Olympic-EuroCypria disaster flights
keithpp | 09.10.2007 14:35 | Globalisation | London
Holiday Truths website is censoring critical posts on tour operators and airlines. It is not the first time this has happened. Reproduced is a critical post of UK tour operator Olympic and Cyprus airline EuroCypria Airways that was removed.
19 October 2007 - Gatwick
Passengers checked in at Gatwick at 2pm or earlier for a 4pm flight to Larnaca, to be told there was no flight until 11-30pm that night. They were given two vouchers each of £4-50 for meals. The vouchers did not cover the cost of a meal and a drink.
The flight finally took off around half past midnight, 0035 the next day.
No complimentary drinks. The pilot said the reason for the delay was no aircraft!
At Larnaca, no apologies from Olympic.
En-route, passengers learnt this had happened before. At Larnaca an Olympic rep admitted they had had problems during the summer.
One week later - Gatwick
Passengers checking in were told there was a 2 hours delay. They were then given vouchers, which indicated a longer delay, then told four hour delay.
The delay was five hours, a Bulgarian plane was used.
Again no apology on arrival from Olympic.
3 October 2007 - Larnaca
Passengers picked up from their hotels and apartments for return trip to Gatwick, scheduled to depart at noon from Larnaca Airport.
On arrival, at check-in, told there was a seven hour delay.
Olympic made no attempt to inform people in the check-in lines what was going on. Passengers had to individually seek out Olympic reps.
A rumour then spread that people would be taken to a beach side restaurant for lunch. No announcements were made. This is how any information was gleaned, word of mouth. Those who had not yet checked in, pulled beach gear out of their luggage prior to check-in.
At around 12-30, coaches shipped people out to a Ammos, a beach bar/restaurant/night club.
http://www.ammosbeach.com/
A meal was provided and a drinks voucher. Later a second drinks voucher was provided indicating a long stay.
Some passengers phoned UK, checked arrival time and learnt plane would land in UK at around 4-30am the next day!
Challenged on this, the reps blatantly lied and told people not to believe information provided by Gatwick!
This was to be the pattern during the day, the reps repeatedly and blatantly lying.
They told people to claim on their holiday insurance or against EuroCypria. As people had booked with Olympic, the claim was against Olympic.
Passengers were quite relaxed. They made the most of the day on the beach, some went swimming.
Passengers were told they would be picked up at 9pm, dinner at 6pm.
Pick up was then changed to 8pm.
Passengers were picked up around 11pm.
Two drinks vouchers were provided for dinner.
When people asked for extra drinks vouchers, Olympic refused.
Checks were made through the Internet of flight arrivals at Gatwick. Arrival was shown at around 4-30am, then moved forward to 4am.
Around 11pm, people started to leave.
Again no announcement by Olympic, word of mouth by passengers.
On the coach trip back, reps said go straight through to departures, where Louis would provide vouchers for food and drink. This was repeated again at the airport.
Everyone went through. No-one was waiting the other side. A check was made with Louis (the handling agents). They said no arrangements had been made for food and drink.
Flight was shown to depart at 0055, boarding was called maybe 45 mins earlier.
No boarding was taking place. At 0055, still no boarding. Questioned on departure time, the gate staff refused to answer the question.
One lady, under police escort, went back out to ask why we had all been lied to.
The reps threatened her, ordered her to return back through departures, called her a troublemaker, and said if she did not comply, she would be arrested, removed from the airport, and that she and her partner would be taken off the plane.
The plane was an XL charter. It finally took off at 0230.
The crew radioed ahead to asked that passengers be given a letter on arrival. No one was there on arrival.
XL had received a request for a plane at 10am UK time, ie noon Cyprus time when the plane was scheduled for take-off.
Passengers checked in at Gatwick at 2pm or earlier for a 4pm flight to Larnaca, to be told there was no flight until 11-30pm that night. They were given two vouchers each of £4-50 for meals. The vouchers did not cover the cost of a meal and a drink.
The flight finally took off around half past midnight, 0035 the next day.
No complimentary drinks. The pilot said the reason for the delay was no aircraft!
At Larnaca, no apologies from Olympic.
En-route, passengers learnt this had happened before. At Larnaca an Olympic rep admitted they had had problems during the summer.
One week later - Gatwick
Passengers checking in were told there was a 2 hours delay. They were then given vouchers, which indicated a longer delay, then told four hour delay.
The delay was five hours, a Bulgarian plane was used.
Again no apology on arrival from Olympic.
3 October 2007 - Larnaca
Passengers picked up from their hotels and apartments for return trip to Gatwick, scheduled to depart at noon from Larnaca Airport.
On arrival, at check-in, told there was a seven hour delay.
Olympic made no attempt to inform people in the check-in lines what was going on. Passengers had to individually seek out Olympic reps.
A rumour then spread that people would be taken to a beach side restaurant for lunch. No announcements were made. This is how any information was gleaned, word of mouth. Those who had not yet checked in, pulled beach gear out of their luggage prior to check-in.
At around 12-30, coaches shipped people out to a Ammos, a beach bar/restaurant/night club.
http://www.ammosbeach.com/ A meal was provided and a drinks voucher. Later a second drinks voucher was provided indicating a long stay.
Some passengers phoned UK, checked arrival time and learnt plane would land in UK at around 4-30am the next day!
Challenged on this, the reps blatantly lied and told people not to believe information provided by Gatwick!
This was to be the pattern during the day, the reps repeatedly and blatantly lying.
They told people to claim on their holiday insurance or against EuroCypria. As people had booked with Olympic, the claim was against Olympic.
Passengers were quite relaxed. They made the most of the day on the beach, some went swimming.
Passengers were told they would be picked up at 9pm, dinner at 6pm.
Pick up was then changed to 8pm.
Passengers were picked up around 11pm.
Two drinks vouchers were provided for dinner.
When people asked for extra drinks vouchers, Olympic refused.
Checks were made through the Internet of flight arrivals at Gatwick. Arrival was shown at around 4-30am, then moved forward to 4am.
Around 11pm, people started to leave.
Again no announcement by Olympic, word of mouth by passengers.
On the coach trip back, reps said go straight through to departures, where Louis would provide vouchers for food and drink. This was repeated again at the airport.
Everyone went through. No-one was waiting the other side. A check was made with Louis (the handling agents). They said no arrangements had been made for food and drink.
Flight was shown to depart at 0055, boarding was called maybe 45 mins earlier.
No boarding was taking place. At 0055, still no boarding. Questioned on departure time, the gate staff refused to answer the question.
One lady, under police escort, went back out to ask why we had all been lied to.
The reps threatened her, ordered her to return back through departures, called her a troublemaker, and said if she did not comply, she would be arrested, removed from the airport, and that she and her partner would be taken off the plane.
The plane was an XL charter. It finally took off at 0230.
The crew radioed ahead to asked that passengers be given a letter on arrival. No one was there on arrival.
XL had received a request for a plane at 10am UK time, ie noon Cyprus time when the plane was scheduled for take-off.
keithpp
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