Just to report should of left for Goa 16.30 saturday now 09.30 Sunday and still at Gatwick!!
Now due to take off at 15.40 today
Oh well been fed bedded and watered by first choice (well sort of!)
See you all in Goa on Monday!

mr frostie

that is bang out of order, I feel for you big time!! You have the patience of a saint, I'd want to go home by that time.

Sadly these thigs do happen with charter airlines. That is why we are recommneded to take out insurance. I bet the people waiting in Goa did not mind. Another day at the resort for free. Winners and losers come to mind.

Maybe you could let us all know what you meant by bedded and fed etc. Once we know how well or badly they looked after you we can decide whether or not First Choice handled it well.

Thanks.

In departures now-45 minutes until we are due to take off and still not called!
time on board says 16.30 now thats 24 hour delay so better for insurance purposes
First Choice checked us into a hotel on the airport gave us a pretty poor evening meal and a very average breakfast (if Id paid for it I would of complained)
We also got £10 a head in vouchers for meals in the terminal (doesnt go far in an airport)
Main critisism is we are poorly informed-but hey it happens....

hi..mrfrostie i hope by this time your are boarding it,s a sickener...but dont let it spoil your holiday...it happen to me many years ago when the holiday company clarksons went bust ,25 hours at airport waiting ,no money left it was at the end of the holiday.they gave us nothing to eat or drink....anyway get away and have a great holiday....many regards ...johndoe

well- no more news so hopefully they are away. What a shame- he should have been sunbathing and downing kingfishers today.

Mr Frostie.

yes I do take your point and sympathise with you. I agree that information and communication is of the utmost importance. How these big companies have not already learnt that is a mystery.

This is the second time in two weeks that I have heard of very very long delays on First Choice. Have they said what the problem was yet.

I returned from Goa last sunday the 12th March. During the week previous a flight was supposed to arrive from Manchester-- it was delayed for 20 hours, I think. The passengers due out on the plane from Goa were allowed to stay in their hotel with all meals and drinks included etc.

Maybe they have a big problem with one of their planes?

I returned from Goa a month ago by First Choice. The flight was 25 hours delayed coming back. Supposed to fly at midday. First Choice are amateurs who can't communicate with their travellers.

I won't ever fly by First Choice or in fact any charter to India again. Talk about lack of communication! Stuck at Dabolim for 6 hours before anyone would give us info' and treated like cattle for another 1 hour by that time it was dark. They knew that the crew after 6 hours couldn't fly without appropriate rest, yet they didn't tell us till late on that they couldn't fly! Wasted 10 hours at the airport and had to travel to Palolem! (admitedly it was 5 star Intercontinental) where we were put up for the night (arrived at 8.30pm) and back up at 6am.

If you were on a flight only they put you up in rank rooms and gave you a hard time if you complained.

I had fully comprehensive insurance yet most don't compensate on the inward journey. Be warned check your policy! I missed a days work and after a major shouting match with my insurer got £40 out of them!

Think you'll find most charter companies fall down on the fact that they just don't communicate with their customers when ther's a long delay.... Had the same problem coming back with Mytravel, 24 1/2 hr delay. I know it's not their fault if there's a problem with the plane but why can't they just let people know what the ongoing situation every hour or so.....

Anything can go wrong and I think most reasonable peole can accept that. The measure of any company is how they handle things when things do seriously go wrong.

We all know of the professional complainers so we have to somehow discern that.

It would appear to me that First Choice acted reasonably in putting everyone up at a 5* hotel and provided transport/meals etc. I am not trying to back up First Choice I am just trying to discern what is reasonable or not.

Things can go horribly wrong with scheduled airlines as well. Communication tends to be the route of all problems. I bet if you ask around at your places of work and ask ' what one thing would you want improved' and I bet communication would be top of everyone's list.

Pedrogooner
I think you're spot-on here.

Having experienced a long delay (14 hours) on the way out to Greece some years ago, the most infuriating thing was not that the plane was delayed (as you say, these things do happen) but that Britannia just kept putting up the message 'Further info at x o'clock'.
When that time came, they just added another hour to it, and so on, so we were all in the dark.

Maybe there would have been less irate passengers if Britannia had sent a spokesperson to a designated place at a specified time to explain exactly why the plane was delayed and what they were doing about it.

Nil points for communication.

I recall a number of years ago now being on a flight to Gran Canaria that had to be diverted to Lisbon due to an industrial dispute at Las Palmas.

We were left with no info at all. surprisingly quickly a few of us got together and formed some sort of an 'action committee' so to speak. we flew with Brittannia. The Brittannia staff could see all tis happening. It is amazing what strength in numbers and being together as one can do.

To cut a long story short we were soon bussed to Lisbon and put in a 5* hotel with meals and picked up in the morning for our onward journey.

My wife and I felt a little bit guilty realy as we were on a 'flight only' deal and finished up in a lovely hitel for the night!

Take what you can get.

seriously though, it is important that if things do go very horribly wrong that a committee is quickly formed to show them that you mean business. it does work!!

Hi pedrogooner
Again, you're right, but really it shouldn't be necessary to form an action group.

The airline/tour company concerned should be up front about any problems before people start getting irate.

As MrFrostie is by now probably now sunning himself on a beach in Goa I think we will lock this now as the conversation should be one to continue on the flights forum. ( If anyone would like me to move this to flights and leave a link to here so that the conversation can continue just pm and I will be happy to do so!)