WHO IS GOING TO WIN THIS? REX OR AAL

[Deejay 1]

Article from: The Advertiser 01 Aug 2006

A REGIONAL Express airline passenger due to have spinal surgery today was yesterday left to lie on an Adelaide Airport pavement for 20 minutes because airline staff failed to meet her with a promised wheelchair.

Broken Hill woman Sher Stephens is unable to walk more than a few steps and needed the wheelchair to cover the 216m from the airline's arrival hall to the airport taxi rank.
Her partner, Paul King, said he had phoned Rex a week ago to request its wheelchair "meet and assist service" at the end of the flight from Broken Hill yesterday morning.

"I need to be in a wheelchair and they (Rex) knew it," Ms Stephens said.

Seeing her discomfort and no Rex staff nearby, another passenger, Kim Behr, went to the main terminal to ask for the wheelchair.

While Ms Stephens and Mr King waited a taxi drove by, but the driver said he was unable to take their fare because he was required to join the queue.

They would need to take the first taxi off the rank, the driver said. "That's a joke," Mr King said.

Ms Behr said that on returning with a Rex staff member pushing a wheelchair, the airline worker had been reluctant to help.

"He said 'we can only do so much, this is not part of our service'," she said.

The staff member had said the couple should "find their own way", she said.

Rex managing director Geoff Breust said the staff member had been spoken to and the original "meet and assist" request had not been forgotten. The airline had two wheelchairs, one of which was being used at the time, he said.

"People need to be a little bit patient," he said.

"We cannot have people just waiting there to provide a service."

The airline had also asked Adelaide Airport Limited for a taxi rank outside its new arrival hall, Mr Breust said.

But an airport spokesman said a suggestion had been made to Rex that it offer passengers a taxi-booking service on departure.

"The airport has set aside a pick-up area outside the Rex arrivals area, which these pre-booked cabs can use," he said.

Mr King said yesterday afternoon he had not received an apology from Rex.

* The Advertiser's transport reporter Anna Vlach was a passenger aboard Flight ZL4817 yesterday morning.

And check out the photo on the following
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,19978945-2682,00.html

Coincidence the reporter was on the flight?

Sadly the winner should be the pax, as they are the bread and butter.

Will wait and see.

Rock On!

[Captahab]

Since when has it been the duty of an airline to wheel passengers to their transport, especially when the person is travelling with an able bodied partner.
I would think that this lady should thank REX for taking her to Adelaide in the first place if she was this ill. A job for the RFDS I think (or is there more to this than first appears).

AAL dont like being reminded that the SA taxpayers have contributed 10 million dollars to the new terminal and the SA pollies may have a say in how country passengers get treated (despite the best efforts of AAL to spoil every attempt). :=
Unfortunately for AAL they will have to endure the handling (or in their case - mishandling) of passengers at their retail commercial park (sorry...I mean Airport).

Passenger handling, car parking, taxi management, airline coordination and paying council rates are obviously not items that are covered in AAL executive groundschool in Manchester.

This is becoming the biggest disgrace in SA since the State Bank debacle.
Methinks the local pollies may have to get serious with these Westfield competitors, all they seem to be interested in is getting more retail stores built on the airport and any effort to provide passenger service is just an inconvenience.

Have a think about this... REX has never had a problem with passenger handling until AAL started to interfere, and why are the problems unique to Adelaide.

I think that REX may have a vested interest and a bit more experience in passenger handling than any of those delightful and very cooperative and professional personnel that AAL has obviously scoured the world to find.

Ahab

[Capt EFIS]

I think that AAL will probally win this one. I have heard that they have made things difficult for REX in regard to bussing their passengers.

I guess the problem is that AAL want as many people to move through their terminal building to justify the cost that is charged to the retail operators.

Although arriving passengers do not normally hang around and shop/eat - they generally go directly to the baggage collection area, I feel that AAL would prefer them to walk inside the terminal rather than being busses directly outside.

It's a pity that the passengers are the ones being affected by this, however, I'm not too sure why the passenger was photographed outside on the concrete when there are seats in the building behind her. I guess the photo wouldn't of had the same impact.

[Deejay 1]

Captahab

Agree that upto pax to get access to transport etc esp when they have able bodied companion.
Provision of 2 wheelchairs at ADL is a bit light on considering number of pax that fly from Pt Lincoln and that Rex is only airline op that route as well as KGC, OLP, CED and BHQ.
It remains to be seen if Rex having their own arrival "door" will work, even if taxis are pre booked. Will a taxi driver wait around for a possible fare, if the flight is late and/or the pax no shows and go's somewhere else on arrival. Cabbies will only get burned so many times, which means that Rex pax will still have to walk to the taxi snake.
Not sure about RFDS. My understanding is that they will only carry if being transferred from one hospital to another, or otherwise it becomes an ambulance service.
Can any RFDS crew advise??????
Lucky for the pax she was on a SAAB, not a Metro.

Capt EFIS
The bussing seems to raise a plethora of security issues, given that all incoming pax are not screened, But university graduates now run the country.
Agree the impact of the photo is far more dramatic, being outside.
Not only a reporter but a photographer as well! Very Impressive.

