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A nationwide scheme from the Family and Parenting Institute.

Only six per cent of us thinks we are living in a very family friendly country.

To change this we must give families a voice. The Family Friendly scheme allows you to comment on how UK companies and public services treat you and your family.

Have you used the services of our scheme members? Did they offer you a family friendly welcome? If not, how could they improve? Beyond commenting on our member organisations, you can also tell us here how we can make the UK as a whole a family friendly place.

The Family and Parenting Institute is a national charity.

Do you run a business or public service that provides for families? Sign up to the Family Friendly scheme and be a part of the drive to bring truly family friendly services to the UK. Visit our businesses and public services section.

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Your views

 
Martin Nugent on National Trust
Want some ideas for 50 cool things you can do outdoors before...
Want some ideas for 50 cool things you can do outdoors before you’re 11 ¾ (grown ups can join in too!). Whether it is in the local park, your own back garden or at one of our places go to www.nationaltrust.org.uk/50things and see how many you can do.
23 April 2012
 
Frank Bruce on easyJet
On Easyjet.
My wife and I along with our two 14 year...
On Easyjet.
My wife and I along with our two 14 year old Grandaughters have just flown with Easyjet from Liverpool to Rhodes on 11.4.12 and return on 18.4.12. I found it excellent value for money. All the staff we had dealings with were excellent, well groomed, professional, nothing was a problem. The girl on check in was all the above but also had a great big welcome smile at 5 o' clock in the morning, which was really nice.
Keep up the good work Easyjet.
21 April 2012
easyJet replies:

Thank you for taking the time to give us your feedback. We...

Thank you for taking the time to give us your feedback. We are delighted that you had a great experience travelling with us. We are committed to making every flight as pleasant as yours.

 
Sandrine Pradayrol on easyJet
I travelled with Easyjet on the 31st of March 2012 with my...
I travelled with Easyjet on the 31st of March 2012 with my twins. They broke the pushchair and it is now a real nightmare to have it replaced by them. I keep you posted, but I recommend not to travel with them.
19 April 2012
easyJet replies:
I am truly sorry for the inconvenience caused by your pushchair being...
I am truly sorry for the inconvenience caused by your pushchair being broken. As a mother myself I recognise the impact it must have had on your travels. I believe that we have agreed to cover the cost of you hiring a suitable pushchair until you receive a replacement. Again we apologise for the damage caused and the subsequent inconvenience.
 
Hayley Connor on Barclays
Barclays bring to life their committment to its employees, supporting their members...
Barclays bring to life their committment to its employees, supporting their members with families through a range f initiatives and support.
19 April 2012
 
Chris Blake on easyJet
After this flight with my partner and our 2 year old boy...
After this flight with my partner and our 2 year old boy I have never flying easyJet ever again. The easyjet plane sat on Bordeaux runway for 2 1/2 hours due to th elack of a signatory to allow departure. Our boy was very good and was extremely patient.

On arrival at Gatwick we had missed our connection (also easyjet) as we were 3 hours late. The service we got from the manager there was disgusting. We were basically told to sort out our travel problems and write a letter. My partner was in tears, my boy was in tears, and we got no help from Easyjet at all. No hotel, no alternative flight, nothing. A young family with a 2 year old, stuck in Gatwick after having been on a plane for 4 hours. After help from my dad on the phone we took the overnight train home to Inverness, it cost me £400. Still no response from Easyjet. Family friendly? You are having a laugh...
16 April 2012
easyJet replies:
At easyJet we are committed to making travel easy for our families...
At easyJet we are committed to making travel easy for our families and all our customers; as a mother myself I understand how difficult it can be travelling with children, especially when things don’t go to plan. I was deeply shocked to read how Mr Blake and his family had been treated by one of our staff members, as Mr Blake explains he was trying to understand what options he had. Our agent in this situation actually offered Mr Blake an option that went over and above, however it was the attitude and tone taken by our member of staff that intensified the situation. I am confident that we can resolve this situation with Mr Blake and provide him with the reassurance that we are addressing his concerns and acting on his feedback.
 
Paul Banoub on Gatwick Airport
I'd like to complain about a shocking experience at Gatwick Airport passport...
I'd like to complain about a shocking experience at Gatwick Airport passport arrivals on 2/4/12.

