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Thursday, June 25, 2009
BA 11 on the 24th of June 2009
British Airways operated a 3 hour service in a 747, which departed in heathrow terminal 4, and arrived at heathro terminal 3.
Estimated boarding time: 20:30
Actual boarding time: 21:30
Estimated take off: 21:30
Actual take off: never happened
21:30
Fuel valve problem
Mechanics try several times to fix the problem.
The plane is powered down with everyone still in the 747. It was a full flight. Almost every seat was filled.
23:30
Fuel valve fixed. Proceed for take-off
Take off started. Engines roaring. cut. halt. air breaks. plane screeches to a halt.
Pilot announces on the PA system that the indicator light for the cargo door came on. unsure if there is a problem with the door, or the indicator. taxi to terminal 5.
24:00
pilot parks at terminal 5. seat belts signs are turned off.
pilot announces that the ground engineers are working on the problem.
pilot announces that passengers may use their mobile phone while the plane is parked.
I send a few smses home.
25 June 2009
00:30
Pilot announces that the problem cannot be fixed immediately.
Pilot announces the flight is cancelled.
Deboarding proceedure similar to normal landing. Non-eu citizens required to fill up arrival cards. Ground staff will issue hotel vouchers after we collect baggage.
Pilot advises people to remain seated while the ground crew remove the baggage.
Air crew serve drinks and snacks... no dinner. babies are crying. people are hungry.
01:00
We smell the aroma of cooked food from the business class galley as we leave the plane. Wonder if they got served while cattle class was left hungry.
immigration shredded the arrival card. didn't even chop our passport
had to take a shuttle train from terminal 5A to 5B
01:30
Baggage carousel is a mess.
The british airways counters are empty.
02:00-03:00
Finally collect bags. 3 or 4 british airways staff distribute notices of the flight delay. the replacement flight is scheduled for 5pm. The notice says that there are not enough hotel rooms to put us in. Locals are allowed to take a cab home, and claim the cost from BA.
Several people lost their bags. Baggage handlers claim that there are no more drivers working at that time to transport the bags. They claim that the bags will be locked in a safe room. My friend has no bag, no clothes for the night.
Another staff has no idea where the bags are.
Chaos.
Passengers swarm the staff. They ask many questions. The staff have few answers.
03:30
Ground staff inform us that they have found accomodation at the airport hotel at Gatwick. Shuttle buses have been arranged.
My friends bag is no where to be found. They offer him an overnight kit, which had a oversized xxl t-shirt.
Ground staff hand out hotel vouchers, valid for the mornings stay, one breakfast, and lunch.
04:00
Only 2 shuttle busses were available. Less than half of the passengers have transport to the Gatwick hotel.
Staff claim that shuttle busses will come in 30 minutes to send the rest to the passengers to the hotel.
04:30
We wait in the 12 degree morning air. nothing.
We give up, and ask to go to the BA lounge. They let us in for free, and offer us food and drink, on the condition we leave by 05:00, which is when the business customers start using the lounge. The staff said they will inform us when the bus arrives.
05:00
the lounge staff allow us to stay at the corners of the lounge, but not to eat, or use the showers.
no news on the buses.
i fall asleep.
06:30
there is an announcement that they would move the flight to depart from terminal 5 instead of terminal 4.
https://www.britishairways.com/travel/flightops/public/en_gb?source=RTAD_disrupt
"The delayed BA011 flight from 24 June 2009 from London Heathrow to Singapore is now operating from London Heathrow Terminal 5.
This terminal change only affects this delayed flight, customers due to fly on other services should continue to use Terminal 4."
The buses for the passengers stranded at the airport are officially cancelled. Half of the passengers never got to the hotel, or the breakfast, or the lunch. And we were not even allowed to shower in the lounge.
I ask the lounge staff if there are public showers in the airport. They call a colleague to find out. There are no public showers in terminal 5. The only showers are in the lounge.
