P&O Caribbean flight Delays this winter...is this normal?

[kevinyork]

We flew out from Manchester to meet Ventura on the 17th Dec and had a 2 hour delay on Thompson Airways (not due to snow). On the way back on 31st Dec we had a 6 hour delay. Most other flights back on that day were delayed as were the poor inbound passengers who missed their New Years Eve Gala dinner as a result.

 

Now there were snow issues with a couple of flights, however reading Ventura and Azura reviews for the Caribbean this winter many mention flight delays. Our friends were on the previous 2 week Ventura cruise and had 2 hour delays outbound/2 ours on the return.

 

Is this a case of Thompsons/Thomas Cook not giving priority to P&O flights since ultimately they are not their customers and would not be responsible for any compensation claims or complaints...P&O would?

 

Our delay outbound was said to be due to our airline food being loaded on the wrong aircraft requiring us all to change to another gate to board the plane that had our food on it and as a result we missed our refueling slot. On the return we were told our plane was in for servicing the day before and needed an urgent repair.

 

Do these repeated delays seem normal? Have others experienced the same problem this winter or previously?

[LEESRE]

Yes we had a 3 hour delay on Azura coming home in January.

[annieuk]

On our last two fly cruises - one last January and one the January before both charter flights were on time. Both were on a Thomson, First Choice plane, which we thought were the best charter flights we have experienced. In March we will be flying to the Caribbean with Thomas Cook so fingers crossed!

[cruiseluvva]

When we used to use the P&O charter flights, we also had lengthy delays, one or two of them very lengthy indeed.

[CASPALL]

We also flew from Manchester on 17th Dec.

Thomas Cook left us waiting 5 hrs while they were replacing an engine.

They said they hd been doing the job through the night and didnt expect it to take so long.

We were lucky to get on Ventura at 7.30 that night.

The Gatwick flight was really late the next day(18th Dec) and so the ship only sailed from Barbados at 4am

On the 31st passengers arrived from UK after 8pm. I think that was Thomas Cook again.

We had no delay leaving Barbados on 15th January. They actually got us back to Manchester early -2.50am! Just too early really!

Caryl

[capasamari]

Airlines won't delay you for the sake of it, but equally they can't fly if the plane/air traffic control/crew/provisions/fuel isn't 100% ready. It's not like catching a bus down town! If you expect a delay you won't be disappointed, and if you are on time it's a bonus.

 

I would say we've been delayed more often than not, including one flight to join Arcadia in Barbados when we were diverted because of an American satellite in our air space and ended up landing on Antigua instead. We had to stay the night there in a hotel and finally got to Arcadia the next evening, 26 hours late. Equally the people due to fly home on our incoming plane had been taken from the airport back to the ship for another night on board so were a day late getting home.

 

Carol x

[u2cruiser]

Airlines won't delay you for the sake of it, but equally they can't fly if the plane/air traffic control/crew/provisions/fuel isn't 100% ready. It's not like catching a bus down town! If you expect a delay you won't be disappointed, and if you are on time it's a bonus.

 

I would say we've been delayed more often than not, including one flight to join Arcadia in Barbados when we were diverted because of an American satellite in our air space and ended up landing on Antigua instead. We had to stay the night there in a hotel and finally got to Arcadia the next evening, 26 hours late. Equally the people due to fly home on our incoming plane had been taken from the airport back to the ship for another night on board so were a day late getting home.

 

Carol x

 

Bet P&O hated that, having to let the old passengers back into the freshly done cabins :eek:

[capasamari]

Not only that, but they were given a free run of the ship's bars and spa! We were joined for dinner one night later on in the cruise by the Captain (now Commodore) and when I said I was sorry for those passengers having to return to the ship because they coudn't go home he said don't be, they'd had a whale of a time.

 

The ship had had to leave the berth in Barbados and sail round in a figure of eight all day until they could come back in to pick us up. He was not a happy Captain at all!!

 

Carol x

[kevinyork]

Airlines won't delay you for the sake of it, but equally they can't fly if the plane/air traffic control/crew/provisions/fuel isn't 100% ready. It's not like catching a bus down town! If you expect a delay you won't be disappointed, and if you are on time it's a bonus.

 

Carol x

 

No I appreciate they will not delay without good reason. It just struck me that Thompson and Thomas Cook offer their own holidays using the same planes configurations. Given a choice between them delaying their own package holiday customers (who they would have to apologise to, feed or maybe provide hotel accomodation and compensation to) or delaying P&O passengers (for whom P&O would have to deal with any delay issues as they would be the tour operator for our cruises) then I feel the airlines may opt for the latter and look after their own.

 

I used to work at an airport and know delays happen but the number of people citing delays to and from their P&O Caribbean cruises seemed disproportionate.

[jeanlyon]

I was a flight stewardess and I can say straight away, it wouldn't matter who chartered the aircraft - it's either serviceable or it's not, catered or it's not. They wouldn't simply choose to delay a P&O flight in favour of another. That's just not how it works.