Fly on the wall series Airline documented the goings on at one of Britain’s newest budget airlines Easyjet.
The now iconic show, which first aired in 1998, followed staff and often disgruntled passengers in both Luton and Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport.
We’ve all had frustrating situations at airports and some of us have had arguments with airline staff, but the beauty of Airline UK was there a camera there to document it.
The show captured some of the most memorable British meltdowns in the pre Come Dine with Me era and many are as relatable now as they were then.
And this week one clip has gone viral showcasing the lunacy of the show in all its glory.
In the clip, a lady claims that she has been made homeless as she packed her car and door keys into a suitcase which is now lost
The camera then panned to a member of EastJet staff who is unaccountably wearing tiger facepaint
In the clip, a lady claims that she has been made homeless as she packed her car and door keys into a suitcase which is now lost.
The camera then panned to a member of EastJet staff who is unaccountably wearing tiger facepaint.
‘Just as you’re digesting the lunacy of someone packing their car and home keys in their luggage the greatest thing that’s ever happened on TV comes roaring around the corner’, laughed one fan.
‘I’m assuming there’s some context to this but I kind of hope it was just never explained’, said another.
Although it has been off the air for the decades the show is still adored by legions of fans who periodically share clips.
So, stripped of all their dignity and in all their glory, these are the best Airline UK passenger meltdowns of all time.
The now iconic show, which first aired in 1998, followed staff and often disgruntled passengers in both Luton and Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport
In one of the clips, a scuffle for information emerges at the front of the desk and at the forefront is the bowler hat wearing Steven Williams who has a lot to say
The ‘agreement’
It’s New Years Eve but bad weather means there’ll be no flights to Barcelona tonight.
It’s devastating news for the passengers, not helped by Easy Jet’s nonsensical suggestion of booking them onto flights for January 1.
A scuffle for information emerges at the front of the desk and at the forefront is the bowler hat wearing Steven Williams who has a lot to say.
Williams, who sounds like he eats the dictionary of cockney rythming slang for breakfast demands to know who he can scrawl his complaint too.
‘Who?’, he bellows, ‘Stelios? That prat!’
After going round the houses for what seems like hours (and most likely was) Williams pulls out his trump card: his boarding pass.
‘Excuse me mate, what’s that?’, he drawls, his sausage fingers clasping the sheet of paper so tightly it begins to shake, ‘it’s an agreement mate, YOU GONNA HONOUR IT?’
The EasyJet employee tells Mr Williams he is unable to honour it prompting another barrage of cockney insults and moans.
Eventually, Mr Williams is transferred to the next days Madrid flight. His parting words?
‘Adios amigo, Prat!’
One French lady tried to foil Border Force by sneaking a very alive cat into her hand luggage
Amazingly the woman had already flown from Paris to the UK with the cat in the bag
The cat terrorist
In the UK it’s well known you can’t take animals into the cabin with you, but perhaps rules are different in France?
This can after all be the only explanation as to why one French lady tried to foil Border Force by sneaking a very alive cat into her hand luggage.
‘EasyJet doesn’t like cats’, she explains, as she pulls the animal out of a zipped up bag, ‘I prefer to laugh.’
Amazingly the woman had already flown from Paris to the UK with the cat in the bag.
She claimed that nobody had told her it was illegal in Paris but things get serious when EastJet informs her the cat will now have to go into quarantine.
Fearing the worst, the woman attempts to flee the airport but is soon cornered by security and escorted back to the airport.
‘Look at this! I am a big terrorist with my cat!’ she shrieks, before muttering some absurdities in French.
After a few phone calls, it is revealed that there was a problem with the security in France and the woman and her cat are returned to Paris.
Another famous confrontation the EasyJet staff had to endure on the show was being berated by two Northern Irish people who were adamant it was the airline’s fault they had turned up a day late to their flight
‘Who’s at fault here?’
Another famous confrontation the EasyJet staff had to endure on the show was being berated by two Northern Irish people who were adamant it was the airline’s fault they had turned up a day late to their flight.
‘Get down off your high horse and listen to me’, growls the woman, as the EasyJet check in member patiently explains she has made a mistake.
‘Now who’s at fault’, the man intones truimphantly, ‘the professional or the ordinary traveller.’
‘The ordinary traveller.’
‘Good! Lovely customer relations’, he scoffs, aiming a sideways glance at the camera to express how unreasonable EasyJet’s demand of turning up on the correct day is.
After an excruitaing exchange in which the woman is repeatedly told she is at fault for not turning up for her flight she finally relents and agrees to pay £55 to fly the next day.
‘There was no argument there’ explains the EasyJet staff member, ‘she’s had the confirmation for months.’
Well yes, quite.
In Luton airport, it is bad news for one couple who claim they have been stuck in parking causing them to miss boarding for their flight to Nice
‘You’re supposed to make it easy, it says EasyJet!’
In Luton airport, it is bad news for one couple who claim they have been stuck in parking causing them to miss boarding for their flight to Nice.
Adamant they are being hindered by the airline, the furious and entitled couple demand to be boarded late arguing that if they aren’t they’ll lose a day of holiday.
The EasyJet manager explains that it is too late to board them as the captain can’t change his load sheet this late on.
‘We could have been here had they ran a more effiecent service up their’, the woman roars.
‘You’re supposed to make it easy, it says EasyJet!’ begs the man, gesticulating at the logo wildly.
‘It is easy if you get here on time’, the manager snaps.
The couple did not board the flight to Nice.
After being told she was going to miss her flight this woman began madly squeaking
The stunned EasyJet staff member can’t help herself and mutters ‘Christ’ as the squeaking continues in an almost musical arrangment
Squeak, squeak, squeak
Missing a flight is one of the most frustrating things that can happen to anyone, but there are worse things that can happen so some perspective is needed.
This perspective is certainly lacking in Luton airport when one teacher trainer is told she has missed her flight to Barcelona.
When the woman is told she will not be boarding she begins to immediately scratch her head nervously.
Then it happens. In the woman’s mad grief she emits a sound, a high-pitched rythmic ejaculation.
It rises higher and grows louder registering as an intermittent squeaky blip. She has become a human sonar machine.
The stunned EasyJet staff member can’t help herself and mutters ‘Christ’ as the squeaking continues in an almost musical arrangment.
‘Please don’t do this to me’, she squeaks.
They do it to her.
It’s Christmas time in Luton airport but one group of very important businessman have turned up too late for their flight to Amsterdam
After ten minutes of arguing the men attempt to barge past security
The storming of Luton airport
It’s Christmas time in Luton airport but one group of very important businessman have turned up too late for their flight to Amsterdam.
Now if you know anything about very important businessman, you’ll know their time is money, so little things like rules and regulations won’t get in their way.
The men claim that they have been told they can get on the flight even if they’re late however an EasyJet manager quickly confirms this isn’t the case.
‘We are going to be on the flight!’, roars the man, pointing his chubby fingers directly into the face of the mannager.
After ten minutes of arguing the men attempt to barge past security.
They are of course quickly stopped.
‘We will be arrested’, the man says, looking more shocked than he should be.
Amazingly the men actually ended up boarding a plane to Amsterdam that night.
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