Latest news with #EasyJet
Edinburgh Live
9 hours ago
- Edinburgh Live
East Lothian family 'taken off plane' as EasyJet apologise for last minute cancellation
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info An East Lothian family have spoken of their dissapointment after being taken off an EasyJet flight moments before their long-awaited summer holiday. Emma Drummond, along with her partner and 12-year-old son, were due to fly to Amsterdam on Sunday evening. After boarding the plane, they were instructed to get off with their flight then cancelled. While they've been refunded for the flight, Emma and her family have now lost out on their holiday as well as the money spent on their hotel in Amsterdam and the ticket price for the Anne Frank House - both of which were not refundable. EasyJet have explained the last minute cancellation, telling Edinburgh Live that it was down to "Air Traffic Control restrictions as a result of adverse weather conditions" which resulted in the crew "reaching their legally regulated operating hours". The Drummond family, from Musselburgh, would have had to spend over £400 on any other available flights to make their holiday happen, and would have been left with only one full day - so decided to cancel the whole trip. Emma says she's 'spent so much money to see her 12-year-old disappointed'. Speaking to Edinburgh Live, Emma said: "We were booked in to the 6.30pm flight to Amsterdam on July 6. "We boarded the flight, but were then told to disembark 20 minutes later. Now we have lost of hotel money and tickets we booked for Anne Frank's house, which I can't get refunded on. Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox "We were only going for four days, so now the whole thing has been cancelled. We couldn't move our flight, we were only being offered a refund or vouchers. "We did check for any other available flights however it would have cost us another £143 each (there was 3 of us so £429) and we wouldn't arrive until 10pm on Monday. Which still means our Anne Frank tickets have gone to waste. "Also we're due to fly home Wednesday, so would have one full day. That's only on the assumption the flight then would have left with no issues. "Hotel messaged at 7am and cancelled our room as we hadn't checked in. So we would also need to find another room at my own cost on top of all the flight stuff. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. "It's just cost me so much money to see my 12-year-old so disappointed." An EasyJet spokesperson said: "Flight EZY3303 from Edinburgh to Amsterdam on 6 July was cancelled due to Air Traffic Control restrictions as a result of adverse weather conditions, which resulted in the crew reaching their legally regulated operating hours. "We did all we could to minimise the impact of the weather disruption on our customers, providing options to rebook or obtain a refund, and have processed a refund for the Drummond family as requested. "We will be reaching out to the Drummond family to offer support, including providing the documentation needed to make a claim with their insurance provider. The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is easyJet's highest priority and while this was outside of our control, we are sorry for the inconvenience caused."
Irish Times
19 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Stelios Haji-Ioannou of Easyjet: I was asked ‘how are you going to fly into Belfast with an orange airline?'
Stelios Haji-Ioannou's interest in Ireland came in stages – first when EasyJet began flying out of Belfast in the late 1990s and then, more importantly, after he met a Kerry woman, Orla Murphy, and, later, became father to Aria, the couple's seven-year-old daughter. The Greek Cypriot billionaire knows a few things about divided islands: 'One of my earliest memories as a kid is the invasion of Cyprus in 1974. I remember we were all scared,' he says, 'it was a very vivid memory.' Today, Haji-Ioannou – better known simply as Stelios – has created the inaugural North –South Business Co-operation Awards with Co-operation Ireland to encourage cross-Border entrepreneurship and start-ups on the island of Ireland. His connection with Ireland goes back to the early days of the low-cost carrier EasyJet. In 1995, he had considered flying out of Belfast but shied away because 'it was considered always a difficult route'. READ MORE Fortunes, however, changed after the 1998 Belfast Agreement, with EasyJet beginning with three flights a day from Belfast. Today, it carries seven out of every 10 people who fly into or out of Northern Ireland. Stelios Haji-Ioannou of EasyJet at Glin Castle. Photograph: Mark Hennessy Remembering the early days, he tells The Irish Times: 'I remember one of the comments in '98 was, 'How are you going to fly into Belfast with an orange airline?'. I mean, can you imagine?' The billionaire is speaking in a bedroom in Glin Castle, one of three temporarily converted into offices while the family holiday in Co Limerick on the banks of the Shannon, in the ancestral home of the Knights of Glin. The historic location – the home of the Black Knight of Glin, one of the Fitzgeralds of Desmond, since the early 14th Century – is popular with the family because it 'is close to home' for his partner, whom he met after she had moved to Monaco. 'My daughter's name is Aria, A-R-I-A. We chose a name equally easy to pronounce in Greek and English. We tried others, but they weren't so easy to pronounce,' Haji-Ioannou says. In time, he hopes his daughter will take charge of the family's philanthropic arm, the Stelios Foundation: 'I wanted to do something more substantial in Ireland because, obviously, I'm spending time here. 