Presently, I will post a report on an otherwise really flawless trip to Prague, Rome and Tuscany.

But having just walked in the door from a Prague-Montreal flight with rocketing blood pressure, I am taking this occasion to tell all Fodorites, for what it's worth -- and this is JUST my opinion:

Czech Airlines? NEVER again!!

They were so uncivil and unhelpful over a significant but resolvable issue! I would blame myself more if it were not for the element of "Officially induced error" by Prague-based staff.

The details do not matter. You would only be hearing my side of the story anyway -- so what would details be worth?

I am just saying -- slanderously and with no corroborative argument: NEVER AGAIN, Czech Airlines!

I forgave them for the 2 hour delay on departure from Canada.

I forgave them telling passengers over the phone that that flight was on time, when the late arrival of the incoming aircraft had been communicated to other passengers some hours earlier.

I forgive the one and a half hour delay on the Prague-Rome flight.

I forgive them the tired old planes and the charter-quality service. I forgive the chilly, stringent cabin staff.

But not this last bit. That I do not forgive.

NEVER AGAIN!!

for all the drama, this is not saying much.

i have flown czech twice a week for several months with no problems at all. cabins are clean and newish, good leg room, etc.

Tedgale, I'd like to hear the full story when you feel like posting it.

Not to mention hearing about the rest of your trip! I hope it went well other than for the airline issue.

Hi tedgale,

So sorry to hear about your problems with Czech Airlines. I know it will only be "your side", but can you please explain what the major problem was?

tedgale, welcome home! It sounds like the rest of the trip was wonderful, so tell us all about those memories first! (And yes, I still want to hear about the Czech carrier.)

Anselm

that post is nothing more than an attention getting device- 5 year old stuff im mad at you but i wont say why. no post at all is preferable to one of that calibre

I will certainly post all the details my crummy keyboard skills can accommodate.

First of all thanks to Patrick, whose recommendation gave us the idea of Montepulciano in the first place. The Al Poggiolo apartments were perfect for us. And the weather turned splendid -- about 21 degrees centigrade/ 70 fahrenheit, though there was snow in the garden when we arrived on March 12.

But I am getting ahead of myself when what I need is to get to bed...

As soon as you're rested, tedgale, please post where you stayed in Prague. Thanks in advance.

tedgale,

Looking foward to your trip report thread.

I too would like to know in detail what happened with Czech Airlines since I'm heading to Prague this fall and they are by far the cheapest flight. I won't rule out spending a few hundred more to go with someone else, but need more info.

You spent more time talking AND TYPING about all the things you are forgiving than "the thing" that is bothering you the most..so cut the crap and get to issue at hand...otherwise we'll begin to wonder if you just want attention.

In defence, I have used Czech airlines several times and had no problems with them whatsoever.

When I read tedgale's report, I had two conflicting thoughts:
1. Since he/she has had many entries on this site, and to my knowledge has always seemed reasonable, this must be one heck of a bad problem. Maybe it will be more bearable after a night's sleep.
2. Perhaps tedgale is a real nit-picker and nothing important really happened, but it caught him/her at a bad time. The frustration at whatever happened has caused tedgale to lose his/her marbles, and there is no other way to vent. No husband or wife to scream at, no dog to beat, no cheap things to throw around the house without breaking something important. Some people have made their computers an extension of themselves to the extreme, and this is one of those cases.

Once you get over it, tedgale, don't keep us in suspense. Everybody would benefit from your experience.

Okay, I'm providing details because some people who want to make a decision about the airline are asking. I don't want to get into a debate about this. Here are the facts. This will be my last post on this subject.

I admit I was naive. But I also think I showed due diligence and behaved responsibly.

I had a cheap ticket Toronto Prague Toronto. I had asked my spouse to book me Toronto Prague Montreal but that is not what our agent produced. I received the ticket only a day before I departed for business meetings in Toronto, whence I left for Prague.

Montreal is a stop, in both directions, on the Toronto Prague Toronto route. My spouse joined the flight in Montreal.

When I got to Prague airport for the return flight, I explained to the ticket agent that I wanted to get off in Montreal and that my spouse (booked Montreal Prague Montreal) had checked all our luggage on that ticket.

She said no problem -- if you have no luggage, they will let you off, despite your destination being Toronto.

Big mistake on my part not to ask for an amended boarding pass.

When the flight arrived in Montreal, my spouse and others got off and I went to the cabin crew and, showing my boarding pass, explained that I planned to get off and had no luggage yadda yadda.

Okay I was naive.

And of course there is no way to prove I had no luggage checked on board.

What I cannot convey was the unpleasantness -- the impatience, then insolence, then intimidation -- that followed.

Basically, I was told that I had to reboard the plane and fly to Toronto; that I could not, even accompanied by security staff, locate or otherwise inform my spouse; etc.

They did agree to look for my spouse, whom one of them remembered by sight.

Meanwhile my spouse, identifying the problem, was trying to get back to the plane and was told by ground crew that there was no such person seeking to get off.

I think they finally located the off-loaded luggage with my name on it and decide I was legit. So they let me go.

