British Passengers stunned as Pilot loses his temper on a flight to Greece

[hollydolly]

This is why I'm not going to Spain yet..British airports are in huge disarray, still not recovered after Covid, and the laying off, of hundreds of staff...I have no intentions of standing in a queue for hours, .. to embark or disembark...

..and it seems a budget airline Pilot is also at the end of his tether..

Chaos at Gatwick Airport is continuing as furious passengers slam staff shortages at check in desks and border control - hours after a WizzAir pilot lost his temper over 'seven-hour' runway delay.

The lengthy delay came as passengers were today stuck in 'apocalyptic queues' across the UK as British Airways cancelled 114 flights at Heathrow, EasyJet grounded nine planes at Gatwick and holidaymakers had to wait 20 hours to board a TUI flight at Exeter.

Holidaymakers were also met with queues stretching into the car park at Manchester Airport, where passengers are being advised to arrive three hours before their scheduled departures.

But scenes at Gatwick were today described as a 'total shambles' and 'embarrassment' as pictures emerged showing crowded departure halls today.

It comes after one family was forced to sleep on the floor on Monday night when at least 23 flights to and from the airport were cancelled at the last minute.

Britons are already facing fears of a summer of cancelled holidays with Passport Office staff battling a backlog of half a million applications and airports struggling to cope with crippling staff shortages.

Airports laid off thousands of staff as demand for travel and revenue plummeted during the pandemic.

But as Covid restrictions were lifted earlier this year, demand has surged and airports have been left frantically trying to recruit new staff.

Industry chiefs have warned that airlines 'are simply unable to cope with that demand due to a lack of resources' and warned that the 'nightmare' disruption - of the sort seen over Easter, where hundreds of flights were cancelled by airlines including British Airways and easyJet - could last all year.

But th

e frustration has not been limited to passengers.

One holidaymaker caught the moment a frustrated WizzAir pilot ranted over the tannoy, while they were stationary on the runway of Gatwick Airport during a reported seven-hour-delay.

I don't need this!' He told the exhausted holidaymakers, who were stuck in their seats waiting to set off to their destination of Larnaca, Cyprus.

Passenger Hannah Mace filmed the moment in disbelief and uploaded the video to TikTok.

'You know, I don't need this, the crew doesn't need this. We are doing what we can to get you out of here. It's out of my control. Completely out of my control.

'We're doing everything we can. If you want to get off, I'll let you off, no problem.'

On Tuesday morning travellers complained of up to four hour delays, with one Twitter user describing their experience as 'horrible' and 'grim'.

A spokesman for Gatwick Airport tweeted in response: 'Hi, we're really sorry for any delay. We are operating a moving queue system and staff are working hard to process passengers as quickly as possible through Security Search.'

Airport delays have plagued holidaymakers since Covid restrictions were lifted earlier this year.

Read more here... https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...aff-shortages-check-desks-border-control.html

@oldman I;m sure you understand the pilots' frustration... but have you ever done this as a pilot or known anyone to do this..?..

 

[oldman]

Holly: The conditions that are mentioned in the article may be the worse that I ever heard. Even here in the U.S. planes are only permitted to remain on the tarmac for 3 hours before allowing passengers to deplane. Waiting 20 hours to board wouldn’t happen here in the U.S. The flight would have been canceled long before that.

If my memory serves me correct, the longest I waited before taking off with a plane full of passengers was about one hour 15 fifteen minutes and that was due to several thunderstorms moving through the area. If planes are delayed more than 3 hours, passengers may cancel their flight and receive a full refund.

We did have a spell back in the ‘80’s when planes were sitting on the tarmac for hours due to back-ups and crew shortages. That led the FAA to make a “Passengers Bill of Rights.” In fact, if a flight would be cancelled at the last moment, passengers would receive more than they paid for their airfare.

One last thing, airlines absolutely abhor lateness. Pilots are the same. If a pilot has a flight going to New York from Dallas and is delayed due to storms and the plane is 45 minutes late leaving, if the pilot is scheduled to take another flight 30 minutes after arriving in New York, he may lose that flight, which is lost revenue to him. If the flight that he missed is 3 hours and he is being paid $300 per flight hour, he’s out $900. That upsets any pilot.

 

[hollydolly]

I have sat on the tarmac aboard a plane after it's landed for up to 2 hours sometimes due to whatever...we're never told.... ..and many, many times we've stood in a queue to check in- or even worse..for passport control..for several hours. This year it's even worse than ever... so many people are no flying now due to the horrendous airport experience

 

[oldman]

Holly—-I feel bad for the people having flights cancelled and then having problems getting a refund. Doesn’t Britain have any rules for airlines to follow in these situations? I know we have similar, but not identical situations here in the U.S. I was in Tampa recently and they had a job fair posting saying they had 900 openings.

