Big gamble asked of passengers on flight

[Archie_tect]

Pity Thompson couldn't have given the 57 [59?] who got off as volunteers something really desirable as a gift for making the operator's day easier and announced it after they had volunteered.

 

[jack the lad]

I suggested that now their were fewer passengers, fewer air-waitresses were needed so two of them should volunteer. But the vapid 'rules and regulations' mantra was thrown at us. How come they were regarded as sacrosanct and it was only a proportion of the plane passengers who had to make this sacrifice?

If I was on a dodgy plane I wouldn't want the staff put under any more pressure than they needed to be. As I understand it despite Chesney Sullenberger's skill in landing his plane on the Hudson River the passengers (and crew) could all still have died if the cabin crew hadn't done their jobs just as well as he did his!

 

[bof]

They also told us a complete lie. they put us up against the clock. They needed something like another 34 volunteers in the next 15 minutes or the Manchester plane would not be taking off and the rest of the passengers will be stuck here for at least 14 hours! Some had babies and small children with them, no milk or food and the shops had all closed. This pre-empted some to take the risk and head for the Bournemouth plane. Some passengers applauded these people, all of us now wanting more to volunteer if it didn't include us.

Eventually, 57 people had agreed to go through the awfulness of being flown 300 miles from their destination airport and luggage and the requirement of a coach back home. I suggested that now their were fewer passengers, fewer air-waitresses were needed so two of them should volunteer. But the vapid 'rules and regulations' mantra was thrown at us.

Probably you were up against the clock as the flight crew would have been "out of hours" - they would have had too many continuous hours to complete the flight legally and you would have had to wait for another crew to be sent from the UK. I have flown many hundreds of times and almost invariably the worst delays are when the airline gets caught by this.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

I'm amazed they came up with a 'Plan B' at all! Seems that was about the best they do in the circumstances. If you want airlines to have spare planes on standby (as some do), you have to be prepared to pay to fly with them. Thompson is not one of them.


But:

"big gamble"
"an absolutely awful situation"
vapid 'rules and regulations' mantra
"absolutely awful"
"was frankly terrible"

​

Please! Three and a half hour delay on holiday flight shocker!



I think the only bit I think is relevant is; 'all of us now wanting more to volunteer if it didn't include us'. That's the spirit. I think I recognise you from those 'airport' programs; you're the fat scouser with the bright red sun tan in a shell suit that kicks off about the tiniest thing aren't you?

 

[PaulB]

Get some perspective.

Massive inconveniance my arse! A bit of a flight delay and having to get off the plane and back on, but not to seats you were originally allocated. If more people had opted for the alternative, yiu would have been away sooner. Compare this to the massive inconveniance if the chute had been needed to get out quickly or as use as a raft. OK this wasn't needed, but had it been you would have either been fried or boiled. I have had to evacute on one. An engine caught fire prior to takeoff and we had to get out. I missed a meeting in London, but I made the one at home that night tucking my kids in bed.

Obvoiusly the airport duty manager was the expert in aircraft maintenence and flight risk assesment to be able to pass the opinion he did. That's why he manages an airport when it is not busy rather than flying a plane. I would rather take my risk assesment from someone who has his own life on the line and has a duty of care to his passengers.

Perspective yourself. There were people with babies and no milk yet the waitresses refused to supply them even with water. It was a massive inconvenience. If it wouldn't have been for you, then you are an exceptionally experienced zen practitioner. It was rules and regulations, which seem to have overtaken sense as the primary philosophy in running airports. And as mentioned, we all know that 'rules and regulations' are a priority and yet they were overlooked in luggage travelling on a plane without the passeger(s) it belongs to How come one rule was floowed and another ignored? And assumption on your part; the airport manager was not a he.

 

[PaulB]

you're the fat scouser with the bright red sun tan in a shell suit that kicks off about the tiniest thing aren't you?

You want to go for a ride and check your assumption?

 

[Paulus]

Probably you were up against the clock as the flight crew would have been "out of hours" - they would have had too many continuous hours to complete the flight legally and you would have had to wait for another crew to be sent from the UK. I have flown many hundreds of times and almost invariably the worst delays are when the airline gets caught by this.

Maybe not out of hours, but the flight path would of been lost, and the various air traffic contols across Europe would have to fit the aircraft in.

 

[vernon]

Eventually, 57 people had agreed to go through the awfulness of being flown 300 miles from their destination airport and luggage and the requirement of a coach back home. I suggested that now their were fewer passengers, fewer air-waitresses were needed so two of them should volunteer. But the vapid 'rules and regulations' mantra was thrown at us. How come they were regarded as sacrosanct and it was only a proportion of the plane passengers who had to make this sacrifice?

All in all, it was a terrible time, stuck in a closed airport, having to re-board a plane and sit in arbitrarily chosen places (allocated by the most stupid air-waitresses I've ever come across) as rows of seats nearest the malfunctioning (properly functioning?) door were taped off.

We eventually took off at 4.50 am on a scheduled 1.10 am flight.

It was delightful, as I'm sure you can all imagine.

I don't see what your problem is. You arrived back at your chosen airport. Fifty seven people landed at an airport not of their choosing with the ensuing problems.

I feel sorry for them but not for you.

 

[bof]

. And as mentioned, we all know that 'rules and regulations' are a priority and yet they were overlooked in luggage travelling on a plane without the passeger(s) it belongs to How come one rule was floowed and another ignored?

It was not. The issue is that you cannot check in luggage and then not fly with it (it's an indication that a bomb may be in th bag). Airlines can and sometimes do not fly the bag - happens quite often when you transfer close to departure and also in situations like this.

I flew into LHR once when a flight full of returning toursists from Florida had just discovered BA had loaded all their bags in theManchester plane and all the MAN bags for LHR - a lot of red-faced shell suits but no rule broken.

 

[asterix]

Worse things happen at sea. You can get thrown overboard if the ship is in danger. Fact.

 

[dan_bo]

Ahem.

All that said, Thompson are notorious for incomprehensible flight delays.

 

[Coco]

Surely this minor inconvenience is a lot better than the only two options I can come up with.

1/ No one flies on this plane, everyone is delayed for much longer and the 'lucky few' get on the Bournmouth plane.
2/ Everyone stays on the plane praying that the emergency chute isn't needed.

But would you really get on a plane if the captain said he was going to do number 2?


Anyway, how was the holiday?

 

[philipbh]

Pity Thompson couldn't have given the 57 [59?] who got off as volunteers something really desirable as a gift for making the operator's day easier and announced it after they had volunteered.

I think the best you can hope for from Thomson is "store credit" and an appropriately worded letter for your insurers

 

[Noodley]

It was a minor issue, move on....

 

[Theseus]

It was a minor issue, move on....

That was in Chile, this is nothing.