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Rating = 1.0 (very poor) to 5.0 (excellent) |
flyBe review by Anthony Matthews
29 January 2008 Customer Trip Rating : 
Cardiff to Paris flight. Early morning departure at 08.45 with arrival at Paris 11.15. Bombardier
Q400 - reasonably quiet on take off. Although seat pitch was 30 inches, thin leather seats gave the
impression of space. Crew not in your face selling extras. Return flight at 18.55 left on time.
Flight full, with first stop in Cardiff then on to Belfast. Rather surprisingly on landing at
Cardiff, the Belfast passengers were told to disembark, go through immigration and then re-board
the aircraft. Two tickets cost me £145 booked months in advance.
flyBe review by D Kane
21 January 2008 Customer Trip Rating : 
Birmingham to Edinburgh. Flight was delayed for 2.5 hours before we finally take off to be told
only 10 minutes into the flight that there was a problem with the plane and we were returning to
Birmingham. Poor communication, announcements that could not be heard and no staff presence in the
departure lounge. Finally we were put on a flight to Belfast that was diverted to Edinburgh first.
This caused the Belfast passengers a delay and they were not too happy either. Got home 5 hrs late.
An airline that seems to have a lot of technical problems and certainly not to be relied on if you
must be somewhere on time.
flyBe review by S Claffey
15 January 2008 Customer Trip Rating : 
Flybe have been helpful in my dealings with them. On two occasions, one involving a bereavement in
the immediate family and the other an incapacitation due to a bad fall resulting in a broken leg,
Flybe rearranged fights at no cost whatsoever to my wife and myself. We found the staff to be
willing to assist whenever possible.
flyBe review by Nigel Woolard
13 January 2008 Customer Trip Rating : 
Stupidly small aircraft from Birmingham to Dusseldorf, 3 seats wide, not enough overhead storage,
overhead storage too small for a laptop case, budget airline service (no free meal/drinks) British
Airways club class prices £550 return fare. I have to be honest, I'd rather drive to another airport
and use Easyjet, service is about the same, prices are much lower, and at least they have decent
aircraft.
flyBe review by M Simmonds
10 January 2008 Customer Trip Rating :
Have used Flybe often in the past, as we live close to Exeter - very pleased last year & the year
before with flights to Paris. Now starting to use the Exeter/Newcastle route frequently , and am
beginning to wonder if there's a problem - the Sunday pm flight from Exeter to Newcastle, and the
return has been delayed each Sunday for the last three weeks. Our son was on the outward flight
this weekend - due to take off at 19.15. On arrival at Exeter, Flybe reported 'mechanical problems'
and actual take off was after 9pm, meaning he missed public transport back to student residence, so
not much of a saving there, as he then had to pay for a taxi back. My friend who was booked on the
flight as it returned to Exeter had heard there was a problem with this slot - no plane available,
apparently! , according to the taxi driver who picked her up at the airport. She rang flybe before
making her journey to the airport to find out if there were delays expected, to be told 'No, turn up
on time'. She was in Newcastle airport at 8pm for a flight which didn't take off till 11.30pm (the
one my son had come in on). The suspicion is that they had known all day the flight was never going
to take off on time, but that passengers still had to turn up for check-in at 8pm so that check-in
staff could clock off before 9pm. It so happens I've booked a flight to Newcastle in a couple of
weeks, returning on this flight. I will not be happy if I get there and I'm spun the same story,
but I won't be laying odds about getting home on time that night.
flyBe review by K Faulkner
28 December 2007 Customer Trip Rating : 
BHX to BHD return. I paid GBP50.00 for this experience and there is little to fault. I checked in
online and only had hand luggage (1 small bag) and went straight through security (where my boarding
card was checked) at BHX into departures. Flight was due to take off at 16.15 and the gate was
eventually announced at 16.00, so there was a mad rush to get on board. Flight was virtually full
(Embraer 195) but managed to take off at 16.20. Drinks were available to be purchased on board
however no sandwiches as the cabin staff informed us they had sold out of these in the morning.