Honestly, I can say that I could still fly if the FAA would allow me to. I am in good health and very capable of doing the job both safely and ably. Besides, there would be a second pilot in the cockpit with me if needed due to a medical event. I would just need maybe 10 hours in a simulator to reacquaint myself with all the avionics. Every airline is hiring pilots and flight attendants. Mechanics are also in demand as is baggage handlers.

I know several retired pilots who would be willing to come back for the short term, like over summer.

 

[oldman]

I have sat on the tarmac aboard a plane after it's landed for up to 2 hours sometimes due to whatever...we're never told.... ..and many, many times we've stood in a queue to check in- or even worse..for passport control..for several hours. This year it's even worse than ever... so many people are no flying now due to the horrendous airport experience

My guess is the airline did not have a gate available. Here’s what makes no sense. If an airline leases 10 gates and all 10 gates are being used and your plane lands and is of the same airline as the other 10 planes at the gates. Even if there are 4 gates open, your plane cannot occupy any one of those 4 open gates because your airline has leased only 10 gates and they are occupied, so you are made to wait. This has happened to me on more than one occasion.

 

[WhatInThe]

After 9/11 flying became a pain, then came airlines getting fussy with bags and reducing and maxing out existing flights. Then the virus. It's too much if someone flies a lot or is on a schedule.

I remember the days showing up at the airport counter about 10-15 minutes before check no problem. Now must be there 2 hours ahead of schedule.

 

[hollydolly]

After 9/11 flying became a pain, then came airlines getting fussy with bags and reducing and maxing out existing flights. Then the virus. It's too much if someone flies a lot or is on a schedule.

I remember the days showing up at the airport counter about 10-15 minutes before check no problem. No must be there 2 hours ahead of schedule.

I agree..2 hours is a pain, but given the huge amount of people who now can afford to fly from the UK..at least... 2 hours is needed to check everyone in....but this craziness of 7 hours to get through passport control or to get baggage, is a step too far

 

[Abbi Dabbi Doo]

My husband and I love to travel and we have been to Israel several times and other international places as well, but not since Covid and only once since 9/11. It has become a chore at the airport even for flights that are within the United States.

You have mentioned having to arrive to the airport to check in at least 2 hours before the flight and sometimes once you arrive the line to get you through that process plus security takes a large chunk of that time up so you better not be running behind or you just might be running to the gate to catch you plane.

Once you get to the gate it is almost always a mad house and there is always those people who don't check the bags that are too damn large for carry ons that slow up the biarding process.

Once you get through the flight and arrive at the other airport then it is off to the baggage claim. Now it is bad enough to do this within the same country, but internationally OH MY LORD it is utter mayhem. The waiting then begins for the bags to come off the plane which sometimes seems to take forever and then sometimes they change what belt they are coming off off so you have to manuever around what seems thousands of people to get where you need to be. Finally you end up with your bags(hopefully) and it is off to rent a car and deal with all of that.

Your first day of what is to be a vacation is pretty much spent within the airport hustling around like a crazy person. Hopefully once you reach your destination you have at least a nice 2 weeks of relaxation.

 

[oldman]

I agree..2 hours is a pain, but given the huge amount of people who now can afford to fly from the UK..at least... 2 hours is needed to check everyone in....but this craziness of 7 hours to get through passport control or to get baggage, is a step too far

If you sign up for “pre check,” it can help to cut down on your time at the airport. I think it costs like $85 for 5 years.
Also, if you get an airline’s credit card, you may get up to two free checked bags.
I usually get to the airport about an hour and a half before departure. By the time I check my bags, get through security and maybe stop at Starbucks, it’s time to board. Airlines usually start the boarding process a half hour before departure time.

 

[hollydolly]

If you sign up for “pre check,” it can help to cut down on your time at the airport. I think it costs like $85 for 5 years.
Also, if you get an airline’s credit card, you may get up to two free checked bags.
I usually get to the airport about an hour and a half before departure. By the time I check my bags, get through security and maybe stop at Starbucks, it’s time to board. Airlines usually start the boarding process a half hour before departure time.

Unfortunately Precheck isn't available at any UK airport...

 

[oldman]

Unfortunately Precheck isn't available at any UK airport...

That’s unfortunate. I knew Frankfurt was put on the Do Not Pre-check list because many terrorists have funneled through that airport according to the Global Terrorism Index.