(When I went to leave I was, however, roughly grabbed by the airport security guard they had called, who did not hear them tell me I might go.)

Yes the airline has legal responsibilities and responsibilities to the other passengers.

(During these 45 minutes, while re-fueling, they had discovered that another less forthright person had also slipped off. With no ability to account for that person, they were unable to take off.)

What I am questioning -- and, as I said before, it is impossible to convey the hectoring, threatening tone that prevailed through this whole episode -- is how the issue was handled.

Anyway I do not plan to deal with them again.

End of story, except to say that however irate I got, I never told anyone to Cut the crap, unlike an earlier poster.

Yes, stories like this one do happen. I remember travelling as a teenager to Rome, with my high school music teacher & a bunch of other students. Long story made short - my teacher & one of the airline attendants ended up in a full blown fist fight at the gate, because they wouldn't let her carry her viola on board!! She (teach) ended up in jail overnight, and had to take another later flight out. It was a different airline, but I think the stress of travel & all the restrictions, especially these days, makes it hard on everyone.

As a sidenote, I have flown CSA many times (about 10). All incident free. Lately, I've flown BA, NWA, etc, because of cheap deals, but the service sucks compared to CSA, in my opinion. Just goes to show that everyone has their own horror stories about all kinds of airlines. Hey - when NWA lost my luggage twice in one month, I swore NEVER AGAIN. Well, guess who I'm flying next week to Prague!!

I have never heard a story like this. I never knew you just couldn't get off of a plane at a stop that wasn't your final destination. Is the reason for this based on security?? Meaning that you could have luggage left on the plane that contains explosives?

The reason I ask this question is because my best friend once accidentally got off of a plane at stop that was not her destination. She was taking medication and did not realize that she was getting off in Pittsburgh. She woke up from a nap, saw people getting off the plane and assumed that she was getting off in Scranton, PA, her destination. Well, the plane took off without her. She didn't realize what was going on until it was too late.

This is why I don't understand what happened to you.

Also, I have gotten off of planes during layovers/refueling (NY-Vancouver-Hong Kong, NY-London-New Delhi). Of course, after wandering around the airport, I got back on the plane before it took off. What if I didn't get back on? Is this against the law? Let's say I was going to Delhi. I get off at Heathrow during a layover, whilst the plane is refueled. I decide to take a quick trip into London. I am in a taxi smash-up and can't get back to the airport in time. Would I be arrested??

Please explain.

PS I have flown Czech Airlines with no problems. The food is horrid, however.

My experiences have been when a plane stops to unload passengers and pick up new passengers those that have a flight to the final destination are not suppose to leave the plane.

But, how many do? Something to think about. And meantime their luggage is still on the plane. Hmmm, that is an intereting security issue.

The last time I remember a passenger trying to leave the plane on a stopover (he was to fly onto the final destination) was in Mexico. I cannot remember if it was Alaskan Airlines or Mexicana. But I do remember the FA looked at each person ticket when they left the plane. And this one particular person was not allowed to leave the plane because that stopover was not his destination. He got very upset but finally sat down again in his seat.

Tedgale, I am sorry you had this problem but I guess with heightened security we can all expect problems if there are clitches with our tickets etc.

Either your spouse or your TA made an error. And then because you were trying to do the right thing by communicating with the FA you got the blunt of it. I guess like an attorney tells a client when they are going to be in the witness chair in court, do NOT offer any information. Only answer the question asked.

I am sure sorry you had this problem. I hope you are feeling better now.

i know that airlines are very strict about luggage flying without the passenger. Like many, i've often been on a flight delayed by a passenger checking his luggage then not boarding the plane. the ground crew then has to locate and off-load his luggage.

knowing this, this problem makes sense. i fly all the time and i never thought about the exact problem that you describe and, like you, i probably would have listened to the check and not demanded an updated pass (as you did).

In 1995 I flew Czech Airlines. On my Kosice-Prague leg, I was told that something was wrong with the plane, and that it would be a week until I could get on another flight. Yes, a week!

After much complaining, I finally got on a flight 3 DAYS later.

I was lucky in that I stayed with relatives (rather than incurring further hotel costs, which my student budget at the time would not have allowed), and that I didn't have anything really pressing at home to get to.

But even after the 3-day delay, I would still fly Czech Airlines. I just don't see any airline as being significantly better or worse than any other airline (except Air New Zealand, which is EXCELLENT in all regards). All airlines have their moments...

But, sorry to hear about your trip difficulties, tedgale. Glad that other than the flying, everything went well.

I wish we could have heard BOTH sides of this story. I am, of course, convinced that there was no raising of voices, no tantrums, no "I'll call the police" and so forth and so on on EITHER side of the "conversation" that was held with the airline staff.

Of course, reading the rather hystrionic prelude to FINALLY being given the information really bolsters my feeling that the conversations were as smooth as silk.

tedgale,

Sorry you had such a rough time. Thanks for the clarification - I certainly learned valuable things from your story.

I'm looking foward to the report on the more pleasant parts of your trip to Italy and the Czech Republic in a future thread.

Welcome back.