Having arrived at approx 20:10 on the Thomson flight from Las Palmas (TOM4141) my wife and I, plus our 2 young children (2 & 3) were met at the passport control by a queue of approx 500 people at least, probably more.

We were not allowed to go through to he front or to any special assistance queue by the staff member there who stated that children were NOT allowed in certain queues so we had to join the huge queue.

We stood in that queue for 40 mins with my distressed and exhausted children screaming until some passengers allowed us through to the front where a staff member eventually ushered us through.

The whole thing was an appalling, upsetting and distressing end to an excellent holiday. Gatwick staff seemed totally uninterested in assisting us or other families with young children.

9 April 2012
Gatwick Airport replies:
Thank you for taking the time to send in your feedback...
Thank you for taking the time to send in your feedback - this is not the experience we want any of our customers to have at Gatwick. We are working with United Kingdom Border Force to improve their staffing levels and process throughout the Immigration process however it seems on this occasion they were not acceptable. There is only one lane you are unable to join and this is due to child protection issues. UKBF wish to see every child under 18 years of age to be absolutely certain that they are safe and not under any duress when entering the country. For this reason the gate has an "over 18 only" policy for the safety of the child. Gatwick is committed to improve the customer experience and once again thank you for letting us have this feedback.
 
Katherine Mills on easyJet
We recently travelled with two small children to Milan and found it...
We recently travelled with two small children to Milan and found it very difficult to find seats together as seats are not allocated. Passengers rush on the plane and tend to sit in either the aisle or the window seat leaving only one seat in the middle which is obviously not suitable for a parent and child. For this reason I wouldn't recommend easyJet as Family Friendly.
2 April 2012
easyJet replies:
I am truly sorry that you did not have a pleasant experience...
I am truly sorry that you did not have a pleasant experience travelling with us and struggled to sit together as a family. At the present we do not offer allocated seating however we do recognize the need for families to sit together. We operate a strict boarding policy where we ask our families with children under 5 to board straight after passengers who have purchased speedy boarding. In this way we try to ensure that all families are seated together. I understand that this might not be the case in all instances, and I hope you can accept my apologies for not being able to provide for your family. I will also follow up with our head of ground operations to ensure that our boarding procedures are being adhered to consistently across the network. But let me assure you that we have been listening to the feedback of our customers such as yourself with similar experiences and as a result are starting an Allocated Seating Trial on selected routes. If you wish to find out more about our Allocated Seating trial please visit http://easyjet.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5575. Yet again, I am very sorry that we did not live up to your expectations. We take our customers' feedback very seriously and allocated seating is something that is being discussed greatly within easyJet.
 
Kate Weston on Family Information Service, Cornwall
I had hoped for a more positive response to my enquiry.
2 April 2012
Family Information Service, Cornwall replies:
We are really sorry that you felt the response was not as...
We are really sorry that you felt the response was not as positive as you had hoped. Please contact us again, so that we can support you in resolving any outstanding issues you may have. We would like to reassure you that Cornwall FIS supports all families to the best of our ability.
 
disapointed mother on The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Ltd (LOCOG)
I have experienced nothing but appalling communication from Children's Promise. They've sent...
I have experienced nothing but appalling communication from Children's Promise. They've sent emails to wrong address, not replied - it's a shambles. We missed the party because our invite was sent to wrong email then I got a shirty message asking why I hadn’t replied!!
I have been emailing for WEEKS asking about dates for my son's involvement as we want to book a holiday but no-one can be bothered to reply to me.
I feel so disappointed and totally duped by The Children’s Promise and I know a lot of other parents of Olympic babies feel the same.
The organisation is happy to use our kids for publicity to raise profile of event but they don't really care at all as can't even be bothered to reply.
30 March 2012
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Ltd (LOCOG) replies:
For LOCOG's response, please see their comment about the Children's Promise on...
For LOCOG's response, please see their comment about the Children's Promise on their profile page
 