 

[Liberty]

Son travels a lot and has all the "fast trac options"...always flies first class and doesn't seem to have many issues. Maybe that's a big part of the secret now days. Shell out the bucks for the retina scans and so forth to not get stuck in the "hurry up and wait and wait" line.

 

[Jules]

there is always those people who don't check the bags that are too damn large for carry ons that slow up the biarding process.

This would be solved if the airlines went back to more free check-ins. I don’t know what we’re going to do with the idiots holding up the whole aisle whole trying to smash their big bag into tight spaces.

 

[oldman]

This would be solved if the airlines went back to more free check-ins. I don’t know what we’re going to do with the idiots holding up the whole aisle whole trying to smash their big bag into tight spaces.

The flight attendants are supposed to make the passengers abide by the policy, which at the time was 24" I think. Not too many of them did that because it took longer to check their bag than to cram into an overhead bin.

 

[Jules]

The flight attendants are supposed to make the passengers abide by the policy, which at the time was 24" I think. Not too many of them did that because it took longer to check their bag than to cram into an overhead bin.

Too bad the FAs couldn’t just have put a sticker on it and told the self centred passengers they may or may not get it. It would be going on the next available flight.

 

[Packerjohn]

You can keep your darn airports where ever they are. Me, I am going on a 6 week holiday in a couple of weeks. How, you might ask? A nice rental car. I can go where I want to, stop where I want to and I don't have to wear those god-awful masks that some folks still imagine that they are "cool" wearing them.

Why is it that the young people can't get their "show together" and fix up the problems at those airports? They are in control now. Stop starring at those darn stupid phones and fix the airports plus all the other problems we have and brother and sisters, let me tell you we got plenty! Me thinks that the world is in "heap plenty big problems" as that old Tonto (friend of Lone Ranger) used to often say.

 

[hollydolly]

You can keep your darn airports where ever they are. Me, I am going on a 6 week holiday in a couple of weeks. How, you might ask? A nice rental car. I can go where I want to, stop where I want to and I don't have to wear those god-awful masks that some folks still imagine that they are "cool" wearing them.

Why is it that the young people can't get their "show together" and fix up the problems at those airports? They are in control now. Stop starring at those darn stupid phones and fix the airports plus all the other problems we have and brother and sisters, let me tell you we got plenty! Me thinks that the world is in "heap plenty big problems" as that old Tonto (friend of Lone Ranger) used to often say.

Sometimes I wish we lived in a great big country like your which would make it so much easier for us to take holidays here, rather than having to go abroad..

 

[hollydolly]

We're now at half term, when the airlines are at their busiest with people going away for school break. Our biggest budget airline Easy jet Cancelled 200 flights..

This was the chaos last night and this morning around the country at various airports..

Check in..Manchester Airport..

Britons' half-term getaways have been blighted by chaos at UK airports, with carrier easyJet cancelling more than 200 flights over the next 10 days.

Passengers have blasted the service at Manchester Airport as 'carnage' while a traveller at Gatwick Airport described a five-hour delay before boarding an Easyjet flight - only for it then to be cancelled.

Rob Scott posted online: 'Carnage at Manchester Airport this morning. Terminal two [is] rammed with people, huge queues, big delays setting off due to luggage not being loaded on to planes due to staff shortages.'

Jimtheboy tweeted: 'Utter carnage at terminal one at Manchester Airport today. Baggage conveyors broken, hardly any staff, no organisation... total shambles.'

Elsewhere, entrepreneur Oliver Bruce and his friend Harry Bethell drove from Cheltenham to Gatwick yesterday to board a flight to Monaco for the F1 over the weekend.

He said: 'It’s something we’ve always wanted to do. We got to the airport at 2pm yesterday but the flight kept getting pushed back from its initial call time.'

Eventually, the gates opened and by 8.25pm, passengers had boarded the plane -only to then to be ordered to disembark.

Mr Bruce said: 'We were all told to leave due to "cabin crew working over their allotted time".

'I asked the man on front desk, "is it likely to fly or do I need to find alternative options: and he said “I have spoke to the captain and he’s 99.9% sure we will fly."'

Shortly afterwards, passengers were sent an email informing them the flight had indeed been cancelled.

Mr Bruce and Mr Bethell waited at the airport until 11pm before they were eventually escorted back through passport control and drove back to Cheltenham.

He added: 'It was a total disaster. Nobody was informed what to do, with the next flight being Monday… There was no apology, no explanation of where to go or how to get out of the airport.

Airline passengers were also stuck in lengthy queues at airports such as Gatwick, Manchester, Stansted and Bristol.

