm



Joined: 19/12/2008
Posts: 8398

Message Posted:
01/10/2011 18:02

Hattikins,



re 10 Like I said bad apples are everywhere.. Most locals think the rules for parking apply to someone else, and these guys have a hard job to do..



I once had a Brit guy drive over my foot when I found a parking space in the old LCA and 'reserved' it only to find he decided having a car meant he could use it as some sort of weapon to 'move' me !



Unfortunately, he found that being sat in the car seat with an open window meant he ended up the 'vulnerable' one - AND he 'mislaid' his car keys... ;)

laptajack


Joined: 04/10/2008
Posts: 95

Message Posted:
01/10/2011 19:39

My suit case never materialised at Ercan a few years ago, I won't bore you with the details , but it was never seen again, it can happen at any airport.

The staff at

Ercan were very friendly, but useless, i spent the best part of a week travelling backwards and forwards to the airport, to no avail.

It took 6 months for the insurance company to pay out, due to the lack of paper work i was able to supply. (courtesy of the Ercan ground staff).

How ever I'm still coming back......because we like this place...

cyprusbreeze


Joined: 20/08/2009
Posts: 91

Message Posted:
01/10/2011 22:29

Lost mine coming through Larnaca due to Egyptian inefficiency but it arrived next day though I had to go to Nicosia to collect it. Staff at Larnaca were very helpful

cyprusairsoft



Joined: 22/06/2009
Posts: 2066

Message Posted:
02/10/2011 15:47

never had any trouble at larnaca airport more trouble with general public on the way with the middle finger etc on the road but my shoulders are broad and i smile and say have a nice day and offer the agincourt salute

denizen



Joined: 21/08/2009
Posts: 388

Message Posted:
02/10/2011 18:44

msg 2: ..Sorry, can't add another Larnaca tale. I always fly from and to Ercan International Airport in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. And no complaints.



Why get involved in this post then? oh yeah, DC, that's why.

I always flew into Ercan until KTHY went bust, leaving me with £250 worth of unusable tickets. If anybody would like to take them at 50% discount, step up. Don't bother to have a "pop" DC, you and your near defunct forum are unpopular enough.



Lisa

ozankoymum


Joined: 10/01/2009
Posts: 359

Message Posted:
02/10/2011 19:15

My bag was delayed recently and I had to fill out the form with the ground staff at Larnaca Airport and gave my address as North Cyprus and experienced no problems whatsoever but as previously stated they would only deliver it as far as Nicosia. Staff were very helpful. We also holiday quite regularly in south Cyprus resorts and always give our address as the north and do not encounter problems.



Mmmmm is correct, for every one bad story you hear there are thousands of positive encounters.. Dont let your judgement of South Cyprus and its people be tainted by the stories of others.

Visitor


Joined: 19/08/2010
Posts: 492

Message Posted:
02/10/2011 19:31

What your friend should do is contact the

Complaints Unit



Regulatory Policy Group



Civil Aviation Authority



Room 401, CAA House, 45-59 Kingsway, London, WC2B 6TE



Telephone 020 7240 6061



http://www.caa.co.uk

Visitor


Joined: 19/08/2010
Posts: 492

Message Posted:
02/10/2011 19:33

She should make a big fuse. The ROC constantly claims the only legal ports of entry are in the South.

It is not illegal to enter the North - so why the treatment.



The other thing never check in valuables like a computer?

0maintenance


Joined: 22/09/2010
Posts: 2179

Message Posted:
02/10/2011 19:47

MSG 16



you once had a brit drive over your foot ! How did you know he was a brit ,did you look at his passport? or was it you assuming again ?



must of hurt !



my friend said no wonder your foot got drove over,he has a photo it seems



http://s847.photobucket.com/albums/ab37/zerochlor/my%20big%20dirty%20fat%20feet%20wedding/



the youtube video is very funny , well i thought so !

Expat59


Joined: 06/06/2011
Posts: 10

Message Posted:
02/10/2011 20:32

Some of us have no choice but to fly through Larnaca and we did have an experience of rudness when we mentioned we were heading for the North by a young lady doing a tourist survey, the sad thing is the girl doing the tourist suvey was in he mid 20s or so.

mikey53


Joined: 21/08/2011
Posts: 91

Message Posted:
02/10/2011 20:48

How did you know Mark, when this Essex sounding "rekless driver" Had his Gregory Peck out de winda in his jam jar was aiming for your plates o meat was his cockney a bit more Epping than Limassol ?? Easy to get in a mucking fuddle, did your lovely" trouble" soothe your aching foot with a hot oil massage and a perfectly positioned cushion to aid rapid recovery?? Nice... and what happened to the Geezers Macaroni's ?? did you bells peel them, just watched Guy Ritchies "Snatch" now I can't stop going into one, know what I mean Marky mark, !!!

michelle3012


Joined: 07/11/2008
Posts: 578

Message Posted:
02/10/2011 21:10

Getting back to original posting!!



We had a similar experience at LCA, BA lost our bag, but thebagage handlers for BA were brilliant and kept us informed of our loss, they did find the bag approx 4 days later and we met a Lady by the Coke Factory just over the boarder to collect it, all ran to time and she was very pleasant, the only thing was the bag had a big label on it in big writing were the words ' OCCUPIED TERRITORY'.

We made a claim with BA on our return and included a copy of the boarder insurance, and copies of other neccesary items we had to purchase and they gave us a full refund in less than 2 weeks.

Carndi


Joined: 12/06/2009
Posts: 613

Message Posted:
02/10/2011 21:49

My wife flew into Pafhos and her bag went missing. She could not have been treated better. All her details were taken and the fact that we came from the North did not even raise an eyebrow.

The following day bag arrived and I said i would go and collect it. I was told that it would be delivered to Nicosia but they were sorry that they could not bring it across the border and could I collect it in Nicosia.

I met a gentleman in the Holiday Inn and he gave me the bag with a letter of apology from the airline.

Have used Larnaca and Pafhos airports since the border opened and can say that my wife and I have never ever been made to feel different from any other passengers.

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
02/10/2011 22:22

@ msg 20, Denizen: (...) Don't bother to have a "pop" DC, you and your near defunct forum are unpopular enough. (...)



I would really worry if I became popular in your circles, Denizen. And I'm very pleased that you feel the need to write another sour comment if I join a thread. You wouldn't miss a chance, would you? You are a pathetic kind of woman. Well, woman? Sort of.

mmmmmm



Joined: 19/12/2008
Posts: 8398

Message Posted:
03/10/2011 00:38

Hi Mikey53



re 26



My piece of meet suffered no Michael Caine

Glorybee


Joined: 30/04/2010
Posts: 132

Message Posted:
05/10/2011 16:26

Very interesting comments everyone and thanks for the info 'Visitor'.



My friend flew from Bristol Airport 'cos that was closest to her home and she had had a complicated foot operation which is why she couldn't carry heavy things - hence her laptop being in her suitcase. You are all correct 'tho, it only takes one bad apple to get the rest a bad name. It's that woman's attitude that needs challenging by her bosses. Whatever she thinks privately she should not take her attitude to work with her and upset ANY tourist passing through her place of employment.



I would add that a very helpful male Greek Cypriot at Paphos Airport finally provided the appropriate information reference the 'missing' suitcase and Bellapais Taxis agreed to collect it. Well done them.