This is a Trip Report from the Premium Economy cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
Arrived MCO 17:15 07/10/2010 - went to bag drop approximately 17:45 to collect tickets - told was a 2 hour delay (21:30 departure) - ticket shows boarding starts at 20:55.
20:30 told delay of approximate 30 minutes more. 21:10 told there would be a further delay of approximate 1 hour - given food voucher for $15 each (after having to queue for 20 minutes to get it with almost 200 other people).
Everywhere now closed except "burger king". Burger king have run out of burgers (!) so only chicken burgers available. Had one each. Voucher didn't include sales tax - once two drinks added required cash topup (approx $5).
No information given over tannoy until approximate 23:30 when a random male voice (English not American) came on and tried giving the sob story - we all want to get home, we're all tired etc - said engineers were still working on plane and we'd have a decision by 01:45 as to whether we'd fly or not tonight and if not we'd be given hotel accommodation. After
asking other passengers turns out the "random" male was the actual captain of the plane - he never introduced himself on the tannoy.
00:00 approx I questioned what the specific fault with the aircraft is - problem with the ailerons. Asked why they were still working on it and hadn't allocated another plane or alternative solution when they knew about the fault at 13:00 (11 hours previously). Told was a known issue but it's taken longer to repair than expected.
Spoke to Orlando virgin supervisor - (have name available)
Virgin told (another flyer - also have name and contact details) and his wife (we met in departures) @ 13:30 at their check-in there would be a delay until 21:30 departure (2 hours).
Now 00:30 and still waiting in departures. 5 hour delay already.
Now 01:30 and still in departures. No phone credit available when asked at 01:15.
01:50 told plane was "on a 24 hour delay" (note: NOT cancelled!) and we'd be leaving 19:30 08/10/2010.
Sent back to ticket desk (downstairs) @ 02:00 - one staff member there on arrival, said to everyone they were short staffed as they'd sent people home then she left too. Now 02:15 and still no one on ticket desk. 200+ people waiting at ticket desk.
02:30 get to ticket desk - given hotel voucher and breakfast voucher ($12). No lunch voucher. advised would be on VS28 17:55 - advised check-in opened 13:00. Told same seats as allocated would be given (specifically asked about PE seats).
How can be "24 hour delay" when flight has been merged with another flight with people already on it (VS28 and VS16 never leaves? Need to remind virgin our flight was cancelled, not delayed...
02:45 collect baggage. Scene of mass carnage - all bags dumped on internal (domestic) carasell (350+ bags) some split open from damage, all 3-4 bags deep because so many bags dumped on unsuitable carasell.
03:00 arrive hyatt hotel in terminal. Queue already 50+ people deep to get a room. 50+ people behind us also.
03:40 get to room (1056). No food/drink included at this point. Water is $4 should we want a drink. Although coffee provided, no other cold drinks and the TV was all pay per view channels with no terrestrial free viewing available.
Arrived breakfast (hyatt) 10:00. Told $12 voucher given to us for breakfast doesn't actually cover breakfast, and we'll need to top it up to actually have food (fruit & berries for example $9.50, coffee $3.50 - $15.95 for actual cooked food). Voucher doesn't include sales tax!
Compulsory room checkout 12:00. Went to ticket desk @ 12:05. No virgin staff at all. Approximate 150 people already waiting.
Spoke to virgin rep (have name) @ 12:30 - advised VS16 from last night not been cancelled but it's leaving at 20:30 tonight. VS16 from TODAY (note: not our flight) leaving at 19:30. VS28 (a flight already scheduled to leave 17:55) is only partially full so virgin are trying to put passengers on the earlier flight. However, there are not enough seats in UC or PE for all the passengers so we don't know what flight
we will be on yet.
Virgin told me the problem with the aircraft was supposedly fixed in LGW before the plane left to come to MCO but developed the same fault in flight yesterday. The mechanics on site here in MCO said it would be a two hour fix hence the two hour delay virgin told us originally.
Also said would get lunch vouchers ($13) for lunch and miles vouchers in addition to the ones last night.
13:00 Virgin came back to us and confirmed we would be on the vs28 flight, upper deck and probably the same seats (he even gave the seat numbers so clearly did go look). Said all UC seats for all flights were taken so upgrade / later flight not an option.
13:10 started serving UC passengers @ ticket desk.
Were served 13:45 and told we were on the 17:55 seats 71a & 71c upper deck. Given meal vouchers $12 each plus two phone card credits.
At security approx 16:00 and at gate (86) for 16:40. Boarding scheduled 16:55
Pushed Back from stand 18:17
Hugely turbulent flight <2 hours sleep possible.
Landed 06:56. Delay of 5 mins after landing due to "congestion in the alleys and waiting for a stand to be vacated"
Cabin crew announcement , usual thanks for flying with us, check website etc. Apologised to those flyers "unfortunate enough to be travelling today because of the cancelled flight yesterday".
