“First we were supposed to take off at 20.30 but there was some sort of a delay and we took off an hour later. Soon afterwards it came to light there was some sort of problem with the plane’s door.”
This is how Marta Birna Baldursdottir describes her trip with Iceland Express, which she calls one of the longest nights of her life and those of the other passengers waiting to get home to Iceland from New York.
“The plane was turned right around and all the passengers had to alight and wait at the departures gate.” There were two or three staff members on hand with only very limited information available for the passengers, Baldursdottir told DV.
“We were just left there waiting with no information. There was nothing open to start with until one shop opened up selling fizzy drinks and confectionery – but no food,” she added.
Passengers were finally given blankets at 02.00 and able to try to rest on the floor – a full three hours after passengers left the aircraft. No information was forthcoming from Iceland Express and the crew remained aboard the plane.
People were trying hard to keep their spirits up; but Baldursdottir said that became increasingly difficult. There were several children on the flight who had a terrible night – especially a two year-old girl who needed some milk, which was not available.
Wow! so This woman would have preferred to fly with a deffective plane, Iceland express did the right thing, If there is a failure in the plane YOU TURN ARROUND and land it!!!, its common sence. It has happened to me with other airlines, including icelandair, I waited in Amsterdam for hours, but clearly icelandair is not happy with iceland express flying to the other side of the pond and is trying to discredit iceland express, and Icenews is happy to lend a hand!!
@Easy – If this would have been Icelandair that this happened to I doubt that this would have gone pass Icenews. This is a big issue in the local papers and has been covered in most of the media. Maybe they are also lending a hand to Iceland Express? The main thing is that this would not have happened if Iceland Express had given clear indication of what was wrong and how people could have dealt with it. This case with IEX has even prompted the government to start the process of changing the laws in regards of how this kind of “service promises” breaches are dealt with. Iceland Express should have returned and of course they should have greeted the people with some news and help as the problem developed. I know that Iceland Express will learn from this as we do when problems happen and this will very likely prompt them to have some kind of a plan in place to deal with a problem like this, NY is new route and they are learning.
Iceland Express is dead.
-Delays in many flights (just check regularly aiport.is)
-Birmingham route totally cancelled until 2011…
-CPH-AEY cancelled until 2011…
-All afternoons flights from Gatwicks cancelled.
All this… just sending emails to passengers some days before their planned flights, with NO compensation at all…
And I could explain much more, but they don’t deserve my time.
Just don’t book them in the future, it’s my advice.
I had a terrible night at Gatwick in october last year. The plane from Alicante to Keflavík was diverted to London because of engine failure (it was a replace plane because the original one was broken down too, and we had left Alicante with 3 hours of delay to start with), and the Iceland Express people didn’t give us any information the whole night, until I had to come back to Spain because I was ill. Everything was arranged by the Gatwick staff and paramedics who were very nice and helpful. I claimed my money back and it was returned to me a few weeks afterwards, after many calls, only when an Icelandic friend of mine took charge of the situation and called IE herself to ask them to give me my money or I’d fill a claim with the consummer’s office in Iceland. The total delay at GAtwick exceeded six hours, plus three hours at Alicante, and there was NO help at all from IE.
> “There was nothing open to start with until one shop opened up selling fizzy drinks and confectionery – but no food,” she added.
>” People were trying hard to keep their spirits up; but Baldursdottir said that became increasingly difficult. There were several children on the flight who had a terrible night – especially a two year-old girl who needed some milk, which was not available. ”
How terrible ! How is this news in reality ?
This is a low cost air line. I do wonder about desperation of ex defacto monopoloy Icelandair to keep competition away.
” > NY is new route and they are learning. ”
Yes, and Iceland Air did exactly same thing in early days of Iceland Express when it was flying to London and giving big publicit when it was unearthed that in even of plane going out of service they would not then have a replcement.
Soon after of course that was corrected.
I have always flown Iceland Express since they started flying 2003 and will continue to do so as long as they fly — it is they that has opened up Iceland to travellers since mid 2000s with they low fare policyies.
Icelandiair happy to keep on sucking from the old businesse models. Shame on your Icelandair.
@Fisy so what you are saying is that if you buy flights with a low cost carrier you should expect bad service? Don’t get me wrong I agree that Iceland Express has been instrumental in bringing down prices and I hope they survive.
Polar Bear Mania, no bad service is not to be expected just minimal service.
I was commenting on the fact Icenews did post this story as they did :
>How is this news in reality ?
>
>This is a low cost air line. I do wonder about desperation of ex defacto monopoloy >Icelandair to keep competition away.
This would not be news with any other airline so why with Iceland Express ?
It wasnt that it was people whining more that it smells more like a PR coup for Icelandair.
I WILL NEVER EVER AGAIN FLY WITH ICELAND EXPRESS, NEVER EVER!!!
Iceland express let me and other 200 people waiting for 21 hours at the Keflavík airport, continously telling LIES to people. There were lots of old people and children and also some disabled people who had to stay sitting on wheel chairs for almost 24 hours. NO HOTEL WAS OFFERED, EVEN WHEN ALL THE PEOPLE WERE CLAIMING FOR THE COMPANY TO RESPECT THE LAW AND PASSENGER RIGHTS!! Incredible but true. It wont be too long until we see another plane crash. IN MY FLIGHT A WINDOW NEEDED TO BE REPLACED!! So instead of taking those planes to good check they wait until people is at the airport and make everyone wait while they make repairments and then they put the plane on the air… I DONT THINK IS SECURE TO FLY WITH THIS CHEAP CREEPY AIR COMPANY WITH SUCH A BAD SERVICE TO CUSTOMERS AND NOT RESPECT AT ALL OF LAWS OR RIGHTS… THEY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO FLY ANYMORE. AND I BET IT IS ON THE BLACK LIST OF COMPANIES..