07:15
I use the computer in the lounge.
At least there is free internet...
Estimated boarding time: 20:30
Actual boarding time: 21:30
Estimated take off: 21:30
Actual take off: never happened
21:30
Fuel valve problem
Mechanics try several times to fix the problem.
The plane is powered down with everyone still in the 747. It was a full flight. Almost every seat was filled.
23:30
Fuel valve fixed. Proceed for take-off
Take off started. Engines roaring. cut. halt. air breaks. plane screeches to a halt.
Pilot announces on the PA system that the indicator light for the cargo door came on. unsure if there is a problem with the door, or the indicator. taxi to terminal 5.
24:00
pilot parks at terminal 5. seat belts signs are turned off.
pilot announces that the ground engineers are working on the problem.
pilot announces that passengers may use their mobile phone while the plane is parked.
I send a few smses home.
25 June 2009
00:30
Pilot announces that the problem cannot be fixed immediately.
Pilot announces the flight is cancelled.
Deboarding proceedure similar to normal landing. Non-eu citizens required to fill up arrival cards. Ground staff will issue hotel vouchers after we collect baggage.
Pilot advises people to remain seated while the ground crew remove the baggage.
Air crew serve drinks and snacks... no dinner. babies are crying. people are hungry.
01:00
We smell the aroma of cooked food from the business class galley as we leave the plane. Wonder if they got served while cattle class was left hungry.
immigration shredded the arrival card. didn't even chop our passport
had to take a shuttle train from terminal 5A to 5B
01:30
Baggage carousel is a mess.
The british airways counters are empty.
02:00-03:00
Finally collect bags. 3 or 4 british airways staff distribute notices of the flight delay. the replacement flight is scheduled for 5pm. The notice says that there are not enough hotel rooms to put us in. Locals are allowed to take a cab home, and claim the cost from BA.
Several people lost their bags. Baggage handlers claim that there are no more drivers working at that time to transport the bags. They claim that the bags will be locked in a safe room. My friend has no bag, no clothes for the night.
Another staff has no idea where the bags are.
Chaos.
Passengers swarm the staff. They ask many questions. The staff have few answers.
03:30
Ground staff inform us that they have found accomodation at the airport hotel at Gatwick. Shuttle buses have been arranged.
My friends bag is no where to be found. They offer him an overnight kit, which had a oversized xxl t-shirt.
Ground staff hand out hotel vouchers, valid for the mornings stay, one breakfast, and lunch.
04:00
Only 2 shuttle busses were available. Less than half of the passengers have transport to the Gatwick hotel.
Staff claim that shuttle busses will come in 30 minutes to send the rest to the passengers to the hotel.
04:30
We wait in the 12 degree morning air. nothing.
We give up, and ask to go to the BA lounge. They let us in for free, and offer us food and drink, on the condition we leave by 05:00, which is when the business customers start using the lounge. The staff said they will inform us when the bus arrives.
05:00
the lounge staff allow us to stay at the corners of the lounge, but not to eat, or use the showers.
no news on the buses.
i fall asleep.
06:30
there is an announcement that they would move the flight to depart from terminal 5 instead of terminal 4.
https://www.britishairways.com/travel/flightops/public/en_gb?source=RTAD_disrupt
"The delayed BA011 flight from 24 June 2009 from London Heathrow to Singapore is now operating from London Heathrow Terminal 5.
This terminal change only affects this delayed flight, customers due to fly on other services should continue to use Terminal 4."
The buses for the passengers stranded at the airport are officially cancelled. Half of the passengers never got to the hotel, or the breakfast, or the lunch. And we were not even allowed to shower in the lounge.
I ask the lounge staff if there are public showers in the airport. They call a colleague to find out. There are no public showers in terminal 5. The only showers are in the lounge.
07:15
I use the computer in the lounge.
At least there is free internet...
Friday, June 19, 2009
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
performance in prague
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
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