Thanks Movers...not!
 

Another blinder by the movers at Brize last night...

An individual turns up half an hour late for check-in for the Falklands flight (ie 90 minutes before departure), having got lost on the way to Brize from a secret Welsh airbase (not a bright chap, clearly).

Said individual acknowledges his mistake and begs to be allowed on flight...

...and is refused:{

Now I hear you all say that he was late, it's his fault, etc, and this is true - but there was clearly enough time for this lone chump to check in and board the flight. The upshot is that some other poor sod is stuck in the Falklands till the next airbridge through no fault of his own, and the unfortunate who was late is left feeling both very guilty and rather humiliated in front of all his peers and superiors.

Was there really any reason to bar this individual from the flight, other than a power-crazy "Because we can" or some perverse notion of 'teaching him a lesson'?

:ugh::ugh::ugh:

Flexibility used to be the key to something or other…….
:ugh:

... the new RAF fitness strategy?

I do wonder whether this would have occurred had it been a Tristar ... anyone any experience?

STH

I'll bet there is another side to this story. :rolleyes:

Er we go !

- 90 minutes late for a military flight! Carrying his ID I hope. Plane not over booked like civvy flights? Just an honest mistake? Seats available?

- Hold on a minute let me get my book of civvy regs - yep thought so - - a security risk. Not to mention the fact that rules is rules. CAA says blah blah blah.

- Hold a minute got to check the passengers going to Bosnia - to make it easier no ranks - OK - Blogs, Coopgrass, Jackson - sorry General.

Cos you have caused a fuss sir I have been told by Flt Lt ***** (the SMovO) that we are going to have do the 100% kit check on you. Could you un pack your bags and your Bergen. Well we have to do it on somebody.

- I know you and your unit have just completed a 4 month tour and every body wants to go home to see their family but reports times have to be adhered to - why? Hmmmm the plane might be early. Four hours is reasonable after all we will put you into the cinema and show you a film for the first two hours.

- Sir,would you mind passing me your bayonet around the walk through metal detector?

- Certainly Cpl.

- Hmmm not sure about this do you need it at the other end?

- Not sure - will you be there if I do and I haven't got it?

Yes, absolutely - I hope there is, and I'll be interested to hear what it is. My personal experiences at Brize have always been favourable, which is why I'm keen to find out what went on this time (and no it wasn't me by the way!).

Movers and Army loggies also starred last week in the Deid. After proudly announcing an hour earlier than planned departure, they managed to c*ck up the head count vs manifest check. The poor loggie Cpl had to go from seat to seat asking folk their names and then highlighting them on a list. Two hours of sweatily sitting on the vintage DC10 passed before we eventually taxied off. Highly amusing though was the Army Rupert who tried to take over and started shouting the odds about how he was going to speed it up - he was quickly taken outside and told to wind his neck in! := Classic:D

I believe the matelots call this 'Adrift under Sailing Orders'? The penalty for which is probably keel-hauling, followed by a week in the buggery barrel....

Or is this techincally 'Late on Parade'?

How many people do not have mobile phones these days? Hardly bloody difficult to ring up and say "Stuck in traffic in Llandewi Brefi - it's the local sheep-and-wellie festival and I could be slightly late. My boarding ref is NNNNNN, I'm very sorry about this, it's hardly my fault and I'll do all I can to get to BZN on time - please don't go without me!"

But then again, the Red Arm Band folk perhaps thought "Viet Taff. Screw him!!".

Hope not though...

Late check in
 

Would it be impolite to ask why 90 min before is a "late" check-in? When I fly civair south from ISK I only have to check in a minimum of 30 minutes before and whilst I appreciate it your average MPA bound pax may have slightly more baggage surely it can't be that much different? Even during my days on the K check-in didn't close until 30 min before and they had to build the stack as well! Sounds like jobsworth to me!
VAT


Edited for happy hour speeling

Here's a question....

I may be boarding a flight to some sh!tehole east of Suez for the first time ever in a few months.