There is also high demand for sailings from families embarking on trips to the continent for half-term.

The port advised passengers to 'pack adequate supplies including food and water' as it is expecting 'a very busy week ahead'.

After their Manchester flight was cancelled, they had to go on a five-hour coach journey to Gatwick to catch another flight to Tenerife. When that was also cancelled, they were told to go to another gate and look at new flights on the easyJet app. Above, exhausted family members on the floor at Gatwick

With no accommodation to stay in and no food, Ms Caine and her family - including her 12-year-old autistic son - resorted to sleeping wherever they could find space

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...sive-queues-broken-conveyer-belts-delays.html

 

[oldman]

You can keep your darn airports where ever they are. Me, I am going on a 6 week holiday in a couple of weeks. How, you might ask? A nice rental car. I can go where I want to, stop where I want to and I don't have to wear those god-awful masks that some folks still imagine that they are "cool" wearing them.

Why is it that the young people can't get their "show together" and fix up the problems at those airports? They are in control now. Stop starring at those darn stupid phones and fix the airports plus all the other problems we have and brother and sisters, let me tell you we got plenty! Me thinks that the world is in "heap plenty big problems" as that old Tonto (friend of Lone Ranger) used to often say.

How much does it cost to rent a car in Canada? Here in the U.S. the average is around $500 a week for a small car.

To me, 6 weeks of driving is not much of a vacation.

 

[oldman]

We're now at half term, when the airlines are at their busiest with people going away for school break. Our biggest budget airline Easy jet Cancelled 200 flights..

This was the chaos last night and this morning around the country at various airports..

Check in..Manchester Airport..

Britons' half-term getaways have been blighted by chaos at UK airports, with carrier easyJet cancelling more than 200 flights over the next 10 days.

Passengers have blasted the service at Manchester Airport as 'carnage' while a traveller at Gatwick Airport described a five-hour delay before boarding an Easyjet flight - only for it then to be cancelled.

Rob Scott posted online: 'Carnage at Manchester Airport this morning. Terminal two [is] rammed with people, huge queues, big delays setting off due to luggage not being loaded on to planes due to staff shortages.'

Jimtheboy tweeted: 'Utter carnage at terminal one at Manchester Airport today. Baggage conveyors broken, hardly any staff, no organisation... total shambles.'

Elsewhere, entrepreneur Oliver Bruce and his friend Harry Bethell drove from Cheltenham to Gatwick yesterday to board a flight to Monaco for the F1 over the weekend.

He said: 'It’s something we’ve always wanted to do. We got to the airport at 2pm yesterday but the flight kept getting pushed back from its initial call time.'

Eventually, the gates opened and by 8.25pm, passengers had boarded the plane -only to then to be ordered to disembark.

Mr Bruce said: 'We were all told to leave due to "cabin crew working over their allotted time".

'I asked the man on front desk, "is it likely to fly or do I need to find alternative options: and he said “I have spoke to the captain and he’s 99.9% sure we will fly."'

Shortly afterwards, passengers were sent an email informing them the flight had indeed been cancelled.

Mr Bruce and Mr Bethell waited at the airport until 11pm before they were eventually escorted back through passport control and drove back to Cheltenham.

He added: 'It was a total disaster. Nobody was informed what to do, with the next flight being Monday… There was no apology, no explanation of where to go or how to get out of the airport.

Airline passengers were also stuck in lengthy queues at airports such as Gatwick, Manchester, Stansted and Bristol.

There is also high demand for sailings from families embarking on trips to the continent for half-term.

The port advised passengers to 'pack adequate supplies including food and water' as it is expecting 'a very busy week ahead'.

After their Manchester flight was cancelled, they had to go on a five-hour coach journey to Gatwick to catch another flight to Tenerife. When that was also cancelled, they were told to go to another gate and look at new flights on the easyJet app. Above, exhausted family members on the floor at Gatwick

With no accommodation to stay in and no food, Ms Caine and her family - including her 12-year-old autistic son - resorted to sleeping wherever they could find space

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...sive-queues-broken-conveyer-belts-delays.html

Some airports here in the U.S. may get as bad as your pictures around the holidays, but usually things flow pretty normal. Airlines are no longer allowed to over-book, which a few will still try to cheat the system, but most airlines are abiding by the rules.

Air travel is expected to worsen due to shortages of pilots. Flight attendants and baggage handlers are also in short supply. It seems people have little interest in these types of jobs. I know that a company in Texas is developing a system that will automatically load and unload baggage using automation and robots. Flight attendants are needed at almost all airlines. The FAA requires one flight attendant for every 51 passengers, unless that number has changed since my departure from the business.

