NZ pair put on "wong" plane
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NZ pair put on "wong" plane
From an NZ source:
"A three-hour flight from Sydney to Auckland turned into a 24-hour drama for two Bay of Plenty men who ended up in China being interrogated by armed guards.
The drama began when Mark Dance, a nurse, and Alfie O'Neill, the intellectually disabled man he has cared for over 10 years, answered the call to board their flight from Sydney to Auckland last weekend.
"There are two airlines with very similar names, China Airlines is the Taiwanese airline we were booked on, and China National Airways is the Communist China airline, which was leaving at the same time as our flight to New Zealand," said Mr Dance.
The pair boarded the flight to Beijing despite their boarding pass being rejected by a ticketing machine. An attendant told them the machine was faulty.
"She just waved us through so we got on board. I wondered why there were so many Chinese flying to Auckland but it wasn't until about half an hour after take off and 37,0000 feet in the air that I realised we were on the wrong plane."
Mr Dance eventually managed to tell a hostess of their predicament.
"She went deathly white and rushed to the front of the aircraft. When we landed we were told to stay in our seats until everyone else was off, and then we had to walk down a steep flight of steps from the aircraft to be met by guards who took us into the terminal."
There Mr Dance again explained his story to an official who had a slightly better grasp of English.
"They kept us waiting on hard chairs in the lounge, away from everyone else. They took our passports and I was getting really worried. I had $100 in cash and my Visa card but no idea how to use the airport phones or who to ring."
After an hour's wait officials said they could leave on a plane to Sydney in half an hour.
Nine hours later Mr Dance and Mr O'Neill arrived back in Sydney to be greeted by officials from the Chinese and Taiwanese airlines and were given first class seats on the next Qantas flight to New Zealand.
A corporate car with chauffeur then drove them home to Katikati.
"A three-hour flight from Sydney to Auckland turned into a 24-hour drama for two Bay of Plenty men who ended up in China being interrogated by armed guards.
The drama began when Mark Dance, a nurse, and Alfie O'Neill, the intellectually disabled man he has cared for over 10 years, answered the call to board their flight from Sydney to Auckland last weekend.
"There are two airlines with very similar names, China Airlines is the Taiwanese airline we were booked on, and China National Airways is the Communist China airline, which was leaving at the same time as our flight to New Zealand," said Mr Dance.
The pair boarded the flight to Beijing despite their boarding pass being rejected by a ticketing machine. An attendant told them the machine was faulty.
"She just waved us through so we got on board. I wondered why there were so many Chinese flying to Auckland but it wasn't until about half an hour after take off and 37,0000 feet in the air that I realised we were on the wrong plane."
Mr Dance eventually managed to tell a hostess of their predicament.
"She went deathly white and rushed to the front of the aircraft. When we landed we were told to stay in our seats until everyone else was off, and then we had to walk down a steep flight of steps from the aircraft to be met by guards who took us into the terminal."
There Mr Dance again explained his story to an official who had a slightly better grasp of English.
"They kept us waiting on hard chairs in the lounge, away from everyone else. They took our passports and I was getting really worried. I had $100 in cash and my Visa card but no idea how to use the airport phones or who to ring."
After an hour's wait officials said they could leave on a plane to Sydney in half an hour.
Nine hours later Mr Dance and Mr O'Neill arrived back in Sydney to be greeted by officials from the Chinese and Taiwanese airlines and were given first class seats on the next Qantas flight to New Zealand.
A corporate car with chauffeur then drove them home to Katikati.
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Wasn't there another case of mistaken boarding a good few years back which involved New Zealand as well?
I believe that it happened at LAX, where a man boarded an Air New Zealand flight bound for Auckland. After the plane had been in the air for some 90 minutes the passenger asked a flight attendent why the flight had not landed yet. She explained that the plane would be in the air for another 10 hours or so.
He was astonished, and said that he thought that his flight to Oakland would only take one hour!
Having found out this mistake, they moved him to First Class, put him up in a top hotel, had the mayor of Auckland greet him, and then put him on a plane back to LAX in First Class again 24 hours later.
I believe that it happened at LAX, where a man boarded an Air New Zealand flight bound for Auckland. After the plane had been in the air for some 90 minutes the passenger asked a flight attendent why the flight had not landed yet. She explained that the plane would be in the air for another 10 hours or so.
He was astonished, and said that he thought that his flight to Oakland would only take one hour!
Having found out this mistake, they moved him to First Class, put him up in a top hotel, had the mayor of Auckland greet him, and then put him on a plane back to LAX in First Class again 24 hours later.
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DISCOKID,
It wouldn't happen if you flew into BOS or PHL instead of JFK
The main reason for the proposed new "Sonic Cruiser" is to help compensate pax who fly from LGWs awful check-in queues to JFK's immigration "lines"
------------------
What goes around . . .
. . often lands better!
It wouldn't happen if you flew into BOS or PHL instead of JFK
The main reason for the proposed new "Sonic Cruiser" is to help compensate pax who fly from LGWs awful check-in queues to JFK's immigration "lines"
------------------
What goes around . . .
. . often lands better!
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2 pax arrived in NCL a few weeks ago from LPA in the early hours on Sunday morning. They made their way to the ticket desk, explaining that they had just come on our flight home, and should have landed in MAN. Funny, as we dont do LPA in the summer !!
They had boarded the wrong bus down route, after having boarding cards checked at gate.
They thought nothing of the fact that they were getting on an Airtours a/c. When other pax complained that they were in their seats the purser checked the cards of the pax who were questioning, and told them to sit elsewhere - there was loads of room.
doh !
They had boarded the wrong bus down route, after having boarding cards checked at gate.
They thought nothing of the fact that they were getting on an Airtours a/c. When other pax complained that they were in their seats the purser checked the cards of the pax who were questioning, and told them to sit elsewhere - there was loads of room.
doh !
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Many airlines seem to have flights into AKL...Thai, Air Tahiti Nui, Polynesian, China Airlines (from Taiwan on M/W/Sat), Aerolineas Argentinas, just to name a few, in addition to Qantas and Air New Zealand (and their host of code-share partners!).
Other airlines, such as Garuda, Polynesian, fly into AKL via MEL (EVA Air from Taiwan used to, but I think they might code-share with Ansett now).
Hope this helps, folks!
Other airlines, such as Garuda, Polynesian, fly into AKL via MEL (EVA Air from Taiwan used to, but I think they might code-share with Ansett now).
Hope this helps, folks!