Landed 15mins early and exited the airport shortly after. Return fight was virtually the same
although didn't check in online as travelling with family and we were informed we could not sit
together as we had not pre-booked seats. The check-in staff informed us they have no control over
this as seats are allocated on a random basis. Reading previous comments I had learnt to be thorough
in my booking (check the insurance box is not ticked as I did not realise I was going to purchase
this until just before I confirmed the booking). The flight crew were professional if not overly
friendly. The on-line check-in worked although I had read that if the boarding card you print is
not readable you will be charged GBP10.00 to get one from check-in! As I was meeting family and
returning with them we were able to share luggage which reduced hold baggage costs. Had I taken a
suitcase and pre-booked a seat on both flights it would have added an extra 40% to the cost of my
ticket which for short flights is really not worth it and demonstrates how low-cost airlines make
their money!
flyBe review by S Sherman
27 December 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Flight cancelled from Edinburgh to Paris 30 mins before the flight was due to take off as the plane
(still in Paris - apparently) had a technical issue. It was obvious that the 'technical issue' was a
load of rubbish or they truly are incompetent. The flight obviously takes more than 30 mins to get
to Edinburgh from Paris, so if this was truly the case then they should have been able to inform the
customers before this time, perhaps allowing them to get their act together and get another flight
in! Interesting to note that there where only about 20 people on the flight - cynical perhaps but
maybe their technical fault stems from low customer numbers on flights!! The next flight was not
until the next morning, of which we experienced another technical issue where we had to return to
the gate prior to take off. What a joke of an airline.
flyBe review by P Aleksander
27 December 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Exeter - Salzburg return. We checked in on-line and baggage drop took seconds at Exeter. We boarded
about on schedule, were delayed ten minutes on the tarmac due to refuelling and arrived around
twenty minutes late. Apologies all round from crew. Crew efficient, plane clean, inflight drinks and
food as expected expensive and not exactly gourmet. Return flight delayed by just under an hour.
Baggage out quickly the other end. Very efficient. Travel to and from Exeter a joy. There's lots I
don't like about Flybe - the add ons, credit card charges per passenger not per transaction, baggage
restrictions - especially if you're travelling with kids, the extortionate rate to phone customer
services and their failure to reply to my e-mail. However, in terms of these two flight experiences
they did deliver.
flyBe review by Julie Taylor
24 December 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
I accompanied my daughter, small baby and partner to Leeds/Bradford yesterday for a flight at 08.40
back to Southampton. Partner had an important appointment at Southampton Hospital at 11.00. They
were told flight delayed due to 'flu' among staff. It appears that Flybe run on minimum no of staff
and when there is a problem, flights get delayed. They were told 12.00 which then became 1.40.
Partner did not make his appointment! Appalling service but we should have known better, last time I
flew with them in August from Southampton, there was a 5 hour delay!
flyBe review by T Guthrie
23 December 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Due to fly 7.45pm out of Don/Sheff to Belfast. Checked in 6pm, told would be boarding 7.15pm. 7.15
came and went - no staff to be seen. Message flashed on screen at 7.20pm - "next info at 20.30".
still no staff. Tannoy announcement at 7.30pm "flight delayed, rescheduled for 21.30". 20.45 pm -
Tannoy announcement "flight cancelled". Was directed to desk 1 - no Flybe staff - given customer
services number to ring fof flybe - message when you rang "this office is now closed until 24.12.07"
No flight, no alternative flight, no way of contacting flybe! Thanks a lot flybe for ruining my
Christmas.
flyBe review by Peter Cullen
23 December 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
SOU-BRU Return. Going out arrived early, coming back 10 minutes early. The aircraft (RJ145) was
comfortable and staff all one could expect. I liked the online check-in which worked well. There was
no food or drink (unless you paid) but on a flight of less than an hour that was fine by me. The
price was good too, not very low, but cheaper than most (I have flown to BRU from various UK
airports over the years). This is an old BA Connect aircraft I assume (though not the route as far
as I know) and I feel that overall it was better.
flyBe review by M Walden
20 December 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
EDI-BHX. Aircraft comfortable and quiet, crew attentive. Not the cheapest airline, and from 6 months
of experience not the most reliable (I used to work as an agent for them!) but I think they may just
be getting themselves on track!
flyBe review by R Jones
12 December 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Have just tried to cancel 2 x Return flights Norwich - Dublin for the Christmas period due to the
fact I now have to work over the festive period. I was informed they do not refund fares which I
accept, but when I asked regarding the refund of Taxes they replied that they did refund these but
there was an administration charge of £25.00 per person per leg of the journey. This totals £100.00
in admin fees which I find a rip off. I will definitely avoid Flybe in the future
flyBe review by Jon Earnshaw
4 December 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
SOU-LBA. Had to wait 15mins to be checked in - sailed through security into the tiny departure
lounge at Southampton. Started boarding at 1845 for the 1855 flight. Flight about 80% full - quite
cramped - legroom not generous and seats very uncomfortable but able to cope for an hour's flight.
