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Post by Tre on Sept 17, 2014 9:25:55 GMT
Looks like a day at Skiathos airport! Our flight in from Manchester & the one from Bristol diverted to Athens
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Post by kelso on Sept 17, 2014 10:59:12 GMT
My heart goes out to you. It's unpleasant enought just waiting normally, but when things are so unpredictable it must be worse. I hope that they have managed to fix the air conditioning and are providing some sort of hospitality and that you are on your way before too long. Bob
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Post by Tre on Sept 17, 2014 11:57:03 GMT
Not looking good here. The stampede for the free butties has just started!! Feel so sorry for the TC rep. At least it seems to have stopped raining at present. Gatwick flight also in Athens now. Been told we can go back through security but held back so as not to lose our seats
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Post by dennisn on Sept 17, 2014 14:26:59 GMT
This is your penalty for not coming to meet us at the Bourtzi last Saturday. I knew you'd regret it. We drove our Jimny up to Platanos taverna to watch your plane, but all we saw was cascades of rain pouring down off the awning. First picture from there showed Skiathos bravely glinting under a waning sun. Next one quarter of an hour later there is nothing beyond the awning. Our sympathies go out to you for the delays. Ask them for compensation - if they admit it, you are entitled to £200 per passenger. Anyway, good luck for a better development soon - it must be no consolation to have this afternoon's brilliant sunshine.
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Post by kathos on Sept 17, 2014 15:02:05 GMT
What a pain of a day it has been Tre. At least you now know the Manchester flight has been cancelled. I had family on that flight out they have been in Athens airport since around 10am this morning and were told around an hour ago that they wouldn't be going to Skiathos today.
Its been the usual story of lack of information and then conflicting stories about first they were departing Athens then they weren't. We are guessing the crew are out of flying hours because the Bristol and Gatwick flights which came into Athens after the Manchester one are going on to Skiathos later today, there are some unhappy passengers made worse by the fact they have been up since 2am and very tired. They have no idea where they will be tonight or even if hotels are being arranged for them.
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Post by Tre on Sept 17, 2014 15:26:59 GMT
Back at the Alkyon And yes, crew out of hours. Told they need to fly a new crew out to Athens & plan a slot for tomorrow. Bristol left as we walked over ( not raining now) & Gatwick due out now. However, worrying forecast here! Dennis Yammas! What more can I say.
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Post by Tre on Sept 18, 2014 4:07:50 GMT
Apparently the Bristol flight off loaded passengers in Athens & put them on a coach for Volos. Then ferry over here. However, their plane then came here empty to fly the passengers here back to the UK! Bet they're not happy. Seems we're due out to Manchester 7:35 (5:35 uk) Just waiting for flight to come in from Athens - hope passengers got accommodated ok in Athens for the night.
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Post by kathos on Sept 18, 2014 9:44:56 GMT
The Bristol flight as you say Tre flew into Skiathos without its passengers, they were bussed to a place just north of Ag K which is a two hour drive not the four hours it would have taken to get to Volos, they then sailed on to the island on the Skiathos Ag Nikolas tourist boat, goodness knows what time they arrived ..
I heard it was a shambles in Athens aiport yesterday.
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Post by Tre on Sept 18, 2014 13:36:39 GMT
Landed Manchester just before 10am UK time. Some very unhappy passengers. One in particular giving the cabin manager hell. As if it was her fault! Everyone checking insurance details........compensation? TBH there was a good atmosphere between a lot of the passengers. Great cheer when the flight arrived in from Athens. Wet luggage was my biggest whinge Outside at the airport in the torrential rain the whole time. Think they did cover it but...... In a "Skiathos" sort of way! Really felt for those who had to spend the night in Athens. Heard that it was nearly 8pm before they eventually got to a hotel & then a 2:30 am pick up back to airport! Appreciate that the weather was the start of the problem but think they should have anticipated they would run out of flying hours & made a decision much earlier to put plans into place. Here's wishing those who arrived today a very happy holiday. Ooh, and of course those who are due to fly out tomorrow
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skiathossue
Junior Member
Posts: 35
Visits to Skiathos: More than 10
Accommodation Stayed At: La Piscine, Alkyon, Stellina, Costas & Mary and Akti
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Post by skiathossue on Sept 21, 2014 7:15:00 GMT
We were on the Manchester flight leaving Skiathos on the 17th. Tre you were one of the many lucky ones who were allocated accommodation without any problems. 11 of us were sent to the Green Park and they knew nothing about it. Eventually two couples were given the only rooms they had the rest of us were sat in the sitting area of the taverna trying to contact the rep but with no luck. To cut a long story short we all found accommodation us personally at 9 pm but not with the help of TC so when you say you felt for the reps in our case we didn't. A rep did arrive at the accommodation we were staying at 10.30 pm to inform us of our flight home but showed no concern for our previous problem of being sent to the wrong accommodation by them in the first place. The following morning when I brought the matter up with one certain rep he showed no concern whatsoever mainly due to the fact that we were flight only passengers albeit that we had booked our hotel with TC on Flexitrip as we were there for three weeks. All he kept saying that it was a goodwill gesture to find accommodation for those booked on flight only. We too had the problem with wet clothes in suitcase. We are already booked fir Skiathos next year with TC but on a package holiday. Hope we don't experience anything like this again.
