| |
VK3XX > FUEL 28.04.08 08:03l 70 Lines 3874 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 3B1601VK3XX
Read: GUEST
Subj: Re: Airlines trouble de KB2VXA
Path: DB0FHN<DB0FOR<DB0MRW<OK0PPL<DB0RES<ON4HU<ON0BEL<VK4TRS<VK3API
Sent: 080428/0553Z @:VK3API.#MEL.VIC.AUS.OC #:12453 [Lilydale] FBB7.00g
From: VK3XX@VK3API.#MEL.VIC.AUS.OC
To : FUEL@WW
Hello Warren and other readers.
I agree with the comments about passenger loadng on aircraft in this part
of the world as described by Barry VK2AAB. While I gave up flying several
years ago, my son flies as a training Captain for QANTAS on B747's on
international routes. We talk about aviation matters quite frequently and
he always tells me that the flight he has just come off was "as always,
chock full". He couldnt get a flight booking for his wife and himself to
fly to Hong Kong for several months hence and they had to use another
carrier.
I think my own experience back in 1993 in Los Angeles showed to a large
extent what is happening. I had been in the US on holiday on a QANTAS
staff travel ticket, which of course has no priority rating for family
members. Not even wait listing. The day before I wanted to return from LAX
to MEL I checked on that week's traffic loading. I was told that there
were very few seats available for that week. One flight had some seats
available and I was told to check on the morning of its departure. I did
this just before leaving Mission Vvijo for the two hour trip to the
airport where my XYL and I arrived about three hours before the flight
departure time having been told that there were 90 seats available on that
flight. By the time we got to the airport we were told that there were now
no seats available but to wait and see what happened when all passengers
with firm reservations and appropriate priorities had arrived. Needless to
say all seats had gone after another three hours waiting.
I then asked what was available if I bought a full price ticket for each
of us to guarantee space. A search revealed that no booking was available
for two weeks ahead! I took this option to get things going and was
dependent on my credit card since we were at the end of a 6 weeks holiday
and were almost out of cash, I then asked to be wait listed on several
flights over the next weekend on any flights to Australia. When I phoned
to check the situation on the Friday night about loading on all those
flights I was asked "which one would you like"! Why??? It was revealed
that on that day the various travel agents had relinqished their unsold
block bookings for that weekend and there were now plenty of seats
available! But I still had to use the tickets that I had bought as no
seats could be guaranteed on the staff travel ticket.
My son went to England with his staff travel ticket on his long service
leave with the family. He could not get a guaranteed flight back to
Sydney. As he was on duty the day after his planned return this was a risk
that he couldnt take so he booked tickets for himself on another airline
at full price as insurance. When he checked with QANTAS on the morning he
was due to fly back they all got on QANTAS but were separated on seats
all throughout economy class it was so full. He cancelled the other
airline and lost some of the value of the ticket he had bought but it was
good protection as the Company has a Zero tolerance on missing a rostered
flight after being on leave.It was cheap insurance. All for the same
reason as my experience, I guess.
So even after flying with QANTAS for 26 years even a senior check captain
gets no concessions as the flights are so full. On the other side of the
coin the cabin staff can organise their use of staff travel with much more
flexibility than can Technical Crew! Or so I keep getting told. From 1960
to 1993 I flew internationally a lot and flights were rarely difficult to
organise at short notice but under all the current complexity of booking,
prices, airport security measures etc I have given up flying. It really is
for the birds.
Cheers and
73 - GORDON, VK3XX @ VK3API.#MEL.VIC.AUS.OC
Message timed: 15:41 AEST on 28 Apr 2008
Message sent using WinPack V6.80 (Registered)
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