Sat on the ground for 35mins without apology or explanation. Finally departed at 1930 and the
55minute flight to Leeds quickly passed. Cabin crew friendly and all food and drink on board is to
pay for. I found my first Flybe experience poor - will avoid them in the future.
flyBe review by Richard Brookes
26 November 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Booked to fly to Germany on a business trip and I have never been so badly treated by the check-
in/customer service people. They charged a huge amount for excess baggage which was totally
unreasonable and then were rude. When paying for the excess baggage at the so called Customer
Service Desk I noticed four separate people ask for assistance and each time the Flybe
representative was unable to assist with the very simple requests - and did so with I don't care
attitude. All I say is if there is an alternative to Flybe then use it.
flyBe review by I Ralph
23 November 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
I have been flying Flybe weekly from Edinburgh to Southampton and return for the past five months
and in that five months I have only boarded and the flight departed once on time. Late aircraft
departure I can tolerate if I am given a reason, but Flybe never have any company representation on
the ground other than the handling agent staff. So it is the norm with Flybe for its customers to be
left in the departure lounge not knowing what is happening with the flight. As a frequent traveller
I believe that Flybe's customer care policy is that they do not care, they have a monopoly on the
majority of internal flight to regional airports within the UK so why do they need to worry about
customer care.
flyBe review by Neil Bowyer
23 November 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Flybe are a terrible airline. Their fair deal on baggage constitutes restricting the size of cabin
luggage to below normal standards, with a low weight limit, then charging people to put the bag in
the hold. Their punctuality is exceptionally bad, in fact it's a real surprise when it's on time.
Finally, they cancel flights, and when they do they try to hide the fact the passenger is entitled
to compensation under EU law, and make it very difficult to claim, I've been waiting 3 months for my
latest claim. I have to use this airline as it is the only one that covers the route I take, but
would urge anyone who has a choice to choose another, whoever they are, they really can't be as bad
as FlyBe.
flyBe review by Glyn Dobson
23 November 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Exeter to Alicante. What a disaster this route has been this summer, with a punctuality rate of 29%
in June. Bring Easy Jet to Exeter.
flyBe review by T Holder
23 November 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Malaga-Southampton. Low cost flight - no! Come on Flybe, be honest - by the time you include all
the add-ons and not forgetting the time hanging on the telephone at a £1 per minute for an answer.
Try checking in online for Malaga departure it doesn't exist like the 'rapid' check in desk.
This has all the trappings of airline run by accountants - very profitable and screw the customers
for every penny. Some advice to the accountants - customers matter and like us will vote with their
feet.
flyBe review by D Holness
23 November 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Manchester - Milan return. Outward journey not too bad. Return journey was a nightmare. Ended up at
the departure gate only to be told that the flight was cancelled. No Flybe staff around (as per
usual). Spent the night at a local hotel. Returned to Malpensa airport the following day. Got a
boarding card for the 11.30 flight but was told by others on my flight (again at the departure gate)
that it wasn't my flight and I would have to wait for the next flight. What is this, are they a bus
company or something? Finally got to Manchester 19 hours late!
flyBe review by M Potter
19 November 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Amsterdam-Norwich-Amsterdam. Flight out great, smart cabin crew, half-full aircraft, Q400 was really
noisy. The trip back was 2 hours delayed, and then at Schiphol it took 40 minutes to get the baggage
to the reclaim hall. I was shocked at the sneaky surprise charges at almost every stage of the
booking process.
flyBe review by C Beaumont
19 November 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
I made my first booking online with Flybe and the whole process was quite nauseating. Accustomed to
airlines and their devious attempts to ‘up the costs’, I have to say this was exceptional. The
default insurance tick-boxes, the default baggage charges and the additional costs for debit cards.
