Stranded Zoom Crews getting home
Join Date: May 2002
Location: UK
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I`m glad BA was able to help Zoom crews and back in the UK. I expect tired and worn out with everything which has happen to you in the last 24 hours or so.
I`m pleased the heading and the rather daft start of this thread has been sorted out. I`ve never known BA not to help out, or VS and even bmi where possible. As this post was started in cabin crew I guessed (right or wrongly) Zoom cabin crew had either approached BA crew or the ticket desk of course not in the best state of mind. Now the crew wouldn`t be able to help you.. the ticket desk/ground staff may not be able to help straight away, but this thread was started about an hour after it was announced Zoom had finished and it was expected that everyone else not related to the airline should know about it, plus all the displaced passenger now hammering Zoom desks and other airline desks. Its unfair to blame and condemn other carriers for not "jumping" to help immediately.
Romeo Zulu, I hope you are getting home safely and perhaps rather than "getting on your high horse" via the internet and p**sing off the hand which can help you; although not in your time frame the other airlines have helped.
At least Zoom employees aren`t being dangled on like Silverjet staff.
Have a good rest!
I`m pleased the heading and the rather daft start of this thread has been sorted out. I`ve never known BA not to help out, or VS and even bmi where possible. As this post was started in cabin crew I guessed (right or wrongly) Zoom cabin crew had either approached BA crew or the ticket desk of course not in the best state of mind. Now the crew wouldn`t be able to help you.. the ticket desk/ground staff may not be able to help straight away, but this thread was started about an hour after it was announced Zoom had finished and it was expected that everyone else not related to the airline should know about it, plus all the displaced passenger now hammering Zoom desks and other airline desks. Its unfair to blame and condemn other carriers for not "jumping" to help immediately.
Romeo Zulu, I hope you are getting home safely and perhaps rather than "getting on your high horse" via the internet and p**sing off the hand which can help you; although not in your time frame the other airlines have helped.
At least Zoom employees aren`t being dangled on like Silverjet staff.
Have a good rest!
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Gatwick
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Firstly, I offer my most sincere apologies to all of our passengers and employees whose travel plans and livelihoods have been affected by Zoom's closure.
The final Zoom Airlines Ltd crews have now landed in the UK and are on their way back to Gatwick right now. I met our team arriving back from Florida in the early hours of this morning at Gatwick and have then been to Heathrow to assist our crew arriving from Halifax to return back to Gatwick. Both I and our Flight Ops Director Malcolm Sutherland will remain here to provide transport and assist wherever we can until everyone is safely home. After doing whatever we can for our customers, my priority is the welfare of our crew members and employees, who have been the most fantastic team with whom one could ever wish to have worked.
I should like to express my thanks to everyone concerned in assisting my team to get home. We purchased a number of tickets - primarily on BA at a special rate set aside for Zoom passengers and crew - but our contingency funding set aside for such eventualities was, unfortunately, heavily depleted by the actions of one US crew hotel which has made a number of unauthorised transactions to take these funds in spite of an administration order which prevents them from doing this type of thing.
In particular, I would like to thank:
* XL Airways for volunteering to carry our team back from Sanford plus some of our staff members on vacation travel
* Virgin Atlantic for offering special assistance fares to our passengers and for their assistance with returning crew members from New York
* British Airways for offering special fares to our customers and crew and for upgrading a number of the team on their flights home
* Thomas Cook for carrying part of the team back from Vancouver
* The crew of last night's Halifax-Heathrow Air Canada service for the kindness and compassion shown to our crew members
* Halifax Airport Authority for their care for the wellbeing of the crew there
* Our crew hotel in San Diego - the Hilton Mission Valley - for their amazing hospitality for our team during their last night there.
I'm sure that there have been many more people who have assisted our crews and if you have helped in any way, please accept my grateful thanks. Sadly, in the same way as this type of situation often brings out the best in people, so it can also bring out the worst in others. There will inevitable be stories of both sides, but I would strongly prefer to just stick to saying thank you to those who undoubtedly have helped.
In the same way as we assisted Silverjet's people wherever we could at the time of its sad demise, our team too have been helped greatly by other airlines. I would very much hope that airline staff everywhere will continue to do the same for anyone who finds themselves stranded as a result of such unhappy circumstances. In the current environment, you never know when you personally may need the favour to be repaid by somebody somewhere around the world.
Best wishes
Jonathan Hinkles
Managing Director
Zoom Airlines Ltd
The final Zoom Airlines Ltd crews have now landed in the UK and are on their way back to Gatwick right now. I met our team arriving back from Florida in the early hours of this morning at Gatwick and have then been to Heathrow to assist our crew arriving from Halifax to return back to Gatwick. Both I and our Flight Ops Director Malcolm Sutherland will remain here to provide transport and assist wherever we can until everyone is safely home. After doing whatever we can for our customers, my priority is the welfare of our crew members and employees, who have been the most fantastic team with whom one could ever wish to have worked.
I should like to express my thanks to everyone concerned in assisting my team to get home. We purchased a number of tickets - primarily on BA at a special rate set aside for Zoom passengers and crew - but our contingency funding set aside for such eventualities was, unfortunately, heavily depleted by the actions of one US crew hotel which has made a number of unauthorised transactions to take these funds in spite of an administration order which prevents them from doing this type of thing.
In particular, I would like to thank:
* XL Airways for volunteering to carry our team back from Sanford plus some of our staff members on vacation travel
* Virgin Atlantic for offering special assistance fares to our passengers and for their assistance with returning crew members from New York
* British Airways for offering special fares to our customers and crew and for upgrading a number of the team on their flights home
* Thomas Cook for carrying part of the team back from Vancouver
* The crew of last night's Halifax-Heathrow Air Canada service for the kindness and compassion shown to our crew members
* Halifax Airport Authority for their care for the wellbeing of the crew there
* Our crew hotel in San Diego - the Hilton Mission Valley - for their amazing hospitality for our team during their last night there.
I'm sure that there have been many more people who have assisted our crews and if you have helped in any way, please accept my grateful thanks. Sadly, in the same way as this type of situation often brings out the best in people, so it can also bring out the worst in others. There will inevitable be stories of both sides, but I would strongly prefer to just stick to saying thank you to those who undoubtedly have helped.
In the same way as we assisted Silverjet's people wherever we could at the time of its sad demise, our team too have been helped greatly by other airlines. I would very much hope that airline staff everywhere will continue to do the same for anyone who finds themselves stranded as a result of such unhappy circumstances. In the current environment, you never know when you personally may need the favour to be repaid by somebody somewhere around the world.
Best wishes
Jonathan Hinkles
Managing Director
Zoom Airlines Ltd
