Leaving a diverted flight
Hi, in view of the weather (I note a flight from Chennai to LHR has recently landed at EMA), and knowing that a friend of a friend, who lives in the vicinity of EMA is on the way (supposedly) from Africa to LHR, I wondered what the position would be if her flight was diverted to EMA and she wanted to leave there. Would the airline insist on bussing her to LHR to complete her journey? The GF thinks they would, as someone on a flight she was on had this experience some years ago, but it seems unreasonable to me.
UFO |
Hard one to call. If you had been cleared though immigration then I guess the airline would be happy having at least one less person to cart all the way to London especially as that person would not be chasing compo or whining about the diversion. Otoh, they could insist that everyone goes to LHR. Guess it would depend on the airline, etc.
(Just thinking out loud) |
Don't know about the UK but when I lived in Singapore I was on a flight which was diverted to Johor Baru airport in Malaysia because of ****e weather over Changi which stubbornly refused to budge.
I only had hand baggage and they put steps up to the plane so I asked if I could get off. They let me off, I went through immigration (who were quite surprised to see me) and got a cab over the Causeway back home. Much quicker than hanging around in JB (sic)! |
What would the airline do if you simply jump in a taxi and disappear? If you refuse to board the bus to LHR will you be manhandled on to it. Will the airline ground staff call the police and what will the charge be? Refusing to be kidnapped?
Assuming baggage has been released I think it should be up to the passenger to make alternative arrangements as they wish. It would be courteous to inform ground staff of your intention so they don't waste their time looking for you. s37 |
Assuming baggage has been released I think it should be up to the passenger UFO |
Whenever I've been diverted, baggage reclaim has been carried out at the airport of actual arrival. Gives you something to do while waiting for a bus to be organised.
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Had actual experience of this many, many years ago.
Was supposed to meet a passenger at Gatwick, which was reported closed due to foul weather. Most flights were diverted to Stansted. Quick phone call to company Ops confirmed the diversion. Picked up amazed but admirative Pax at STN (no mobiles in them days to let me know!!) STN closer to home than LGW by a good 200 miles round trip. Took the trouble, and I think it is important, to mention to ground staff what we were doing. They were grateful - said it would have complicated their head count on the bus had we not alerted them. All baggage re-united with Pax at STN, I think for customs reasons. We can't have uncleared baggage roaring up and down the M11 can we? |
Not a hard one to call at all!
If you had your baggage and were being transported on by other means, then they would be glad to have you voluntarily off their hands (BUT, see below). However, if passengers were staying onboard, bags not offloaded, and they were hoping to get airborne to transport everyone to the original destination, then you will have trouble getting off. It would mean baggage being offloaded to get your bag as they cannot continue without you and your bag still aboard- probably impossible to get your bag off in a real diversion/chaos scenario. I would hold you onboard. By selfishly demanding to get off, you would probably be preventing everybody else getting to their destination at all! How could you claim unlawful detention when you purchased a ticket to the original destination? I would be happy for the passenger to risk total bankruptcy taking it to the High Court when they had bought a ticket to the original nominated destination anyway. It comes down to: 'are the needs of the individual more important than the needs of the large group of people?'. I think under these circumstances, you would get scant sympathy from a Court, as well as a massive legal bill depriving you of all your assets, if indeed you want to risk it for a principle and a minor inconvenience. I'd be amazed anybody would want to risk everything they have for such a stupid (and selfish) principal- but it would be entertaining watching them try it on! Scenario- carrying large group of Italian pax Nairobi-ZRH-LHR for transfer to Rome. ZRH fogged out- divert to Rome. Great joy for Italian pax! Not so. 1- BA had no traffic rights Nairobi- Rome. No passengers allowed to be landed 2- Italian Immigration would not entertain allowing anybody off at all! So factors that can affect this jumping off flights are: airline traffic rights and Immigration rules. Sounds unreasonable, but it is not the airline that sets the rules! To prevent the airline contravening the regulations, I would have no hesitation in summoning the Police to deal with recalcitrant passengers determined to 'jump ship' against regulations. |
Consider our situation in August last year:
DUB-LHR flight delayed. The option to cancel existed, EI offered to put up all the pax at DUB for the night, but pointed out to the pax who insisted on continuing that they would be diverted to LTN. Baggage was offloaded at LTN. Pax who had to be transferred to LHR were asked to wait for the bus, whereas those who wanted to continue into London on their own were free to do so. S. |
Rainboe
I'm assuming you refer to my previous post here. If you were not, please ignore my response. What would the airline do if you simply jump in a taxi and disappear? If you refuse to board the bus to LHR will you be manhandled on to it. Will the airline ground staff call the police and what will the charge be? Refusing to be kidnapped? Where does this post suggest a passenger should insist on disembarking? I was merely mentioning that I would think it odd if, after disembarking and collecting luggage, any staff member would try to prevent a passenger from taking a taxi home because he/she lives near to the diversion airport. I would find it odder still if they tried to force a passenger on to a bus if he/she did not want to board it. s37 |
It depends on the circumstances.
If EVERYONE is disembarking, claiming bags and continuing by coach, then fine, if one pax decides to make their own way. If the aircraft is staying put, waiting for a chance to fly on, fully loaded, then no, a single pax wanting to get off would not be allowed to. Eg: TLV-LHR diverted to LTN, while waiting for fog to clear at LHR. The aircraft remained fully loaded. Many pax wanted to offload themselves at LTN because it is closer to their homes but they were not allowed to for reasons of security and the fact that offloading their bags would delay everyone else. |
I would think it odd if, after disembarking and collecting luggage Are you going to insist that the whole aeroplane is unloaded so that you can get off? |
I think he means when everyone disembarks, luggage goes to Arrivals, everyone goes through customs/immigration (if necessary) and the buses are outside the terminal, L337
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Nice explanation Rainboe, but how did the egoistical headmaster get mixed up in it? :confused:
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Juud: := :)
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Shack, read again
If you had your baggage and were being transported on by other means, then they would be glad to have you voluntarily off their hands (BUT, see below). However, if passengers were staying onboard, bags not offloaded, and they were hoping to get airborne to transport everyone to the original destination, then you will have trouble getting off. |
I think he means when everyone disembarks, luggage goes to Arrivals, everyone goes through customs/immigration (if necessary) and the buses are outside the terminal, L337 Thanks Hellsbrink, that's exactly what I meant. If it was not clear to some I will try harder next term. s37 |
You don't seem to be able to comprehend my quote above from post 8. Are you quite clear that those who have been through Immigration correctly and wish to proceed with their already delivered baggage are wished a fond farewell?
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You don't seem to be able to comprehend my quote above from post 8. Are you quite clear that those who have been through Immigration correctly and wish to proceed with their already delivered baggage are wished a fond farewell? s37 |
Originally Posted by Shack37
(Post 4692750)
I think this was the whole point of my post. I'm glad it finally got through.
On one occasion, an exception was made for three members of a family who were allowed off the aircraft so long as the fourth member of the family stayed on board with the baggage. |
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