I’m sure there were others, but I was so incensed I probably missed them! More irritating than this,
seconds after making my booking, I noticed that I had booked my return flight a day early. I
instantly corrected the mistake, but imagine my complete horror at having to pay another alteration
fee of £103!
flyBe review by Geoff Wyndham-Jones
4 November 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
EDI-MAN: Slight delay in departure because of fog affecting the inbound aircraft from MAN and
turnaround when aircraft did arrive was not particularly slick when compared with BA. Flight in Q400
smooth, with plenty of information from the flight deck: FA's professional; (paid-for) meal deal
value for money and tasty. Generally, a good product for a regional airline, The Chairman has
admitted that they lost the plot during July and August, but things seem to be improving. However,
because of tight scheduling, delays in the early part of the day will always translate into delays on
evening flights, as the airline seems to have no spare resources to throw into the operation if delays
do occur.
flyBe review by M Ferguson
1 November 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Gatwick to Inverness. Comfortable flight on time. Had prebooked hold luggage for my wife and I and
annoyed to find that we had to pay an additional £9 for her vanity case, when other passengers carried
on much larger hand luggage.
flyBe review by Colin Campbell
23 October 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Very disgruntled about my local airline. Booking a flight 10 months in advance and paying the amount
demanded is high for a low cost airline! Living in Exeter I want to support my local airline, however
if you can get it for 200 per cent less from easyJet with a 60 minute car journey to Bristol, I may
think of this option. flyBe have reverted to being sneaky with the cost of the flight - a side menu
calculates the fees and taxes for each flight, so you still see the cheap deal and then all the taxes
(and flyBe charges!) are added.
flyBe review by M Welk
19 October 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Just booked a flight with Flybe well in advance for 2008 and am most annoyed by how their ads proclaim
"low" prices but then when booking there are numerous add-ons. Especially annoying is the no free hold
baggage allowance and a charge of £10 return per bag and a higher credit card charge fee than I
believe other airlines charge. So an initial approx £46 fare for 2 adults mushrooms into a final cost
of £187.
flyBe review by Jason Rogers
17 October 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
I travel most weeks from Manchester to Belfast City and return. Since the takeover of BA Connect, the
"service" has deteriorated. Like many, many others, my average fare on this route has increased by
around £25 since the "low cost" airline has taken over. Service is normally late by an hour or so (at
least) and I have resorted to booking the second service in the morning as the first one is normally
cancelled. The ground handling operation at Manchester is appalling - how long can it be before a
safety issue occurs? It is time that these people were forced to account for their actions and stop
misleading people with their false claims - ie. "low cost" and "green" etc. As soon as an alternative
is available, I shall use it.
flyBe review by Robert Johnson
11 October 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
With a 7.15am flight planned on Saturday 15th September from Birmingham to Hannover direct, we were
repeatedly delayed until 11.45, with no ground crew explanation. When we boarded we were told that it
was due to a crew shortage which had to be bussed down from Manchester - surely this is known as lack
of planning. Arrived in Hannover in the Domestic terminal and a hurriedly arranged passport check only
to find that 10 or so passengers had no luggage, I was one of the unlucky ones. With no one there to
help from the airline we then were directed to Swiss to complain and register the lost luggage, only
to be told that it had never been loaded in Birmingham. They hoped it would be there on Sunday, with
the next flight - despite numerous calls to both numbers given no luggage arrived. Same story on
Monday when our exhibition opened. Tuesday after repeated calls and escalation of complaints same
promise made and eventually I was reunited with my luggage Tuesday evening at 10.45pm. We were told
that no recompense was to be forthcoming despite all the aggravation, inconvenience etc.
flyBe review by Rob Sawyer
11 October 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
I must be incredibly lucky because I have used them about 12 times this year and only once had a 30
minute delay to Hanover. Clean aeroplanes, decent seats and cabin staff fine. Only slight grumble is
the price of tea £1.95 - scandalous. I have another 4 flights at least with them before the end of the
year so perhaps it will all go downhill from here.
flyBe review by Jez Hoppe
9 October 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Along with what seems like a significantly large majority of people who have contributed to this form,
I too have suffered appalling service from FlyBe particularly on the Norwich - Manchester service.
