Overworked Easy-Jet Captains???

[Jerricho]

This has made my day....

I have just got off the phone to my wife who flew from Gatwick this morning with Easy-Jet.

Due to depart at 0800, an announcement was made my Easy-Jet staff that "Due to operational difficulties, the flight will be departing behind schedule". As time wore on, the reason changed to "Computer Glitch". Finally boarding at 1030, wife managed to sit opposite one of the cabin staff. Curious to as to the real reason for the delay (and knowing my normal infuriation for ANY delay being attributed to ATC), she asked the staff member the real reason for the delay.

Well, I have to say fair dues to the staff member who was quite sheepish but honest. It turns out the operational difficulty was a certain Captain, who lives not that far around the M25 from Heathrow, SLEPT IN!!!!! A phone call at 0730 broke him from his slumber.

Are Easy-Jet working their staff so hard that sleep has become secondary to their working lives? It sure makes a change to the old "Due to ATC delays on the inbound.........." Great stuff.

:) :) :)

[FlapsOne]

Don't know anything about this morning but, just as an aside, how many flights world-wide, with hundreds of different operators, do you think might have been delayed from time to time because a crew-member over-slept?

Couldn't guess the specific number myself but it's definately in the thousands. Do all these airlines over-work their crews?

Anybody can over-sleep, mis-set the alarm, mis-read their roster etc. It CAN be a genuine, honest mistake and not attributable to any other sinister happening.

So your wife was delayed because of a cock-up - big deal - but what do you hope to achieve by starting this thread?

[Jerricho]

FlapsOne,

With all due respect, what I was hoping to achieve with this thread was simply that the number of times I have flown from airports both in this country, and elsewhere, been delayed and been told "Due to Air Traffic Control..........blah, blah blah".

In case you didn't read my original posting, as I said, it was FAIR DUES to the staff member who actually gave the HONEST reason for the delay. Not the "Computer Glitch" or "Technical Problem" that the Gate staff were telling everybody before they boarded the plane. I am not saying that the Airlines always give false information as to reasons for delays, yet on this occasion they were. Being human, it made me wonder how many occasions this happens, as you say, all over the world, thousands of times a day. What about a bit of honesty to the travelling public? Or is blaming ATC just the top of the list of reasons, and work you way down from there.

I'm sorry if you feel like I am finger pointing, or what ever else you think I am suggesting. Maybe I was a little out of line with the subject choice. If this is the case, I apologise.

However, we all are human. Yes, I have slept in and been late for work. But at least I am honest about it, and don't try to cover it up. Perhaps I should change the topic to "For all the wrong reasons......"

[PPRuNe Radar]

It does happen frequently that ATC get the blame. Quite possibly because it IS an ATC delay, or in other cases because it is easy to blame someone who isn't there to question the blame they are getting.

I know if I am on a delayed flight due to ATC (and other colleagues I know of do this too), then I will pass a message to the Captain asking the nature of the ATC delay along with a business card in case there's anything I can do to help him out. You'd be surprised the number of times that a little message comes back followed by a PA announcement that some other problem is now the cause. Not the vast majority by any stretch of the imagination but certainly enough to convince me this is a widespread practice.

I remember being at a gate on one occasion with the aircraft clearly visible on the tarmac whilst I could overhear on the dispatchers radio that the ground staff were frantically trying to find the cleaners to clear it out from the previous flight. They had gone AWOL. Of course the 30 minute delay was announced as due to ATC at the destination airfield (a UK regional one with rare ATC Regulation). I had a chat with the Dispatcher and asked why he wouldn't tell the truth but he just said that he had been told it was an ATC Delay and that's what he would pass on. A copy of the flow information and flight details, plus what happened was sent to the Operators CEO. I got a nice letter back saying that his company never intentionally blamed ATC when it wasn't their fault and this was obviously an aberration, blah, blah, blah. Well yes, maybe ......

I, like everyone else in ATC, realise that our system does generate delays. And I know that we are all prepared to take the hit when it's out fault. It would be nice if others didn't hide behind us occasionally and take the hits for their own shortcomings. Sometimes you will get found out ;)

[BIG E]

Firstly the reason given for the delay on this flight is not strictly true although not far from it.I will not divulge as i do not wish to incriminate the crew member involved.What i can say is that the agents in LGW were advised of the true nature of the delay,why they did not convey this i do not know,maybe agents do not understand the complexities of operational problems or maybe they make it up for an easy life.Suffice to say the truth can often be distorted when passed down the line.

[Jerricho]

Hey again,

I wasn't trying to start a slinging match. I was simply amused by what happened, from the point of view of an ATCO. As it is, I happen to know the one of the pilots involved, who I must say has exceptional taste in Spanish Wine. Not so much in musical taste!

:ok:

Peace, out!

[28thJuly2001]

They were correct, it was due to ATC......
A TIRED CAPTAIN :D :D :D
HAHAHAHAHAHAHHA......stop it.............ooooohhh my sides......

28th,,

[FlapsOne]

Jerricho

It appears I misunderstood the intention of your posting, therefore please accept my apologies.

Must dash, got to sleep in!;) ;)

[atco-matic]

PPrune Radar, where do you get NATS business cards with your name on??? Please tell as I'd like some (with my name on not yours obviously!)... or did you make them in one of those booths at a motorway service area?

[PPRuNe Radar]

Most unit managers decide which posts or grades get cards. No doubt many are now culled in cash saving drives. Ask around at your unit.

[Jerricho]

FlapsOne,

No problems. In the end, we are all on the same side.....

Although, not in the Cricket!

:=

[BDiONU]

Should have no problem getting business cards made. I have them and I'm a mere APS.

[fish food]

Most frequent I've experienced is bod in the bar delaying the departure - slot gets missed - therefore delay then becomes due ATC, despite self loading freight, baggage boys, whoever, having caused initial problem. It's human nature to go for the easy option where an excuse is concerned. Much simpler to blame ATC, who Jo Public for the most part think are "the guys on the tarmac with the table-tennis bats", than admit to something else, especially if of a technical nature! (Nervous Pax = bad for business!).

On the subject of business cards, simply obtain a genuine one from whoever you can, together with a letter-headed sheet of A4, (Big NATS logo - good for copying), and pop down to your local print shop - they'll run you off a couple of hundred copies of your own personal version for about £30, if you're so inclined. (Just don't mention copyright, intelectual property rights, etc. etc.).

[Ham Sandwich]

And of course ATCOs never sleep in ...... at least not at ScACC

Could I get a NATS card with a built in alarm ... ?:O