I've just returned from my fabulous French home exchange and I already know the next time I'll be flying a French airline: when h*ll freezes over.
We booked a new "all business class" airline, L'Avion, the first month it began issuing tickets. Featuring wide, comfy seats that recline more than the usual seat, fewer passengers per plane, fine wines and classic French cuisine, it promised a relaxing way to start our 40th Birthday Fantasy Swap.
It was impossible to make this reservation over the internet because L'Avion's site was a mess. It wouldn't load, or if it did, it would "time out" when we tried to click to the next page. When making the reservation, I requested wheelchair assistance for my elderly father and a bassinet, which European airlines attach in front of the bulkhead seats. "I'll need bulkhead seats so I can be with my baby and my father won't have to walk very far". The reservationist told me I would have to arrive at the airport early since those seats are only allotted at the airport to those who need them.
As it turns out, French airlines don't honor the Americans with Disabilities Act and claim it doesn't apply to them. They give out bulkhead seats to anyone who asks, as far in advance as they want, except me.
The "customer service" manager oozed contempt from every pore as he "explained" that he could not possibly inconvenience the other passengers who already had the bulkhead seats just so I could sit twenty-six rows closer to my baby, who still had the bassinet in the bulkhead. Also, my father had broken a rib while in France, but even though he could not walk he was still not entitled to a bulkhead seat.
There is a French phrase, "Va te faire foutre", which urges the listener to perform a physically impossible sexual act upon him or herself. The customer service manager clearly radiated this invitation from his body language, his disgusted expression and his cruel denial of the seats I and my disabled father needed.
Believe it or not, this is a common interaction when dealing with "customer service" "professionals" in France. It is merely an expression of a cultural difference. Home exchangers must always be aware of such issues so we can deal with others effectively where ever our travels lead us. I will tell you how I handled this when I am not so jet lagged!
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