And They're Posting Their Angst On The Web

Mike Webb, a British father of two, is really unhappy with the European no-frills carrier EasyJet. Seems he and his family traveled on EasyJet from Gatwick, London, to Alicante, Spain for Easter holiday. Saturday, when it came time to return to the UK, EasyJet cancelled the flight and left 150 passengers stranded in Spain - including Webb, his wife and his children, ages seven and 11. They were stuck at the airport for 44 hours before they were boarded on another EasyJet flight and finally returned to Gatwick. Webb is mad - so mad that he's started a new web site: www.easyjet-sucks.org

A Rough Night

"People ended up sleeping on the seats and our children ended up sleeping on the floor when the seats ran out," Webb told the Press Association. "I don't understand why EasyJet were not able to fly all 150 passengers direct to London Gatwick, when they had an aircraft at Valencia (150km away). While queuing at Alicante airport early on Friday morning, to get our replacement tickets, other aircraft were landing and departing. So passengers were mystified as to why another plane was not provided by EasyJet. I'd still like Easyjet to answer this point."

"I am not a consumer activist but I felt they (EasyJet) treated us badly and I want to find out if it has happened to other people and prompt Easyjet into action," said the 42-year old information technology consultant from Surry, England.

A spokesman for EasyJet tried to quell the e-rebellion. "Our first policy is to get people out of where they are by using a stand-by aircraft. If that is impossible we will try and reschedule people on to the next available flight and put them up in hotels. "We give people back the money they have spent on the flight and any reasonable expenses which occur."

So, while waiting at the airport in Alicante (above, right), Webb, laptop at the ready, built his web site. It chronicles his misadventures at the hands of EasyJet and asks for others to share their experiences with the carrier.

Part Of A Trend?

Webb's site is part of what may be a trend - disgruntled airline passengers posting their angst on the internet and asking others to share. Bill Scannell is outraged at Delta Airline's plans to institute wide-ranging background checks on potential passengers. "Starting later this month, Delta passengers will be asked a lot more than ‘window or aisle’, or whether you want that ‘special meal’. Delta wants to know more: a lot more. As a pilot test of a new Orwellian airline ‘security’ program, Delta will be running background checks on anyone who flies Delta from one of three as-yet undisclosed airports." Scannell says these background checks are not only security-oriented. They include credit checks, which are factored into the risk assessment.

"Every time a credit report is run on you, it hurts your credit rating. Frequent fliers will not only have a nice thick Delta dossier, but a damaged credit history to boot. Mileage or mortgage: the choice is yours," writes Scannell. "Delta is the test airline for this invasive, un-American system. To be fair, the program is one created by the Transportation Security Administration in a horribly misguided attempt to make flying safer. It doesn't."

Scannell has plenty of fan mail, too. "Too many Americans are silent about the attack on the Constitution and our civil rights," writes one person. "We do not all need to agree with one another on our political perspectives,but all true Americans conservative and liberal alike have a duty to question our government and it's leaders. That is our job as the 4th branch of the government. I have written Delta and intend to inform friends and family about this vile attempt to further destroy our freedom."

FMI: www.easyjet-sucks.org, www.boycottdelta.org, www.donotflysong.com