Mrs Louise O'Sullivan on easyJet
I recently travelled to Sharm El Sheikh from LGW with my husband...
I recently travelled to Sharm El Sheikh from LGW with my husband and 5 month old baby flying Easyjet. The staff in general were pretty friendly and helpful, but I did find there was absolutely nothing to do for babies/children on the flight,not even a TV screen. This was the downside. On the upside we were allowed to board before all the other passengers (except those that had paid extra for Speedy Boarding), which I found very helpful.
26 March 2012
easyJet replies:
Thank you very much for taking the time to send us your...
Thank you very much for taking the time to send us your feedback and thank you for choosing to fly easyJet. I am glad that your boarding process was pleasant and you found our staff helpful. As a mother myself I do understand how difficult it is to entertain a child during a flight. We do not provide any in-flight entertainment and do encourage where we can that families make their own provisions. Nevertheless we always strive to deliver a better customer experience, especially for our families. As an example we are currently trialling tablets with pre-loaded films on them on a selected number of routes which you can purchase for the length of the flight. We are always exploring new ways of improving the customer experience and very much appreciate your feedback. Let me thank you again for flying easyJet.
 
ian goodridge on Gatwick Airport
The main thing we required at the airport for our baby was...
The main thing we required at the airport for our baby was a microwave to heat his food/milk. There was none available or at least airport staff did not know of one and restaurants were not willing to heat bottles on health and safety grounds. All motorway service areas have microwaves e.g. Moto. Why not airports who appear to be living in the dark ages. With a 3 hour lag between arriving at airport and take off (at least) these are absolutely essential
26 March 2012
Gatwick Airport replies:
We are reviewing the options for heating Milk as we need to...
We are reviewing the options for heating Milk as we need to ensure the health and safety around this are foolproof. The Food and Beverage outlets at the airport will always heat milk and food for our customers.
 
Scott Anthony on Gatwick Airport
I was reasonably impressed with Gatwick's family friendly services. Whilst I was...
I was reasonably impressed with Gatwick's family friendly services. Whilst I was not told about any of them prior to travel, when arriving I was informed and used the family assistance lanes which were good, although the staff were a bit rude. Also, EAT. in Gatwick North terminal was excellent.
5 March 2012
Gatwick Airport replies:
Gatwick is committed to Delivering Outstanding Customer Service to all our Customers...
Gatwick is committed to Delivering Outstanding Customer Service to all our Customers. Gatwick recognises the importance of making the journey as stress free as possible, and part of this is developing products such as the Family lane. We are also investing in Play areas and working closely with our Food and Beverage outlets to highlight the various family friendly menus we have. Thank you for the feedback.
 
Catherine on Gatwick Airport
Hi

The Family Assistance lanes were great - a definite improvement...
Hi

The Family Assistance lanes were great - a definite improvement since last time I travelled through Gatwick. Then the staff were rude and extremely unhelpful so have avoided it ever since. Big improvement - staff were friendly and polite - my son (5) is chatty and inquisitive and they answered his questions willingly - a much better experience for both of us. We heard of the play area by chance - but couldn't find it signed in the airport so had to ask for directions.

My son was very excited about it, but when we arrived he was disappointed - it seemed to be a bit limited, aimed at much younger children and was quite congested. Although a step in the right direction could be improved a lot. Schipol Airport has/had a great play area with "houses" at different heights which allows children of a wide range of ages to play and use their imagination. Alhtough not relevant to me now, Schipol Airport also had a room with cots in where babies could have be put to play etc (handy when buggies lost in transit!) and also allow for nappy changing and feeding in a more relaxed atmosphere - far more comfortable than in a toilet cubicle.

The family eating area is a big improvement.

Glad to see that the airport is trying to improve facilities for children.
1 March 2012
 
Victoria Flint on BT
A friendly, professional and helpful BT engineer came round to the house...
A friendly, professional and helpful BT engineer came round to the house the other day - needed to drill some holes and then disappear off down the road to the connection box before returning to finish the job. "You've got young children running around, so I've sealed off everything and taken all the tools with me so they don't hurt themselves," he said. Now that's not something I'm used to hearing. Excellent family friendly service from BT - thank you!
24 February 2012
 
DREW O'SULLIVAN on Family Friendly
I think it is absolutely terrible that Fathers have no right over...
I think it is absolutely terrible that Fathers have no right over their children once seperated from the mother. There are so many children in Britain with only one parent due to discrepancies between parents. If fathers had more rights families would not be as broken as they are in Britain today. If a parent is absent not from their own choice then there is hardly a means for a "friendly family". I feel this is something that should be on the forefront of your charities campaigns.
21 February 2012
 