'I have family here now. One day, hopefully, this foundation will be run by her, and I want to have a bigger project in Ireland.' Stelios Haji-Ioannou is no longer involved as an executive in EasyJet. Photograph: Chris Radcliffe/Bloomberg Many of his relatives left Cyprus after the 1974 invasion. In 2004, he returned after the border crossings that divided the Mediterranean island were opened: 'It was a time when I had started seriously to think about giving back to society.' So began in 2008 the Stelios Bi-Communal Business Co-Operation Awards, which offers more than €400,000 in prizes annually to Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot business people who are prepared to work together. It started quietly because he was not sure how welcome the awards would be: 'Because very often in Cyprus, there is misinformation that, you know, you're a traitor if you're doing business with the other side.' Bar Covid interruptions, the awards have flourished. Winners like prizes, he says with a smile: 'But the other thing they like is the endorsement, the clarification that it's actually approved, it's legal, it's lawful to do business with the other side.' The idea to bring it to Ireland came after Haji-Ioannou listened to a speech from former Irish ambassador to London and Washington Dan Mulhall at a lunch in Monaco attended by the principality's Prince Albert. 'I approached him, and I said, 'I'm doing this in Cyprus. Do you think it might work in Ireland?' Immediately, he said 'yes', and the rest is history. He introduced us to Ian Jeffers of Co-Operation Ireland,' he says. The awards will be made in Castle Leslie in Co Monaghan in October: 'Hundreds of applications have been downloaded, so people are thinking about it. Hopefully, we're going to have a good set of first winners and then they will become the ambassadors.' Today, he divides his time in three – a third is spent on the Easy family of brands, a third goes on his philanthropic work and the remainder on investments that have diversified his interests far beyond aviation. No longer involved as an executive in EasyJet, he still gets 25c for every passenger the airline flies. Last year, it carried more than 70 million passengers: 'The best decision I ever made after creating EasyJet was to keep the name in my own company.' Aviation is getting tougher, with higher fuel costs and future emissions charges, but Haji-Ioannou sees no return to the crippling charges that passengers paid in an era before EasyJet and Ryanair. Questioned about his one-time direct opponent, Michael O'Leary of Ryanair, Haji-Ioannou says: 'He's made a lot of money, so I think he's a very successful businessman. There's no doubt about it.' The two men clashed repeatedly and bitterly during the 1990s and 2000s, with the Greek Cypriot once calling Ryanair's customer service 'appalling', while O'Leary had to apologise for calling him a liar. 'He's made a lot of money for himself, for his shareholders. Some of the rhetoric is designed to reduce customer expectations. He has this philosophy that if you lower the expectations of the customer, you can lower your costs. 'I remember O'Leary as an accountant, ex-KPMG who was very shy and didn't talk to the media. He's become this very, very prominent personality largely because the media give him a lot of time,' he says. 'I haven't spoken to him for years. In the early days we used to every now and then meet or speak. Nothing personal. Because I don't have a day-to-day role in EasyJet, I don't have a reason to speak to Michael O'Leary.'
Fast Company
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fast Company
Plane yoga is going viral on EasyJet and Spirit Airlines
The last place you'd think of doing a downward dog? An airplane. That might soon change, as plane yoga is apparently now a thing. TikTok creators are sharing in-flight videos of attendants guiding passengers through seated yoga flows. One viral video posted last month shows passengers on a fully booked EasyJet flight with their arms raised, following a flight attendant's cues while the '80s Flashdance hit 'Maniac' plays over the speakers. The video has since racked up 1.5 million views. @user1118383829333 what in the air-robics is going on @easyJet ♬ Maniac (dal Film Flashdance) – Film Orchestra 'He really said No DVT on this flight,' one comment read. Others were on board with the idea. 'Stop cause this would actually calm my anxiety down loads,' another user commented. 'Y'all ever done plane yoga?' another TikTok user asked, posting footage from a Spirit Airlines flight. In it, passengers stretch their arms overhead, following along with the flight attendant's instructions: 'Touch your toes, stretch your back out,' he says. 'And while you're down there, pick up all the trash you threw on the ground.' 'Oh spirit got jokes huh,' one user replied. 'Definitely a spirit thing to do,' wrote another. It turns out this isn't the first time Spirit has offered plane yoga as an in-flight activity. 'Spirit Airlines: Free Snacks, absolutely not. Mid-Flight Yoga Sesh – yes of course,' one TikTok user posted in 2024. The passengers once again followed the same yoga flow—with the same punch line at the end. @annarittmeyer Spirit has our whole plane doing yoga mid-flight! Haha honestly love this guy! 'Don't go too far you might tip the plane over' #spiritairlines #spiritflight #spirit ♬ original sound – Anna Mathias Rittmeyer Whether or not it's a clever ploy to get passengers to clean up after themselves, there's real science backing up the benefits of plane yoga. Flying, especially long-haul, can reduce circulation, stiffen joints, and increase the risk of blood clots. Flights longer than four hours are considered a risk factor for deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. To lower that risk, Healthline recommends walking around at least once per hour and doing calf exercises. Or how about joining in on a quick plane yoga flow? Just maybe leave the downward dog for after landing.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Airport staff 'get bonuses for catching easyJet passengers with oversized bags'