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Post by dennisn on Sept 21, 2014 7:48:42 GMT
Sue, I don't see what flight only has to do with providing accommodation for a delayed flight. I think I would have given that rep a great deal of grief. I also carry pen and paper and would have demanded a signed statement about the cause and length of the delay and the policy regarding provision of emergency accommodation. Yep, grief, in spades!
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Post by dennisn on Sept 21, 2014 8:00:03 GMT
Just in case anybody else reads this looking for tips in a similar situation...
In many cases, the airline (which should be your first port of call for compensation) AND the insurance companies will ask for written evidence with full details of the delay and the cause of it - weather was the first cause, but failure to provide a takeover aircrew was a second.
The latest EU regulations can mean you get much more compensation from the airlines, I believe it is £200 per passenger, irrespective of how much you paid - so get out there and buy a £50 flight if you can, so that you make a profit if it's delayed! And don't (like Ryanair) let the airline palm you off back to your own insurance.
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Post by Tre on Sept 21, 2014 9:27:46 GMT
Dennis we were all given "letters" stating facts about the delay for insurance purposes. Sue that sounds dreadful. We were with one lady who asked the TC rep about flight only & he most certainly re assured her that they would be accommodated in the same way as package customers. Agree that the "allocation of accommodation" scenario in the car park was just unacceptable. Hearded about like cattle! We ended up walking back to the Alkyon as they couldn't decide which coach we needed to be on! The morning fiasco was no better. Advised to have luggage outside by 4am & that we'd be picked up at 4:45. Nope! Luggage truck turns up at 5 & coach appears at around 5:20...........and yes, that certain TC rep Thursday morning was certainly not showing signs of "customer care" We are looking into a claim under the EU rule 261/2004.
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skiathossue
Junior Member
Posts: 35
Visits to Skiathos: More than 10
Accommodation Stayed At: La Piscine, Alkyon, Stellina, Costas & Mary and Akti
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Post by skiathossue on Sept 21, 2014 19:57:02 GMT
Hi Tre
We are definitely putting in a complaint to TC and to our insurance company , letter drafted and will be sent within the next couple if days. We too were assured that we would be allocated accommodation and in a round about way we were but we were not told the correct accommodation and it was only by taking a chance that we had heard there may be two rooms available at some studios that the four of us decided to get a taxi and in fact it was the taxi driver after hearing our plight managed to phone someone who had something to do with TC that he got confirmation there were rooms we could have. With regard to the rep we will make our views perfectly clear to TC regarding his conduct.
Dennison - no matter what I said to the rep he made it perfectly clear to me that a Fkexitrip is flight only so far as he and TC were concerned and although they said they would ensure all passengers were allocated rooms they didn't have to do so it was a gesture if goodwill and told me that we should have stayed at the accommodation we had wrongly been sent to until a rep arrived no matter what time that was going to be. Who would want to sit in the seating area of a taverna whilst other holiday makers are dressed up having their evening meal, believe me It was a very uncomfortable and embarrassing situation for us and the owners of the taverna. It will be interesting to see the reply from TC.
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Post by Tre on Sept 21, 2014 20:20:25 GMT
Sue, Don't be fobbed off whatever. As I said, look at claiming under EU 261. Just google it. Moneysavingexpert.com is a good place to start. Remember; the initial delay was due to unexpected bad weather, but, our flight was cancelled as the crew ran out of flying time. Gatwick & Bristol flights landed & took their passengers home. So, TC can't use the excuse that the weather prevented them landing. I will post updates when I start making enquiries.
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