I was wondering what niche you would class a Low Cost Carrier (LCC) which seems to actually provide some good levels of customer service as well as some on-board freebies, while essentially competing with the LCC carriers on their routes (FR & EZY)?

The airline in question is FlyGlobespan - "SCOTLAND’S rapidly expanding low fares airline" according to their own website. They fly a lot of the EZY routes from Glasgow and Edinburgh - mostly european destinations, but also recently to Stanstead in direct cometition with EasyJet from Glasgow. I was on one such flight yesterday (getting to enjoy the wonders of Waltham Cross, just north of the M25) from Glasgow to Stanstead. Usually our company uses EasyJet for staff travelling on this route, but as globespan were cheaper, we used them (as we seem to be more often now). My first surprise was check-in - it was in the main terminal at GLA, not what's laughingly referred to as T2 (a big shed used by EZY and a couple of package holiday companies for check-in). Next shock - "would you like a window or ailse seat sir" - seating assigned at check-in!!! No, wait, wake me up - this is a LCC....or is it?

So I get my BP and i'm preparing for a trek along to gates 2-4 (where EZY usually heads from) - nope, it's gate 23, just next to the BA pavillion. Will wonders never cease? Boarding is called and we all get on board to find a 1/2 full flight - the seat between myself and the pax on the aisle being empty. Decent legroom - comparable to BA, maybe an inch less. I'm aware that Globespan give a free tea or coffee on their flights (EZY and FR recoil in horror!), but what I wasnt expecting was the "would you like a bacon pannini sir"? Free! I took it, and it was very nice indeed. So far, i've been getting the same kind of service i'd expect from BA (not even BMI at this stage would match them on service or content). All good. We arrive at Stanstead and it's off for a day in our southern office.

Upon returning to the airport for my flight home, my heart sink when I see "refer to airline" on the departure board when looking for my check-in desk. I head along to zone K to the globespan check-in and am told by the agent on the Glasgow desk that my flight has been "delayed indefinately". Without prompting, she then informs me that as they will have no further information on my scheduled 8pm flight until at least 11pm, that they can put me on the 7.45pm Edinburgh flight, and then arrange for transport through. Not seeing much alternative, I accept and head off through to departures for a quick bit before my flight. We get through to boarding, and all the time the gate staff are very appologetic to everyone for the inconvenience and assuring pax that transport will be laid on to take us through to GLA. We board, and i'm surprised that, even with the combined EDI and GLA pax, this is only 2/3 full (again, myself, and most pax, seem to have the middle seat free). The captain comes on with his appologies, stating a problem with a globespan flight from the canaries causing a knock-on effect, then the flight goes by without comment (i doze during most of it).

We arrive at EDI s few minutes late and before we are off the plane, one of the flight crew again announces that we will be greeted at bagage reclaim 4 by a member of the ground staff who will direct us to the waiting coach to GLA for us. Right enough, as soon as we reach the baggage hall, we're directed to the coach at stand 5, our names are ticked off the driver's list and within 35 mins of arrival, the coach is heading off. At the end of it all, we got to GLA around 10:45 - about 1 hr, 30 mins later than scheduled, but nothing too bad. I cant help wondering how FR or EZY would have handled it.

Not bad for a LCC!

Efin