Jetstar passengers trapped in Hawaii
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Jetstar passengers trapped in Hawaii
Jetstar does it again... see Jetstar passengers trapped in Hawaii
I wonder what the real delay was and what was the problem. Looks like they are learning from BCal in the old days.
I wonder what the real delay was and what was the problem. Looks like they are learning from BCal in the old days.
I am sorry but 2.5 hours is actually quite quick to deplane everyone after this kind of problem. It is stated in the article that the aircraft had left the gate and had to return, so basically the whole flight was boarded, departed the gate, encountered a technical problem which would have then taken a bit of time to troubleshoot before a decision to return to the gate. Engineers onboard who would try to rectify the problem before saying it is a no go. Then amongst all this you have to arrange to return the passengers to the terminal, I once had a FOUR hour delay whilst a major international airport management decided where we could offload our passengers to as they had all cleared international immigration and would need to be processed inbound again, problem was that their was only a minimum of customs and immigration in the terminal due to no significant arrivals or departures during that particular time. I just can't understand how these sorts of things become 'news' stories, are modern day passengers infact treated so well with a very reliable service that they think it is the end of the world when a normal occurrence like a technical fault delays their travel??
A passenger had a go at me about 3 months ago as we had to return to the terminal as our destination had closed due to unforcast fog, she accused me of lying stating that 'her sister who lived about 45km from the destination airport couldn't see any fog'!! How do you please these people!! Perhaps the jetstar flight should have just ignored the fault and carried on
A passenger had a go at me about 3 months ago as we had to return to the terminal as our destination had closed due to unforcast fog, she accused me of lying stating that 'her sister who lived about 45km from the destination airport couldn't see any fog'!! How do you please these people!! Perhaps the jetstar flight should have just ignored the fault and carried on
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Ollie, there is no pleasing those people to answer your question. They are only interested in having their 15min of fame and with social networks and the 24hr news cycle they are given the platform to do so. This is a complete nonsense story... would they have rathered the aircraft took off with a known fault?
In this sort of situation why does the aircraft not return to the terminal when it looks like there is going to be a delay to fix the fault and have everyone deplane and wait at the gate?
Surely it can't be an immigration thing as they are simply leaving the aircraft and then waiting in same area they would have been after just prior to boarding?
Surely it can't be an immigration thing as they are simply leaving the aircraft and then waiting in same area they would have been after just prior to boarding?
Speaking as an occasional passenger, the anguish is never primarily the delay, it is Lack of Communication from the cockpit to the passengers about what the problem is, what the crew are doing to try to fix it and what the expected possible outcomes are. People hate uncertainty.
And, wait for it......Qantas crews used to be, (and may still be I hope) absolutely superb in performing this task and defusing passenger anger and disappointment before it even starts.
Jetstar? Perhaps not so much.
And, wait for it......Qantas crews used to be, (and may still be I hope) absolutely superb in performing this task and defusing passenger anger and disappointment before it even starts.
Jetstar? Perhaps not so much.
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So you would expect the Captain to say....
Ah passengers
"Unfortunately we have a light that won't go out. it's the APU for the SOs USB port. Unfortunately it means a risk that the power won't work to his iPad meaning he can't play Angry Birds all flight... Obviously with your safety in mind we will need to get it fixed.
We will try rebooting it from this end by kicking every panel we can find. If that fails we might have to go back to gate, but we don't know whether the airport has the part, let alone a spare engineer or a spare gate.
Worst case scenario is will have to sit hear a few hours in 50 degree heat, myself and the SO will go out of hours, so we might have to divert to Timbuktu, or we might have to offload and make you sleep in the terminal as there are no beds due to the power outage from the cyclone.
Anyhow we look forward to a good flight, if we ever get off the ground."
Half the time the issue is the unknowns.
Ah passengers
"Unfortunately we have a light that won't go out. it's the APU for the SOs USB port. Unfortunately it means a risk that the power won't work to his iPad meaning he can't play Angry Birds all flight... Obviously with your safety in mind we will need to get it fixed.
We will try rebooting it from this end by kicking every panel we can find. If that fails we might have to go back to gate, but we don't know whether the airport has the part, let alone a spare engineer or a spare gate.