How does it come out with and average rating of 3 Stars? The latest incident that I had to endure
occurred last week and included being told at 16:30 pm that my 18:00 flight to Manchester had already
been delayed until 20:45 due to a "lack of crew" problem. This appears to be a very common occurance
which, allegedly, is no accident. Where, or to which body can someone complain in order to get the
practices of this company (FlyBe) "officially" investigated regarding its quality of service?
flyBe review by R Morrod
5 October 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Southampton - Amsterdam last week and again this week. Last week the flight was cancelled outbound,
this week it was cancelled inbound. The information given to passengers was almost non existant, as
was anyone from Flybe to contact to find out what was going on, nor was their phone being answered.
They are a disaster and should not be allowed to operate.
flyBe review by Geoff Becque
5 October 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Birmingham-Jersey return. Quick check in T2 (taken over from BA) and boarded efficiently. Dash 8 is a
quick aircraft only taking 5 mins more than a 737 on an hours flight to the Channel Islands.
Flightdeck announcements very good as was service. Return flight equally efficient - luggage on belt
in a further 10 mins. If all their flights were like this what a great airline it would be.
flyBe review by Sue Barnard
27 September 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Manchester-La Rochelle return, June 2007 - Update. In my previous posting I promised to let you
know how I progressed with my complaint. Now, three months later, Flybe's response has arrived.
They apologised for the delay (and also for the fact that passengers were not kept informed) and
have offered me and my husband a generous credit note against a future flight. So if you have cause
for complaint (and are not in a hurry!), it is worth persevering!
flyBe review by J MacLeod
21 September 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Inverness -Gatwick on 02/09/07 due to leave Inverness at 12.10. Eventually Left Inverness at 22.15.
Missed connecting flight to Lanzarote and subsequently lost out on 26 hours of our holiday. Flybe
unavailable to help as no-one based in Inverness. Airport staff next to useless as they were no help
at all. Delicate people who have to be treated with kid gloves in case one might upset them.
Passengers can be upset but not the staff. Worst airline I have ever had the misfortune to book
with. Never again. Unreliable planes and staff to match. Get out of the Highlands and let a reliable company in.
flyBe review by D Lewis
21 September 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
I suffered a cancellation of a flight from LGW to Inverness and attempted to claim compensation from the airline. After waiting two months
for a reply I was finally told that as my flight was cancelled due to "safety issues" the company
was "not required to offer any form of compensation". This is a ridiculous situation, the airline
is able to hide behind the "safety issues" excuse without offering its customers adequate redress
for their terrible service. I am sure there are thousands of other travellers in a similar
situation to me, FlyBe has patently been unable to fulfil its obligations to customers since it took
over from BA Connect. So avoid at all costs. If you book with FlyBE you have a good chance of your
flight being cancelled, but no chance of getting compensation from them if it is.
flyBe review by R McDermott
20 September 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Booked a flight to Geneva, a well known ski resort airport. Now find that the plane (Dash 8 Q400)
used by Flybe only allows skis at a length of 5ft and Snowboards up to 4.5ft. How long do they think the average snowboard / skis are?
flyBe review by David Reilly
20 September 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Flew back from Edinburgh on 31st August on an aircraft that has seen better days. On landing in
Manchester there was no indication where our bags would be. Eventually - having had to interrupt two
of their staff from their chat - we were told that the luggage didn't make it.
I understand that this will happen from time to time, but my complaint is with how poorly the
problem was dealt with. To start with we weren't given the correct form, reference number or phone
number by the airport staff. Trying to get information was frustratingly difficult; phones just
ringing and ring, then constantly engaged, and my favourite 'the other caller has hung up!'
Eventually got someone who promised to check and ring back - he didn't! When I managed to get
through again to ask what was happening he said 'What's happening? It's chaos here, that's what's
happening!' He did make it clear we would not be getting our bags bag that night and to ring again
in the morning, which meant a repeat of the whole frustrating process.
This went on through Sauturday and Sunday, with no-one telling us anything. Eventually we found from
a web site that the bags had been collected by a courier, but it still took until Monday afternoon
for us to receive them.
flyBe review by M Wilson
18 September 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Gatwick to Isle of Man. First flight of the day 5.5 hours late due to problems with aircraft at Isle
of Man, It was obvious they knew about the problem because they had cancelled the last flight out the
night before, why not make arrangements to ensure the flights go on time the following day. Unable to
speak to a Flybe representative at the airport, just the poor girl on the service desk in departures.
