This scenario has occured 3-4 times in the past 7-8 flights on CO to and from Europe over the past year....mainly from/to the UK out of EWR and CLE.What I experience is that in coach (1/2 times in BF) the DF cart comes through the aisle and I order my usual 2 cartons of cigarettes, yes flame me I know that I can only legally purchase 1 carton of cigs at a time but all airlines sell what they can (within reason), so lets assume its 1 carton and a bottle of Bacardi Alcohol for this discussion. They then tell me that they have no DF bags available to place my purchased contents into....99% of the time they offer me a CO trash bag...well I am not that high of class that that kills me, a bag is a bag...beats me carrying it in my own hand luggage. But a trash bag is much larger than a DF bag...so its not as convenient to carry to customs.


Yesterday though (CO 21) I was suprised to find that 1/2 FA's didn't even want to provide that. Here's the story....

/rant
The DF cart did not stop at rows 7-14 in coach, I was in row 15 and stopped the DF cart and ordered my normal 2 cartons of cigs.

A little background for non UK transiters, you can only depart UK destinations with one carry on bag, all other bags must be checked, so of course you load up your one carry on bag with the essentials for making it to your destination.


The lady attending me mentioned they did not have any DF bags, they ran out. Ok that happens but I have heard this story many times before and ask her how I am to carry them through EWR customs since my one carry on is filled with my personal items. She kindly suggests a CO trash bag, this has happened before and I say OK, not optimum but it gets the job done and I can compromise. I think all is good...She asks the gent at the other end of the cart to grab her a trash bag explaining they are out of bags. His reply is "we might not have enough trash bags to finish the flight to EWR from the UK", he says it like thats all he will say on the matter. They continue my CC transaction, and she asks him again for a bag, without the blink of an eye he gives her the same exact explanation. I mention to her that I am going to IAH and I WILL mention this deficiency in service ( I hated to do this but read on) as I have had it before, this assuming I will get a trash bag for DF items. It takes her 3 more times of asking this gent before she demands he go get a bag for me. He returns finally with a stack (+5) bags of various types of trash bags. She kindly bags my purchase and moves on. Kudos to the Lady FA, to the guy FA who of course had his name badge hidden.

A few Comments/Questions come to mind:

• There is only 1 carry on in the UK, what would CO have told me to do if I purchased 3 bottles of Alcohol, how would I carry that to customs? I only have two hands.
• The Gent FA obviously had bags in stowage yet even to a fellow FA he questioned her 4 times if he should get a bag in front of a PAX...mind you a CO * pax? Not recommended if your a FA IMHO.
• Why are there not enough DF bags on the planes, especially for UK based flights with a 1 carry on rule for departures....this is not a one off as it has occurred to me multiple times on multiple routes from the UK.
• This has even occured once departing the USA to Europe.

/rant off

Has anyone experienced this on other CO flights? Other Airlines DF purchases?