Do the movers/plods at Brize follow the same b0ll0cks rule that civ airports do reference toothpaste+mouthwash+drinks+creams+100ml plastic bag = UTTER BALLACHE FOR ALL PAX?!?!?

Excuse my language - just done this at Heathrow - not amused.

Cheers for any heads-up you can give.

With such a "Sod the Pax" attitude, perhaps RAF means RyanAirForce? :=

Was 'Taff the Pax' there at the terminal check-in desk with bags and passport at 90 mins? Or was he at Brize at 90 mins before ie at the gate and then long-term car park, then a walk to terminal, etc? The ALM wants the trim at no later than 60 mins before the flight so I doubt there was a complete shut out at the 90 min mark. But perhaps there was indication of strong winds on the route that required more fuel, reduced payload and limiting leg issues, request to push back as earlier as possible to meet arrival times, etc, etc, etc. Perhaps there was a VIP on board and the pressure from above to meet the departure time. There are just so many variables it seems somewhat of a knee-jerk reaction to blame the movers for an inability of one pax to meet a well-publicised check-in time.

Largely academic if it was a 2 hour boarding cut-off or a 12 hour boarding cut-off. Five minutes before the parade is the time to present oneself, just like everybody else in fact. It's nothing to do with why you should be there 2 hours before, it's all to do with the fact that you have received a movement order to be there 2 hours before, have you ever noticed that it's not called a Unit Movement Invitation? In my experience having a "really good excuse" was not really considered much when addressing failure to attend a parade. Mind you, it's been a few years now, does QR's have anything about good excuses these days, it wouldn't surprise me.

So why is it that BZN require 2-3 times as long to process pax as any civvy airline?

Perhaps we ought to employ Ryanair staff at BZN instead of movers, far more efficient and much cheaper to employ, can I claim my £25 gems award now?

I am sure there is another side to the story, but arriving 90 mins before scheduled departure should not preclude the pax from flight; as someone has already said, what about consideration for the person that he is supposed to replace in FI?

Y_G

If all the loudmouth gobs on here could do the job of the Movements Trade, there would not be such a shortfall in their numbers and they would not be so over-stretched. I thought everyone knew how to 'do' supply, but recent years have highlighted all the experts have moved trades.
I'll wait to see whether this one has any legs - and I'm wondering what TOD has to do with the individual or situation overall.

0400 call at Gateway to be told the flight had been delayed until 1000.

Then nagged to get out of bed as breakfast would be served at 0500 and we had to check out of the room.

Lay around in the lounge for the next 6 hours.

How's that?

"If all the loudmouth gobs on here could do the job of the Movements Trade"

http://bestsmileys.com/lol/5.gifhttp://bestsmileys.com/lol/12.gif

Don't take the Jibes at Movers to heart. It is just a fact of life that some trades are operationally focussed others are not.:cool:

I think that irrespective of how late the chap was, and why, the attitude should have been: Can he be "processed" in time to get on the flight, or not?

If the answer was negative, then the correct decision was made.

If he could have been flown, then he should have been put on the flight. Any disciplinary issues could (and should) have been taken up later. He was presumably on his way to carry out a duty and should have been allowed/made to do that. Any further delay was only exascerbating the circumstances which may, or may not, have been under his personal control in the first place.

I sincerely hope that the "jobsworth, we'll show you!" attitude isn't now prevalent within the services, too. :rolleyes:

So this poor guy was told to report 4hrs before departure and turned up 90mins late. That just validates having check in 4hrs before, maybe it's not to do with security and Movers but to cover late arrivals, obviously not this late though :ooh:.
The RAF is not a civilian airline with 2 or 3 flights a day to each destination, once a week if you are lucky! So I can see why it is important (and your responsibility) not miss your flight, as has been said there is a knock on effect.
Used AT in the last month, although there were problems the Movers, Crew and others were very professional, we all got fed, watered, informed and home (eventually), all the effort was appreciated :ok:
It's much easier to accept that you are walking frieght and let them do their job. 200 odd instant experts per flight would be a nightmare, I wouldn't want to do it.