Coming back another 1hrs delay with no explanation or apology. a fellow passenger said that since they
had taken over the IOM route it was the worst it has ever been
flyBe review by Gareth Pritchard
18 September 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Milan Malpensa to Manchester. Check-in took three minutes - outstanding. Cabin crew pleasant and
friendly, and snacks were tasty. Luggage was retrieved in record time. The plane, an Embraer 145 had
more leg-room than most.
flyBe review by S Griffiths
18 September 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Southampton to Murcia having paid to pre book the extra legroom seats 1A and 1B. Checked in and given
seats in row 14 which w
ere not extra legroom. This is a pain as my husband is 6ft 4ins tall. Directed to Flybe counter to be
given a refund. No apology was offered and when I asked if they would automatically have put a credit
onto my card - the answer was a flat no. Apparently, if they change the aeroplane then all of the pre
booked seats are wiped out. There is not even an e mail informing that this is going to happen. Very
poor
flyBe review by A McKinney
12 September 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Flybe let us down very badly on both our outward and return jouneys from Glasgow to Manchester. We had
a flight booked from Manchester to Orlando and our Glasgow to Manchester flight was cancelled after we
had checked in - 70 minutes before it was due to leave. We managed to get a BMI flight at a cost of
£113 per person and we made our connection. On return we got on board the flight to Glasgow only to
have it return to the terminal due to an electrical fault. We eventually hired 2 cars and drove home
after having been travelling for 24 hours. The alternatives offered by Flybe were not acceptable. Now
it is 7 weeks since I sent in my complaint and request for refund. I have been told I will receive no
response for at least another 2 weeks as they have a lot of customers awaiting responses at present (I
wonder why!!). We had planned this family holiday for 2 years and one of our party was recovering
from a serious operation. WE had £1100 of additional expense due to the dreadful service of Flybe. I
would say we will never fly with them again, but we never actually managed to fly with them in the
first place! It would appear that you should only book with this airline if you don't need to get to
your destination at the time you have booked and you should never use them if you have a connection to
make within the next 24 hours.
flyBe review by J Lynch
11 September 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Have flown 6 times with Flybe and only 50% on time and correct route. Appalling service on flight
from Glasgow to Southampton on 31st August. Used this carrier as only route to catch P&O cruise
ships. Having checked in at Glasgow for 16:50 flight - cancelled. 45 minutes to retrieve baggage for
bus journey to Edinburgh. No-one to meet at Edinburgh to give advice. Another 45minute check in
queue with disgruntled check in staff who had to open the desk to accommodate us. Yes you've guessed
- flight too full of fuel to hold at least 16 of us. Had to queue at info desk where we were given
refund and booked on 3rd flight. Another queue to check in baggage again. Met an 80year old couple
who were travelling on the same original route as us. They needed assistance but were placed in
wheelchairs, expecting to get on the 6.30 Edinburgh flight and no-one had bothered to tell them it was
full. They did not even get compensation or a meal voucher. Came home on 8th September - no info on
flight and guessed it would also be cancelled. After another 2hours plus delay we eventually left
Southampton at 10:45pm - just before the airport closed. Travelling with an 81year old, and coping
with all these problems is disgraceful. It would seem if any flight is going to be delayed or
cancelled it will be the Glasgow one. No wonder the taxi drivers, and many people we spoke to on the
ship refer to the company as FlyMaybe.T hey claim to have a 90% success rate for travel - who do they
employ to gather statistics? They are luck there is no minus star ratings.
flyBe review by Neil Honeybone
11 September 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Southampton-Perpignan return. Outward journey delayed by over 4 hours due to technical fault with
plane. Eventually backup plane flown in from Birmingham. They did provide £6 refreshment voucher and
called ahead to car hire companies to stay open for the arrival of flight. Return 50 minutes late with
no working toilet. Plane interiors (BAE146) showing their age and give no reassurance when there are
technical problems - you feel as though you are travelling in a wreck. Considering the cost of ticket
I dont understand how Flybe can pretend to be a budget airline. This was not a cheap journey. I think
I agree with other comments that Flybe give the impression they have taken on more than they can cope
with by buying BAConnect.