DC on Family Friendly
We would like to congratulate for your project. We did not know...
We would like to congratulate for your project. We did not know it and we will promote your website among our friends because it is a great initiative.
13 February 2012
 
DC on easyJet
For the first time I recently took the opportunity to make my...
For the first time I recently took the opportunity to make my family fly Easyjet (2 adults + two 6 months old children). The experience was great on the leg TLS-MXP but it turnet to a nightmare on the return flight MXP-TLS

We reserved a seat for our children, mainly for extra space and luggage reasons, on the internet. No problem on the way to go, ground staff was friendly and crew members simply exceptional. When in MXP to baggage drop for the return flight, the ground staff was simply arrogant and incompetent; we understood that there was an issue with the reservation (the 2 children were declared as adults) and we could get a solution only after a tought discussion with the risk of missing our flight.

After reviewing the terms & conditions, I do understand that there was an error frommy side in booking. However, especially in the fame of Easyjet Family Friendly Scheme, I definitely do expect a friendly and coopertaive attitude from your ground staff (even if sub-contracted) in finding a quick solution for a family travelling with two 6 months old babies!

Finally, the process of reservation of a seat for children less than 2 years old, seems to be quite complicated: no internet, customer service phone number impossible to find, extra costs... I may recommend to simplify the booking process of a seat for children less than 2 years old to have an effective Family Friendly attitude.

6 February 2012
easyJet replies:
I am very sorry to learn that you did not have a...
I am very sorry to learn that you did not have a good experience flying with us back to Toulouse. Let me assure you that we appreciate all of our customers’ feedback and always strive to offer excellent customer service, consistently across all airports that we operate from. We have been working hard to improve our families’ experiences when flying with us but recognize there is, in some cases, still a way to go. I am very disappointed that our Ground Handling staff in Milan did not personify the family friendly service that we strive for. I have passed this complaint onto our airport manager in Milan, as we do not wish to have a similar situation ever happen again. Let me now address your second point, about the complex process of reserving a seat for a child under 2. I am pleased to say that we have been working hard to deliver easily accessible information about flying with us as a family. There is now a new page in our FAQs section called ‘Flying with Children’ which has all the relevant information in one place, including how to book a seat for infants. Please have a look at our new page with downloadable FAQs and checklist. http://easyjet.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5531 Lastly I appreciate that having to call up our call centre is not the easiest way of booking a seat and we will review our processes accordingly. I thank you for taking the time to write to us about your experiences of flying with us and about your kind words regarding our crew on the way to Milan, I hope that we will see you on one of our flights again soon.
 
SAMANTHA MORGAN on The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Ltd (LOCOG)

This site is quite plain as theres alot of infomation but not...

This site is quite plain as theres alot of infomation but not the right infomation that i am looking for it would be much better if you had a few pictures of the olympics to show this.

Thank you for your comment about our Family Friendly profile. This page is a place for families to tell us how they think we're doing as a member of the Family Friendly scheme. For information on other LOCOG work, or the Olympics, please visit http://www.london2012.com/

18 January 2012
 
SarahP on The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Ltd (LOCOG)

Still no info received on promises made to children regarding ceremonies. Not...

Still no info received on promises made to children regarding ceremonies. Not heard from new co-ordinator and don't hold out much hope. A load of old broken promises to the children born on 20/12/2004.

For LOCOG's response, please see their comment about the Children's Promise on their profile page

15 January 2012
 
Suzanne Spooner on Gatwick Airport

We travelled through Gatwick South Terminal in December and received no assistance...

We travelled through Gatwick South Terminal in December and received no assistance whatsoever despite asking and struggling with baggage and two children ( one just under 3 and the other 7 months). I was extremely disappointed that despite asking no assistance was given whatsoever.

Gatwick replies: Dear Suzanne, thank you for the feedback you gave regarding your experience through Gatwick. The experience you had was not acceptable and I apologise for that. I can assure you Gatwick takes very seriously and is working very hard to ensure all our customers receive great Customer Service. Gatwick has and is doing a lot of work to improve the experience families have when travelling through. We have introduced dedicated Family lanes through Security, installed Family areas in both our departure lounges and has a Porter service to highlight a few. I will follow up your feedback with all our operational departments.

2 January 2012
 
 

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