Worst case scenario is will have to sit hear a few hours in 50 degree heat, myself and the SO will go out of hours, so we might have to divert to Timbuktu, or we might have to offload and make you sleep in the terminal as there are no beds due to the power outage from the cyclone.
Anyhow we look forward to a good flight, if we ever get off the ground."
Half the time the issue is the unknowns.
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How true this is ..!!
I HAVE asked senior cabin staff to make an announcement to all pax, only to be told that THEY don't know what is causing the delay.
Sometimes it seems that being in possession of information that matters is ALL that matters.
I HAVE asked senior cabin staff to make an announcement to all pax, only to be told that THEY don't know what is causing the delay.
Sometimes it seems that being in possession of information that matters is ALL that matters.
Last edited by AEROMEDIC; 13th Jan 2013 at 05:41.
Moa9,
I hope that was tongue-in-cheek. Otherwise, you have a lot to learn before you make it to the left hand seat...
You should have asked "why are we delayed?" When they say "we don't know" you then say "could you please find out and let us know". Hopefully even the simplest staff should then head to or handball the communicating to the cockpit.
Communications/Pax PR is a big issue these days. Get into it!
I hope that was tongue-in-cheek. Otherwise, you have a lot to learn before you make it to the left hand seat...
Originally Posted by Aeromedic
I HAVE asked senior cabin staff to make an announcement to all pax, only to be told that THEY don't know what is causing the delay.
Communications/Pax PR is a big issue these days. Get into it!
Standing in the JQ queue at Denpasar recently and a flight to Melbourne had been indefinitely delayed....of course there are the usual cries of "I'll never fly Jetstar again!!!" until they are $200 cheaper than the next airline 
This one sounds like an exaggeration
This one sounds like an exaggeration
Moa9,
I hope that was tongue-in-cheek. Otherwise, you have a lot to learn before you make it to the left hand seat...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aeromedic
I HAVE asked senior cabin staff to make an announcement to all pax, only to be told that THEY don't know what is causing the delay.
You should have asked "why are we delayed?" When they say "we don't know" you then say "could you please find out and let us know". Hopefully even the simplest staff should then head to or handball the communicating to the cockpit.
Communications/Pax PR is a big issue these days. Get into it!
I hope that was tongue-in-cheek. Otherwise, you have a lot to learn before you make it to the left hand seat...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aeromedic
I HAVE asked senior cabin staff to make an announcement to all pax, only to be told that THEY don't know what is causing the delay.
You should have asked "why are we delayed?" When they say "we don't know" you then say "could you please find out and let us know". Hopefully even the simplest staff should then head to or handball the communicating to the cockpit.
Communications/Pax PR is a big issue these days. Get into it!
Try having a problem that's not so easily identified in an Asian port. First there is the language barrier with engineering, the check-in staff are contractors, most speak little english and there is only one part in the competition airlines stores that you need (once the solution is found), however the part numbers are different.
You then need to get someone out of bed in Australia to get the paperwork rolling, chat with the Asian MRO, follow through with the required paperwork and keep everyone else informed. This alone could take five hours.
The reason why information doesn't flow is there is no information to flow. It's best to say little, than the wrong thing!
The airlines have an action plan with this type of thing assessed by a matrix. They inform the crew as the information comes to them. The crew end up on the ride too.
After all this, the crew then run out of hours (which is about the only thing they have control over, whether to extend), there is no reserve and everyone gets sent home.
That's life in the Airlines.
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Try having a problem that's not so easily identified in an Asian port. First there is the language barrier with engineering, the check-in staff are contractors, most speak little english and there is only one part in the competition airlines stores that you need (once the solution is found), however the part numbers are different.
You then need to get someone out of bed in Australia to get the paperwork rolling, chat with the Asian MRO, follow through with the required paperwork and keep everyone else informed. This alone could take five hours.
You then need to get someone out of bed in Australia to get the paperwork rolling, chat with the Asian MRO, follow through with the required paperwork and keep everyone else informed. This alone could take five hours.