flyBe review by Ralph Pletel
11 September 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
FLYMAYBE says it all. Terrible performance out of MAN and getting worse! Cancelled MAN-EXE leaving me
having to drive to meeting. This is not a business orientated airline. Never again will I travel with
this shower. I gave them a second chance after they cancelled MAN-GLA on me but there will not be a
third.
flyBe review by Fraser Campbell
11 September 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Edinburgh to Paris CDG. Travelling with 3 children aged 3,3,5 is never a fun experience but flight
crew both ways were a credit to the airline. Planes clean if a but tatty. Only niggle was the checkin
process which seems to be staffed by either incompetents (can't find bookings in CDG) or jobsworths in
EDI - "sorry sir you cannot express drop your bags until exactly 2 hours prior to departure" - the
fact that we arrived early at the airport, already checked in, ready to drop bags, to have a leisurely
lunch with the 3 kids was lost on this guy - computer said "no!"
flyBe review by C Hoffman
11 September 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Series of delays INV-LGW on 3 September. Both flights delayed over 7 hours and couldn't care less
attitude from Flybe. No rep from the airline available. Very disorganised I really question if Flybe
are up to the job. Old, unreliable planes. Took off midnight. Landed 1-10 am, got to baggage reclaim
at 1-30 am. Had to wait until 3-15 am for luggage as Flybe incomptent ground agents have failed just
like Flybe.
flyBe review by G McGhee
11 September 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Truly awful. You'd think I would learn from previous flights, but no. Being a kind considerate
individual I decided to give Maybe the benefit of the doubt. Surely I couldn't be unlucky enough to
have a fifth flight with them cancelled. You probably see already where this is going.
Having spent part of the day commiserating with two people who had flown from mainland europe to
Southampton with Flybe (via of course, a 12 hour delay and a 5 hour coach trip from the Midlands to
complete their journey), I was quietly confident that the mysterious world of probabilities would be
in my favour. Of course not. An internal flight from Southampton was delayed two hours and, as I write
is, barring a miracle on the verge of being cancelled. Honest. This really is the last straw. This
airline is inept, useless and utterly without remorse for the service it offers. For heaven's sake
everyone, let's walk, run, hire cars, use the trains. Anything but use this useless airline.
flyBe review by Ray Mal
6 September 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
BHX-EDI-BHX Nice new planes. Useless airline. First flight up to Edinburgh in the morning. Over 50
minutes late arriving in Edinburgh. Cabin crew said that this was quite normal and happens
regularily. Onboard, seats are narrow but legroom is OK. Return was last flight back and left 30mins
late firstly because cabin crew were late turning up and secondly because we had to wait for equipment
to push plane back. On arriving in Birmingham plane was at remote stand so had to go to terminal by
bus adding even further to delay. Given that the whole flight is timed at 1hr 15mins the whole
journey was pretty poor.
flyBe review by Z Selman
6 September 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Inverness to London Gatwick. Flight delayed for three hours, then cancelled due to engine failures. We
were booked on another flight the following day which itself was delayed by an hour and a half. Staff
were totally disinterested. Appalling service, will never use again.
flyBe review by G Osborne
6 September 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Birmingham to Stuttgart. As I arrived at the steps onto a twin turbo prop that looked like someone had
found in a shed, I knew this was going to be an adventure. We all boarded and then left the plane back
to the terminal due to an electrical fault. There are no announcements in Birmingham so watch the
displays! Expected departure 0830 instead of 0705. 0905 refreshment voucher for £3.50p issued. Five
minutes to boarding note appeared for 15 minutes before expected boarding moved to 0915 this then
repeated to 0930 which then repeated until at 0945 we were called to the gate. Same plane, it was the
batteries! The pilot was then very proud to announce that they actually had spares available at the
airport. Then finally onto the runway to taxi and return to base due to hydraulic failure. Bus arrives
to terminal and disappears as pilot wants to run up engine as test first. Bus returns and back we go
to the terminal. We are then told that someone will come to explain what will happen next. We are all
booked onto the next flight at 1135. This plane is an Embraer that will take all passengers from both
flights and still has some seats vacant. An announcement then follows that there will be no catering
as the flight is full thus the plane is overloaded and refreshments have been removed to save weight!
