I see the 0715 flight from Manchester to Rhodes is delayed. The flight info says more information at 1530.
As it is now 1545 it seems rather late.
I feel sorry for the passengers who are waiting at Manchester without any more information apparently, but of course if they had checked out Strategic they would have known that it was a pathetic lousy useless airline.
Yes they will say "it's cheaper", but who wants to spend their holidays at Manchester (with all respects to Mancs).

Latest news: fantastic, the time of departure is now 1700. You might get there at 2300, at the hotel at 2400 for an Ouzo.

Strategic airways are a disaster. People should be encouraged to book with a decent holiday company who use decent airlines, like Thomson, Thomas Cook and Monarch.

PS
I see that the Gatwick flight to Rhodes is delayed from 0940 to 1930. What a shambles.

Having checked Strategic with this site, the tour operator and friends , the consenus seem to be that it is a not a good airline but it does get you there. In my long and varied travelling experience all airlines can be delayed, but rarely fail in the area of communication. maybe that only applies to Manchester Airport, I can say that because I lived in the Manchester area for 30 years. If anyone having flown with Strategic from Birmingham Airport has had a similar experience of non-cmmunicative delays I should love to know the details.
Thanks

Passengers for Manchester were flown to Gatwick. Then bussed to Manchester
Anyone on an Olympic Holidays flight must be concerned
Will anyone book with OH in future ?

Unfortunately Olympic are only flying with Strategic, Thomas Cook and Monarch transport other tour companies. personally I would be a tad worried if I was bussed to either Gatwick or Manchester as Birmingham is the most convenient airport to my home. However having flown with 'Dan Dair', Augrigny , British Airways to Guernsey and Scilly island airways I am ok with long delays because of fog, wind etc. I don't mind unsavoury aircraft, afterall most aircraft are 'tidyied' during 'turnround' but I just want to arrive at my holiday destination and return home safely afterall waiting in airports is the british way of having fun - or so they say.
As to booking with OH if the accommodation is of a good standard then who cares, more of a concern is the financial stability of the Euro in Greece, now there's a real worry!

It doesn't matter what the accommodation is like if you are stuck in the airport, or on a bus tour of the UK. Some flights were delayed over 24 hours.
I feel sorry for Olympic Holidays and their customers. But the transport was very poor last year, so OH have had plenty of time to organise something else.
As it is I would not book a holiday if Strategic were the carrier. There are plenty of other firms.

If people take pounds there should not be any worries with the Euro. Most Greeks like cash!!

In the past I have been stuck in airports because of delayed flights and on one occasion transported home by sea and bus. I do not like being enclosed in an airport, but that's life. I have not heard a single whinge from any one person flying from Birmingham Airport and I do not have time to sit at home looking at aircraft departure boards accross the UK. I am aware that OH could have found a new carrier, but who's to say another carrier would be any different -afterall 'Dan Dair' went bust years ago. Until I have personally experienced a flight with Strategic I am not able to judge and I don't believe in 'what if's'. As to the Sterling, I normally only take a few euro's, just enough for immediate purchases, any other monies come from ATM's. Apart from the possible return to the drachma, purchase of greek Euros is most definitely in sterling's favour, simply more euros for our sterling. The problem is as I understand it is that euro-panic could encourage a 'run' on the banks then everybody will be in trouble and we'll all be back to 'bartering'. Hopefully it won't come to that!
As to whether accommodation matters when one eventually arrives at the chosen destination after spending 2 days in an airport - rubbish accommodation is the last straw. Good accommodation will always recoup a bad start to any break or holiday!

For discussion about the financial situation in Greece, you may like to check out this topic in our Greek forum:
http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=153624

David

OK David I'll have a read, look and maybe join in.
Thanks

The Strategic Manchester to Rhodes flight was only 9 hours and 14 minutes late today.

Definitely an improvement!

If you go on holiday for one week and spend two days at the airport, you only get five days holiday (assuming you are not a plane spotter)

Do not go with a company who uses Strategic. You know it makes sense.

Strategic flew us home from Reus last summer after our Jet 2 flight was delayed....they were on stand by all last summer for Jet 2 due to ongoing problems with the fleet of 737-300's. The plane was a very basic A320, very tired interior but pleasant cabin crew and it was only a 2 hour flight and to be honest I was just glad to be on a plane after a very lengthy delay!

Flying Monday 28th May London Gatwick to Corfu. Flight leaves at 12.00 midday. Can anyone tell me where it is coming in from, so I can check how long we are likely to be delayed??

Well I'm not going on holiday to Rhodes from Birmingham until the end of June, so why not just go with the flow and react when they tell you the flight is to be delayed, afterall it may not be delayed at all. That's what I have decided to do. Somebody on this site advised me to take a good thick book, so my kindle is loaded ready.

terriade,

Whats your flight number? I can't check on flights without it.

Darren

I don't know. My daughter is in charge of all of that, I just go with the flow. My journey starts in North-west wales and at 7.51ish and I travel to Birmingham International by train and onward. My holiday starts the minute I leave my home and husband in Anglesey. We intend to enjoy every minute of our holiday, including any delays, my daughter and I just don't care, if I knew too many detrimental difficulties I would worry myself to death and spoil the whole trip. We have travelled abroad and throughout the Uk by so many odd modes of transport that every journey is an adventure and that's how we like it.
However thank you so much for your kind offer of assistance and guidance, we appreciate your kind thoughts.

STU 2134 is the flight number we are on on Monday28th May. Thanks for your help!

I hear that Strategic have finally gone bust. Olympic are using Livingston Airlines, they are an Italian outfit. They lost their licence in 2010 but must have got it back again.

I realise it is many months since I last posted; for that I apologise; but a few words concerning our flight with Strategic Airlines from Birmingham Airport to Rhodes on the 27 June 2012 returning on July 4 2012. We had really good flight, outward and inward. The aircraft was clean, comfortable and the service was excellent. On the outward journey the aircraft flew into Birmingham on time and left for Rhodes bang on time. The return journey the same, flew in on time and left for Birmingham on time. The only down side was the painfully slow check-in at Rhodes airport. The accommodation we had chosen was first class, friendly, clean and comfortable,good food, great swimming pools and lively without being too loud evening entertainment. All in all we had a really good holiday and arrived home totally refreshed.

Stategic Airlines have gone into administration -confirmed.

Flights to be provided by other carriers.
These are: Aegean Airlines (which already provides flights for Olympic Holidays); Travel Services (from the Czech Republic); and an Italian airline Livingston Air.

Nivsy