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IXixly, how long have Australians been "deplaneing"? Americans "deplane" Australians simply disembark. One "expert" said there was no air conditioning, and the wait was 3 hours (and hoping for a refund) JQ said it was 2 hours and the air conditioning was functioning. Personally from experience I would prefer to sit and read, or gaze into space if I was the PAX rather than become part of a unfortunate experience. I would also like a sign made up and flash it up on all in flight entertainment screens." ****e Happens, sorry but our policy is to get you home in one piece. All complaints should be directed to the QF jet base on the 92 floor.
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Not always Sunfish I was on a JQ flight from NTL to OOL or I was suposed to be. The A/C had a problem at the Goldie, it was fixed or suposed to have been but half way through the flight the problem started again, ( (I had no privy to the problem but there was much opening and closing of cowlings, much engine run ups, and much shaking of heads. Finally we boarded, still with much discussion between Skipper and LAME, and then the Skipper refused to accept the aircraft, (so would have I, I imagine). So off we trooped, for the elderly and people will little kids, much effort was made to get them on a Virgin flight or alt on the QF NTL/BNE. The rest of us got meal vouchers a full explanation, a cab chit back to NTL for those who preferred to have another go the next day etc. It was handled with professionalism and politeness. THEN when we finally arrived in OOL, no bay. You know the feeling, so WTF do you want me to do with the PAX? Of course take them on a cooks tour of the taxiways pointing out places of interest like the rabbit burrows, and perhaps the desalination plant. Our Skipper by then had had a gutful oddly enough, and explained thru gritted teeth that his day had not been as smooth as usual, but his apologies all round for the inconvenience, the hold up, and hoped it had not ruined the start of their holiday. Full marks to the crew of JQ 492, who handled the whole thing beautifully and also to the NTL ground staff.
Sorry Teresa, wasn't trying to say it was wrong or anything like that, i'm just curious as to why they wouldn't simply "DISEMBARK" and have the passengers sit around at the gate instead of on the Aircraft. I sort of understand that in some situations there may not be a gate available for whatever reasons, perhaps its a hassle to organise to get them all off and then back on again due to staff requirements, but it just seems like it would give them less reasons to whinge about the situation.
Personally I'd rather be back in the terminal where I can go for a walk or whatever but i'm guessing there must be some good reasons for keeping them onboard instead.
Personally I'd rather be back in the terminal where I can go for a walk or whatever but i'm guessing there must be some good reasons for keeping them onboard instead.
Actually Goblin, it doesn't much matter whether one is overseas or not (English-speaking Hawaii in this case). I on more than one occasion have stood in front of 100+ punters on the PA explaining the situation, as little as I knew at the time and how unknown as it seemed. When given even some small tidbits (there's enough in your post above to keep a speech-writer going for hours) the majority of the punters will be happy, or at least understanding and not totally feral.
Say nothing? Expect to be criticised by the punters. Any 4-bars can be the best button-pusher or saviour of the day when the effo accidentally tips it up on it's side. A real "commander" is a "leader" of the SLF as well.
Say nothing? Expect to be criticised by the punters. Any 4-bars can be the best button-pusher or saviour of the day when the effo accidentally tips it up on it's side. A real "commander" is a "leader" of the SLF as well.
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It is a very hard call to make.
I've seen passengers wander off home to pick up something they forget when a flight has been disembarked (domestic obviously).
But organising passengers is like herding cats at the best of times!
But then there are things like is there a gate for you to return to, or have you been directed to a standoff.
Your engineers try their best, could be 2 components, one is 45min to change other is 3hrs - 45mins in the seats is preferable to get them off, they disappear, get them on, but if that doesn't fix it then its 3hrs, except what do you do if you're on the standoff?
Like had been said, damned if you do, damned if you don't.
I've seen passengers wander off home to pick up something they forget when a flight has been disembarked (domestic obviously).
But organising passengers is like herding cats at the best of times!
But then there are things like is there a gate for you to return to, or have you been directed to a standoff.
Your engineers try their best, could be 2 components, one is 45min to change other is 3hrs - 45mins in the seats is preferable to get them off, they disappear, get them on, but if that doesn't fix it then its 3hrs, except what do you do if you're on the standoff?
Like had been said, damned if you do, damned if you don't.