Same plane that BA connect sold to Flybe and that would fly with all seats occupied and refreshments
that included choices far in excess of Flybe and also cheaper. How can tea suddenly increase in price
by 35p from BA Connect to Flybe? I could go on but hey this is Flybe, I have yet to find a single
member of their staff who shows any interest or even registers there is a person talking to them. You
can fly to Stuttgart from Birmingham using Ai rFrance, a bit longer travel but not 4.5 hours longer
and my French could do with improving.
flyBe review by Nigel Gorski
2 September 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
LBA-SOU-LBA. Checked in for both flights within 5 minutes, 4 travelling together and allocated an
entire row of a Q400 in each direction. Cabin crew friendly and offered paid for refreshment service
in both directions although on the outward trip, no sandwiches available. Flights arrived early in
each direction, the return trip being some 20 minutes early and bags delivered within 5 minutes.
Flybe appear to be resolving their post BA Connect acquisition problems. Overall a positive efficient
experience - 1 star lost for full catering offer not being available on outward trip.
flyBe review by David Gartside
30 August 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
MAN-EDI ERJ 145. Flight itself was fine, on time with good service. Luggage retrieval at EDI seemed
slow, as did the so-called 'fast bag drop' at MAN aka 'Q-buster'. It seemed to involve a ponderous
transcription of details from photo ID and e-check-in boarding pass and almost completely nullified
the benefit of doing the e-check-in. The web-site booking process is OK, but as many people have
commented being charged for everything in little bits and pieces all feels very unnecessary.
flyBe review by Michael Preston
21 August 2007 Customer Trip Rating : n/a
Apart from slight delays, about which we were kept informed, my criticism of two short flights SOU-
JER-SOU on the Q400 is being bombarded with constant blaring noise from the PA system before departure
and on arrival. They call this 'Radio Flybe unplugged' (it should be unplugged!) and it is quite
ghastly, with unpleasant 'music', shouted announcements to use the Flybe website and other services,
and other publicity. I do not think a captive audience should be, or needs to be, subjected to this
treatment. If they feel the need to play music to passengers, then please select something gentle and
relaxing and not raucous shouting 'pop' music. On a more positive note, the seating on the BAe 146
which I took on another flight is very comfortable.
flyBe review by W Warnock
18 August 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Recently flew FlyBE for the first time from MAN to BRU return. Outward journey not great. Flight was
meant to depart at 6:35am but by 6:30 nothing had happened. I went to speak to a guy (difficult to tel
if he worked for the airline) who was standing by the gate and told him the flight information screen
was showing 'last call' and yet the gate was still not open. He said that they had no control over the
information put out and boarding would start in 5 to 10 minutes! He gave the same story to another
passenger who asked 5 minutes later. Eventually a FlyBE lady came along and announced boarding was
about to commence - no apology or reason for the delay was given. I had pre-booked my seat but this
was a waste of time as I was diverted to a different seat as I boarded the plane! Truly awful service.
Flight eventually took off at 7:45am. Return was a better experience. Booking in was easy, flight took
off 10 minutes early and arrived 35 minutes earlier than scheduled! Flight crew were efficient and
friendly. Don't know what happened but they need to do more of the return stuff and less of the
outward stuff! 1 star on the way out - 5 stars on the way back. 3 for the combined trip.
flyBe review by Karl Parish
15 August 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
LGW-INV-LGW Check in was easy with friendly helpful staff. Flight was delayed both ways but made up
time en-route and arrived as scheduled. I am a corporate flyer so do not have much of a choice of who
I travel with but based on this performance would not be too upset if told I am flying with them
again.
flyBe review by Martin Brown
10 August 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
MA -BRU Economy. Flight was on a new Q400. What an awful aircraft. Narrow seats (pitch okay) with
no recline and no window blinds so if the sun shines through the windows, tough. If FlyBe are
replacing their aircraft with these, I will definitely fly with someone else. They have gone from a
budget airline with expensive tickets to a cheap and nasty airline with expensive tickets.
flyBe review by J Santos
10 August 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
I always used BA Connect on my regular trip to Frankfurt - tt was a joy. Now, Flybe is terrible - I
have never ever once been on time. It would soften the blow a bit if we were actually kept informed
about the delay but not a member of staff was to be seen. My bags have been lost twice. Again the
staff were totally disinterested. My tickets cost less with BA and we had better service too. Flybe
prices are a joke. Low cost my ****.
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