Rock On!

[areal]

I think it's a bit unfair. REX has obviously bent over backwards to try and improve the arrival procedures for their passengers only to have AAL make it as difficult as possible.
I'm told that AAL won't even allow REX to put up signs telling passengers where to collect their bags from!

[Aussie]

I think it's a bit unfair. REX has obviously bent over backwards to try and improve the arrival procedures for their passengers only to have AAL make it as difficult as possible.
I'm told that AAL won't even allow REX to put up signs telling passengers where to collect their bags from!


Yeah i was there recently and AAL are making it hard for Rex.

Bugger AAL.... go to Parafield.... :} :}

[apacau]

Except AAL own Parafield too. Maybe talk to Murray Bridge?

[Marauder]

:mad: The Manchester team have no real concept of the reason for regional aviation. :mad:


When they first set up shop in Adelaide, they wanted all regionals (and there were a few more back then ASA, Emu, Whyalla, Albatross, Kendell etc all moved out to Parafield where the small aircraft belonged. Anything less than a 737 was not wanted, BA146 would be tolerated (possibly because of NJS infrastructure)


Look at the debacle of the temporary GA terminal, five of the bays required aircraft the size of C404 and Chieftains to be pushed back by hand to be parked correctly.


An old folks home has been built on airport reserve in the undershoot to runway 12, hopefully the residents are all deaf.


The much loved ‘stute’ (Aviation Institute aka airport pub) was demolished for Ikea, with the promise of a bigger better Institute being built amongst residential dwellings. AAL in their normal incompetent manner forgot to check licencing requirements and residents objections, before making their bold promise, guess what, residents objected therefore no licence.


A permanent appearance on the Adelaide NOTAMs is Runway 23 LAHSO lights not available, this notam deserves a birthday cake, LAHSO lights help ATC, but don’t make AAL any more money so they don’t get fixed.


APACAU is on the right track

[Deejay 1]

APACAU

I reckon that they should head back to the old domestic terminal where they can run their business as they want.

Even if the GA does move up there, Rex can still operate from their old side, GA from the QF side.
Why?
The majority of Rex pax are ADL bound ie very few are connecting to domestic or international. Even if they were a Toyota Coaster bus could run shuttle services as required ie tick the box on the web booking engine if transfer need.
Rex could have their own decent size lounge, and charge GA pax to use it they wanted.
Pax wouldn't have to walk as far, or certainly no further than current, the old walkways never received complaints, and if taxis were pre-booked as suggested in the article, the taxis would be waiting just like the old Emu days.

And if ALL pax on ALL aircraft will need to be screened, then the staffing cost can be split between all users of the airport.

Marauder

I don't recall seeing Chieftains being pushed into the circle by hand, most pilots I knew and saw pretty well got in the hole, even the Bandit guys!
Don't know about the C404's though.
Perhaps it was those inexperienced or infrequent visitors to ADL that had the problem.

Rock On!

[Marauder]

DJ,

This was back on day one, pre circle. The geniuses that designed it originally, had five bays at right angles to the terminal, instead of the now four which are angled.

[Capt EFIS]

Adelaide Airport is the only airport out of ADL/SYD/MEL that required inbound regional passengers to be screened after the flight had been complete, and for the passengers terminating at ADL (majority of them) that meant being screened just so that they can collect their luggage.

If Sydney and Melbourne don't require this screening then why did Adelaide Require it? :confused:



Marauder,

I remember those first days in the Northern GA park. AAL would issue infringement notices because the aircraft wasn't fully parked within the parking clearance lines.

[Marauder]

:= EFIS,

I think you had a back seat full of them eh

[7gcbc]

AAL would issue infringement notices because the aircraft wasn't fully parked within the parking clearance lines.

why am I not surprised. :ugh:

[Deejay 1]

Marauder & Capt EFIS

I am but a mere whipper snapper when it comes to the GA area.

Does not surprise me.

Capt EFIS

Most regional pax don't have luggage other than hand held.

Interestingly enough when QFLink was operating there were never any complaints and I haven't heard any from O'Connor pax. And no smart comments re either load factors or lack of pax. Please.

Is this because the security at QF end of the airport is much closer to the regional gates, and does not have the frequency of regional movements??????

[Capt EFIS]

The walk from the aircraft to the screening points at the QF end is up to 100m compaired to about 300m down the other end (depending on what bay the aircraft parks on). I guess the passengers noticed the walk more with REX.

I also guess that QF can't complain about the airport too much... they had a major role in the design of it (or lack of). :suspect:

[apache]

And where is Qantaslink in SA now ???

[areal]

If AAL own YPAD and YPPF and are being as difficult as they are, makes you wonder why no-one complains to the ACCC, they are clearly exploiting the monopoly that they have in Adelaide.

[CAPTBOB]

Tell them to get over it its an airline not an ambulance service. What they should do is get all the disabled people together, have them subscribe to a meet and assist facility at major airports around Aus and there will be no more problems.

[MinimaNoContact]

Thats South Australian hospitality for ya! Please dont make me go back there...