Bali Flts. CX due Volcanic Ash - ABC News

[RodH]

It's getting very messy!!

The link to the following story on the ABC TV news site is rather disconcerting.
It is too large to place here so the link is below.
What I cannot understand is why Air Asia X etc. are still flying to Bali !!!!!!! They are still stating they are, or are they really flying in or just cashing in on the desperate!!
What a terrible mess.
There are also reports of stranded Pax not being able to get out of Bali as there are no " available " seats until much later into the month.
Don't the Airlines put on special flights to accommodate these Pax ????
Lets hope the stranded Pax get out really soon .


Australian cancer patient stranded in Bali without medication told to 'go to chemist' by Virgin Australia - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

[BPA]

Both JQ and VA would be working in their recovery plans, including adding additional flights once the ash is clear.
I'm sure once they know the ash is clear they will publish details of their recovery plans.

[Renmarkable]

stranded also

I am also stranded here, flying with virgin. I have had nothing but terrible experiences with Jet star, so virgin is my only choice. Virgin is at least communicating with us. no one with Jet star is getting any news at all.
people on the streets are furious, not with the volcano, but with the disgusting customer service attitude.
We are due to fly to adelaide tomorrow, at 2.40 we shall see what happens but have to pack as usual... if this doesn't leave we won't get a flight before the 20th......

[Icarus2001]

Don't the media love it.

Lots of video of mums holding crying children in arms complaining about those nasty airlines spoiling their holiday. Callous bastards.

Two things:

1. Travel insurance is a great idea. Who knew?

2. There are other ways out of Indonesia by air that avoid Denpasar, so the people who are expecting to be stuck for 10 days or more can get home via another departure point.

[compressor stall]

[rant]
From above article..

An Australian tourist stranded in Bali has said her airline told her to "go to a chemist" when she told them she was running out of vital cancer medication.

Which is where she got them. Did she expect Virgin to have some in stock to give to her?

She said the additional days overseas had cost her family about $10,000, including the new flights, lost income and hotel accommodation.

That's what travel insurance is for. If you don't have it, no sympathy.

There's no blame here, we don't want to blame anyone

So why the *&^% are you whinging to the media?

Whining bint.

[/rant]

[meloz]

How do you expect them to get to these other airports you speak of?

[swh]

Bus/ferry to Banyuwangi Baru train station and then rail to Jakarta or Surabaya.

[Icarus2001]

How do you expect them to get to these other airports you speak of?

Would you like me to draw a diagram?

Imagine Wellington in enzed was suffering the same sort of volcanic ash cloud. Would you not work out how to get a ferry to the South Island and depart the country via Christchurch? Or perhaps a bus or train to Auckland to depart from there?

[Capt Claret]

I think the folks saying that it's not good enough, or similar, should have shown more foresight and booked with a carrier that is still flying, or booked to travel when the volcano wasn't spewing ash. Simple really.

[ACMS]

Clarrie---how would people that may have booked months ago know the Volcano was going to erupt?

Travel insurance? Now that's a different thing.

[meloz]

Have you ever travelled by bus, ferry or train in Indo? I think I would rather wait it out. And I would not be complaining, I understand it is a safety issue outside of the airlines control.

[Chris2303]

Of course if they had joined the "boycott Bali" movement they wouldn't be there.

[swh]

Meloz,

The train is very comfortable and reliable, not sure what you are on about. Lots on web resources e.g. Train travel in Indonesia | Trains Jakarta-Surabaya, ferry to Bali

[meloz]

Valid point about the train, however ferry and bus in this country is probably more dangerous than flying thru an ash cloud.

[Capt Claret]

ACMS, the same way the airlines didn't know it was going to blow, so had sold seats. Some of the complaints have been somewhat petulant. Although an atheist I still understand the concept of an act of God.

As you say, travel insurance.

Now where's that tongue in cheek emoticon?

[Metro man]

Bali is NOTAM closed until 110400 which is an extension of the closure as it was NOTAM closed until yesterday evening. The closure will quite probably be extended again. Departures out of Singapore for Bali are showing as cancelled or retimed, with the first being 0600UTC but I wouldn't be getting my hopes up.

[RodH]

This is sheer stupidity.

I have read a news story about a woman who is stranded in Bali along with thousands of others. This woman is complaining to the media about VA not being helpful about her need to replenish her essential medication. I find it almost incomprehensible to understand that when such medicines are vital to her health that she only took enough with her for her holiday + one day spare. How utterly stupid is that , to go on an overseas trip with virtually no reserves whatever and then to start to complain because VA staff told her to go to a Chemist . Where on earth else could they suggest she go to get medication!!!
It beggars belief that such people have the hide to try to blame others for their own complete lack of foresight for un foreseen delays. Sure , there may be grounds for complaint re advice from Airlines regarding delayed or cancelled flights but there would not appear to be any grounds for complaining about her medications .
It's all her fault for lack of adequate planning.
Nobody in their right mind would take such few reserves of medication ....
Perhaps this last statement explains it all. !!!
.

[Capt Basil Brush]

The Virgin ground staff at DPS are Balinese/Indonesian, they simply instructed this lady to do what they would do in this situation. While not in the news article because it would have ruined the news story, I would say they also told her to speak to her doctor and go to the BIMC Hospital for assistance in getting the medication, which she did.

Next thing she will be in the audience on Q and A with a loaded question - and it will be Tony Abbots fault the volcano went off and she got stranded with 1 days extra medication.

[TWT]

Most of the holidaymakers in Bali will not be seasoned travellers,but people on package tours.Bali is the first overseas destination that many Australians travel to (and the last,in many cases).They are on a budget and when they are exposed to the vagaries of the big wide world,they cannot cope.Hence they have to blame someone.Contingency plans are non-existent,no money or time for those.

The same mindset that expects the Oz government to rescue them from anywhere in the world when things go wrong.Perhaps they need to do an online 'induction' before travelling to educate them about all the possible things which can go wrong.And sign it.

Many,many things can upset travel plans

[Metro man]

Nanny state again, people expecting the government to do everything for them. People like this should be confined within a small radius of their local Centrelink office.

Advice regarding travel and medications is readily available on the Smart Traveller website. Telling her to go to a medical professional was sensible, if a chemist couldn't supply exactly what she needed he may have an alternative available or know where she could get her medicine from.

The media should be blamed as well for publicising this sort of nonsense thereby implying blame on the part of the airlines.

It reminds me of a sign on a garage wall,

"A Lack of Planning on Your Part Doesn't Constitute an Emergency on Mine."