One of the privileges of blogging is that it permits you to vent your anger occasionally, at those that cause you problems. I´m currently working at a major international airport and it is one of the worst airports in the world.
So step forward Lisbon airport to claim your prize. I salute your incompetence, your rude & unhelpful staff, and your corporate disrespect for customer service.
People know that an occupational hazard with many flight companies is overbooking. Rightly or wrongly, it happens, and when it does, I grit my teeth because I know that a few passengers will be pissed off and general come towards me with their anger, but they will never remember this is why flights are sometimes relatively cheap. Many flight companies have the same problems, but why oh why is it always with TAP. (Transport Air Portugal)
I cannot deal with the millions of customers (usually fifteen flights at the same time, at the same check in, in which they have to catch a flight to a hub, narrowly making the connection to the second flight as it is boarding..... and then finding that their seats (for which they already hold a boarding pass & had checked in for 4 hours earlier) has been given to someone else. The next flight to the same destination being the next morning, 12 hours later.... Why TAP why!!!!!!
... and the fact that its aircrew aren't interested in helping ("Ask the ground staff about transfers when you arrive, it's not my job"), its ground staff are intransigent ("The flight is full") and its customer (dis)service personnel aren't empowered to make decisions and rudely deny they have European-law mandated compensation forms ("write in to the PR department") make it even worse!!
An airline that has a policy of bumping transfer passengers (In fact this happens alot with TAP), deserves to go out of business. So, I'm posting this in the hope that I contribute, in some small way, to the future downfall of the company & its acquisition by an airline that runs a business, not a bureaucracy.
My advice: don't travel by TAP, especially on a transit flight via Lisbon.
The second part of this rant is about their security in the airport. I was actually working when I noticed that my airport security card (The one that hangs around my neck with my photo, areas that i am allowed to enter and expiry date) was about to expire. I contacted my ANA supervisor, (which was a lovely woman with a huge attitude!!!!) and told her the situation. The fact of the matter was that the employment agency still hadn´t sent the paperwork to update my card and so she told me to keep working and hopefully I could continue past security without them noticing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So there I was, two weeks later with an outdated security card, STILL WORKING!!!!!!! Not one guard noticed my card, not one! I walked into secure areas that no passenger has ever been. Into areas that could easily have been a major security headache and a once in a lifetime chance for a terrorist. Security was awful and I mean awful. They contract a security company 'cos its cheaper than the police and once they know your face they don´t bother checking your card. Remeber terrorists, be friendly, always have a smile on your face and Lisbon security will overlook the obvious, with their cheap Brazilian labour force!!!
Step forward Lisbon airport, its time to claim your prize as the most incompetent airport in the world!!!!!!!!!!!!
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