Just back today from Orlando dodging tropical storms and lightening strikes on our villa but I digress....
Our flight VS076 to Manchester was due to leave Orlando International Airport at 18.15 yesterday. On arrival at check in we noticed that the board said that that there was a delay and it would be now be leaving at 21.30 (3hours 15 mins late). It was an annoyance as we hadn't budgeted for extra meals for the 5 of us but hey ho....
I enquired about meal vouchers but was told that as the flight was delayed by less than 4 hours we did not qualify for any.
In an attempt to stem the further purchases from the Disney shops etc
we went to the designated departure gate around 20.00 and sat around waiting for updates. The new information was that our plane had now arrived and was being turned round in readiness for our departure.In the end we boarded at 21. 05 and were still on the tarmac at 22.20 according to Mr hbrac.
After an uneventful flight we arrived in Manchester at 10.15am this morning.
Now here's the interesting bit. I got chatting to the guy next to me on the plane and he said that he had checked in his luggage at Downtown Disney in the morning where he was told at that stage that the flight was going to be delayed until 22.30. His hire car contract was extended at no extra charge and he was given meal vouchers and told that he didn't have to be at the airport until much later.
Now, this is not a complaint as such but I'm asking my HT fellow members....do you smell a rat here or am I just being a cynical old hbrac ?
I can't help but wonder if the rest of us unsuspecting passengers were misled when they gave the departure time on the board as 21.30 so that V.A wouldn't have to give out meal vouchers to those not party to this information.
Perhaps someone with insider information can shed some light on this
and I would be interested in finding out the views of my fellow HT-ers.