A revealing email was sent to employees of Swissport, which runs passenger airport gates across Belfast, Birmingham, Glasgow, Jersey, Liverpool, and Newcastle Airport staff are pocketing bonuses for catching out easyJet passengers with oversized bags, according to a leaked email. A revealing email was sent to employees of Swissport, which runs passenger airport gates across Belfast, Birmingham, Glasgow, Jersey, Liverpool, and Newcastle. It revealed staff would take home £1.20 (£1 after tax) for every "gate bag" found too large to bring onboard. The controversial scheme aims to "reward agents doing the right thing", according to an internal message signed by Dean Martin, a Swisspoer station manager at Glasgow Airport. The leaked email, which was seen by The Sunday Times, is 'the easyJet gate bag revenue incentive' which would result in 'payments made directly to employees'. The email was sent in November 2023, and the policy reportedly remains active. Staff were assured that if they didn't meet targets, 'internal tracking will be used to identify opportunities for further support and training for individual agents, but will not be used negatively.' The email, signed off by Dean Martin, ended with 'Thank you for your ongoing contribution to the success of easyJet.' The email was sent in November 2023, and the policy is still active. EasyJet, which made £9 billion in revenue, allows passengers to take one small bag on a flight. However, larger bags are extra, with fees ranging from £5.99 to £33. At the airport gate, if an unpaid oversized bag is found, passengers face a £48 charge - with £1.20 going directly to airport employees. Ground staff are employed by third-party handling companies, which differ across airports. EasyJet is not responsible for how the bonuses are issued. An easyJet spokeswoman said: "easyJet is focused on ensuring our ground handling partners apply our policies correctly and consistently in fairness to all our customers. "Our bag policies and options are well understood and we remind customers of this when booking, before they travel and on their boarding pass which means a very small proportion of customers who don't comply will be charged at the airport." Swissport operates passenger services at 17 airports across the country. However, it is not the only company that offers a similar bonus for catching oversized baggage. DHL Supply Chain, which operates with EasyJet across Manchester, Gatwick and Bristol, also offers incentives. Swissport said the company follows airline policies under agreed terms. A spokesperson said: 'We serve our airline customers and apply their policies under terms and conditions for managing their operation. We're highly professional and our focus is on delivering safe and efficient operations, which we do day in and day out for four million flights per year.'
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Scots airport staff paid bonuses for catching passengers breaking airline's luggage rules
The scheme was rolled out across several airports Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SCOTTISH airport staff are being paid extra cash for catching passengers with oversized cabin bags. Workers at Swissport, who run gates at airports across the country, were given the baggage bonuses for catching easyJet punters trying to pull a fly one with their carry on luggage. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 The extra cash was paid to staff trying to break easyJet's baggage rules Credit: Alamy 4 Easyjet's baggage rules allow flyers to have one small bag for free and they have to pay for a large cabin bag Credit: Getty 4 The policy was rolled out at Glasgow Airport Credit: John Kirkby - The Sun Glasgow The extra cash is being paid for bags taken off passengers at the gate. Extra money is paid to workers who take bags off punters who either haven't paid for a cabin bag or people trying to take on a bag too big to be a carry on. An email, seen by The Sunday Times, told Swissport staff about the 'easyJet gate bag revenue incentive' and was sent to workers in November 2023. The scheme was rolled out at Glasgow, Belfast, Birmingham, Jersey, Liverpool and Newcastle Airports. Staff are paid an extra £1.20 for every bag they stop getting on the plane. The email said Swissport crews are 'eligible to receive £1.20 (£1 after tax) for every gate bag taken, effective immediately' and said the policy is 'intended to reward agents doing the right thing'. It was signed off saying: 'Thank you for your ongoing contribution to the success of easyJet'. EasyJet currently allows every passenger to bring on one bag that fits under the seat in front for free. Larger cabin bags have to be booked in advance and cost anything upwards of £5.99. But if punters will also be charged a £48 airport bag fee if they get caught with an oversized bag or if they try to get a bag onboard they haven't paid for. Moment man 'headbutted dad at Manchester airport before brawling with cops' One Swissport worker (who only earn £12 per hour) told The Times: 'Confronting people with excess baggage is like taking on fare dodgers. 'You risk abuse or worse — imagine stopping a group of lads on a stag weekend and telling them, 'I'm going to have to charge you more than you paid for your tickets to check those bags into the hold'.' A Swissport spokesperson said: 'We serve our airline customers and apply their policies under terms and conditions for managing their operation. "We're highly professional and our focus is on delivering safe and efficient operations, which we do day in and day out for four million flights per year.' An easyJet spokesperson added: 'EasyJet is focused on ensuring our ground handling partners apply our policies correctly and consistently in fairness to all our customers. 'Our bag policies and options are well understood and we remind customers of this when booking, before they travel and on their boarding pass, which means a very small proportion of customers who don't comply will be charged at the airport.'