I would really like to fly again, but that isn’t going to happen.

 

[oldman]

Masks are now optional in airports and on planes.

 

[Remy]

"shambolic" Love that.

 

[Packerjohn]

How much does it cost to rent a car in Canada? Here in the U.S. the average is around $500 a week for a small car.

To me, 6 weeks of driving is not much of a vacation.

I'm renting for 42 days @ the rate of $2,107 CND, which I converted today to be $1,656 US. That divided by 42 comes out to $39.43/day or $276 US/week. This is for a mid size car whatever that means? Anyway, I am renting here in Winnipeg. I priced the rentals in Fairbanks and Anchorage, Alaska and then Whitehorse in the Yukon and Edmonton, Alberta. Some places wanted the "shirt off my back" while places like Whitehorse had no cars to rent.

I'm happy to be driving because I love the freedom. You wouldn't catch me with a tour group following some tour guide speaking over one of them loudspeakers.

I'll leave the flying until someone does something the the long lines and the missed flights at some of our airports. Apparently, Toronto International right now is in a big mess. Lots of angry passengers.

 

[Packerjohn]

This is why I'm not going to Spain yet..British airports are in huge disarray, still not recovered after Covid, and the laying off, of hundreds of staff...I have no intentions of standing in a queue for hours, .. to embark or disembark...

..and it seems a budget airline Pilot is also at the end of his tether..

Chaos at Gatwick Airport is continuing as furious passengers slam staff shortages at check in desks and border control - hours after a WizzAir pilot lost his temper over 'seven-hour' runway delay.

The lengthy delay came as passengers were today stuck in 'apocalyptic queues' across the UK as British Airways cancelled 114 flights at Heathrow, EasyJet grounded nine planes at Gatwick and holidaymakers had to wait 20 hours to board a TUI flight at Exeter.

Holidaymakers were also met with queues stretching into the car park at Manchester Airport, where passengers are being advised to arrive three hours before their scheduled departures.

But scenes at Gatwick were today described as a 'total shambles' and 'embarrassment' as pictures emerged showing crowded departure halls today.

It comes after one family was forced to sleep on the floor on Monday night when at least 23 flights to and from the airport were cancelled at the last minute.

Britons are already facing fears of a summer of cancelled holidays with Passport Office staff battling a backlog of half a million applications and airports struggling to cope with crippling staff shortages.

Airports laid off thousands of staff as demand for travel and revenue plummeted during the pandemic.

But as Covid restrictions were lifted earlier this year, demand has surged and airports have been left frantically trying to recruit new staff.

Industry chiefs have warned that airlines 'are simply unable to cope with that demand due to a lack of resources' and warned that the 'nightmare' disruption - of the sort seen over Easter, where hundreds of flights were cancelled by airlines including British Airways and easyJet - could last all year.

But th

e frustration has not been limited to passengers.

One holidaymaker caught the moment a frustrated WizzAir pilot ranted over the tannoy, while they were stationary on the runway of Gatwick Airport during a reported seven-hour-delay.

I don't need this!' He told the exhausted holidaymakers, who were stuck in their seats waiting to set off to their destination of Larnaca, Cyprus.

Passenger Hannah Mace filmed the moment in disbelief and uploaded the video to TikTok.

'You know, I don't need this, the crew doesn't need this. We are doing what we can to get you out of here. It's out of my control. Completely out of my control.

'We're doing everything we can. If you want to get off, I'll let you off, no problem.'

On Tuesday morning travellers complained of up to four hour delays, with one Twitter user describing their experience as 'horrible' and 'grim'.

A spokesman for Gatwick Airport tweeted in response: 'Hi, we're really sorry for any delay. We are operating a moving queue system and staff are working hard to process passengers as quickly as possible through Security Search.'

Airport delays have plagued holidaymakers since Covid restrictions were lifted earlier this year.

Read more here... https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...aff-shortages-check-desks-border-control.html

@oldman I;m sure you understand the pilots' frustration... but have you ever done this as a pilot or known anyone to do this..?..

All I can say is that I'm glad I'm not there. It's looks to me like them folks sure like standing around shoulder to shoulder and it's not even Christmas.

 

[hollydolly]

All I can say is that I'm glad I'm not there. It's looks to me like them folks sure like standing around shoulder to shoulder and it's not even Christmas.

I don't know how you came to the conclusion that people liked standing in a cattle pen squashed together in an airport, some with disabled children, some missing important events.. standing without food or drink many of them at 3am ..... but hey... whatever floats your boat