Dreadful flight
 

Arrived back from Nova Scotia last night after the worst flight in history (my history anyway).

Plane initially delayed due to being "too hot" in the cockpit.

After flying for 20-30mins there was a smell of smoke on the plane and the pilot announced that he had to turn back because there was smoke in the cockpit.

On landing brakes overheated (like white hot). Emergency vehicles, fire trucks etc met us on the runway, the plane was not allowed anywhere near the terminal, then we had to leave all belongings and evacuate.

1 hour later it was 'fixed' and we were told to board-some refuesd and had to travel home at their own expense.

We then had to take a different flight path as the original one was busy. It was 7 hours instead of 5hrs 15mins and coming in form the north. The crew had to get off before Gatwick as they had done maximum hours so we had to land in Glasgow.

The pilot told us....and I quote "we will only be at Glasgow for about 45 minutes to change crew. I don't think we will refuel as I THINK that we have PROBABLY got enough to get to Gatwick".

We took off without refuelling.

Re: Dreadful flight
 

What airline was that?????????:ohmy:

Poor you, I think I'd have paid to go home again rather than get on that plane.

Hope you have recovered a bit now.

Sharon

Re: Dreadful flight
 

Airline and flight number?

If you fly often enough you will get this eventually but you DID get where you were going safely.

Re: Dreadful flight
 

Arrived home safely, if a little late.

Airline was Thomas Cook (Canadian Affair)

Re: Dreadful flight
 

thats awful, enough to put you off travelling with that co again, glad you landed safe

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thats who im flying with on sat!! :unsure:

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We had to land at Winnipeg on the way back home from Las Vegas in the summer... a drugged-up Belgian was causing commotion on the 'plane. Because we were so heavy when we landed (enough fuel to get us across the Atlantic, but far too much to land with) we had to sit on the tarmac at Winnipeg for 3 hours while they let the brakes cool down and run checks etc.

Delayed us by about 4-5hours in the end.

Re: Dreadful flight
 

It's OK...they have "fixed" it now.

Anyway, lightening never strikes twice and all that!

Have a good trip.

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holy cow glad to hear you got back safe and sound we have used canadian affair a lot and never had any probs ah well the main thing is your back safe and safe :thumbsup:

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Actually, something or someone struck by lightening once is statistically more likely to be stuck again as they are now more conductive. :)

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There's always one isn't there

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<thwack round head>

Behave

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The Winnipeg press seemed to carry a story like that every other week - Winnipeg must be the place to ditch your flying drunkards! A drunk Irishman caused a BA flight to Phoenix to stop there, and got the Irish social club involved... but there were plenty of other unscheduled landings too.

In fact my Dad's first flight Gatwick-Winnipeg Zoom flight turned back at Iceland to ditch a drunk guy in Glasgow... (not my Dad ;) ).

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OMG, my nerves would have been shot to pieces, glad to hear you got home safe :)

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Famously, Happy Valley Goose Bay & Gander & St John's are places that transatlantic flights stop at in an emergency. Last winter some stroppy bint of a supermodel was thrown of the plane at HVGB. That must have been quite the culture shock as she didn't look like a happy camper when she appeared in court the next day & on the local TV news.

Gander of course 'hosted' 50+ airliners on 9/11. Google 'The day the world came to town.'

Re: Dreadful flight
 

Friend flew with Thomas cook last year. Had delays and then he was called the day before leaving (return leg) to be told the flight was not as full as anticipated nor was the Manchester one so they were going to intergrate the 2 flights as one BUT would be landing at Stanstead instead of Gatwick.
Gatwick being where his car is! Oh no no problem sir we will coach you back to Gatwick. Adding SEVERAL hours to a journey that takes long enough to get to UK from Vancouver Island anyway. Not a happy chap.

Oh, he had also paid extra i believe for a certain seat and when he got to Gatwick they gave him a different one. So he kicked up a fuss and they reimbursed him. When he was on the flight the seat he had originally booked was empty! so he asked to be moved to it, which they did do.

Re: Dreadful flight
 

Don't get me started on them people!!!

Canadian Affair and Thomas Cook/Air Transat need to get their act together, I'll never (if humanly possible/affordable) fly with TC again!!!

Re: Dreadful flight
 

Hi there i saw your post and tht i would share my story with you i was flying to the UK from NZ in the November after Sept 11th with Singapore Airlines who had been reccomended to me by a friend.

We landed at Singapore and then began the leg to heathrow (I dont like flying at all although i have to do it regularly to see family)

Anyhow i was in a window seat and was thinking its very odd how we can see these temples so clearly for so long why are we flying so low and then thought nothing more of it until this voice came on the intercom (in broken english as it was a singpore captain)

Ladies and gentlemen i have some unfortunate news when we left Singapore the air traffic was very heavy and we drew the short straw which decided that we had to fly at a low altitude most of the way. We now DONT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO GET TO HEATHROW and are requesting to Frankfurt that we be allowed to land there.

We were having breakfast at this time and i just couldnt eat another mouthful, I looked at then map on the TV screen and thought well i dont know the distances in KM between Heathrow and Frankfurt but they look exactly the same to me on that screen! The whole plane full of passangers went dead quite and no one was talking it was awful.

Anyhow you know how it is when you think somethings not right and you are looking at the stewardesses to see their reaction to me they all looked worried and very quite at this stage i think we were around a couple of hrs from Frankfurt anyhow we are flying along when all of a sudden the plane seemed to go deadly quiet like the engines had stalled I think what had actually happened was that they had maybe turned 2 engines off to reserve fuel, it would have been quite nice if they had told us this because the plane dropped a huge way down and scared me half to death. Anyhow we landed in Frankfurt eventually to a host of fire engines police cars and security.

Then the first class people were all taken by coach to god knows where and we in cattle class had to sit for nearly 2 hrs on the tarmac in the heat while the plane was refueled.
Needless to say i have flown with them again and although its few yrs back i tht i would just share it with you. it probably happens a lot but i was terrified and i think if things had been explained more it wouldnt have felt so bad........
Cheers
Cally

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Flew with AT/TC once, cost me £89 from Toronto to Gatwick one way, never had any issues other than the very low luggage weight they ask for and the shocking mark up for going over it (I'm going with Zoom next time, they had no issues in me being a bit over the last time seeing as I had my entire life in 2 suitcases on the way out)

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And us a week tomorrow. :blink: I was already stressed about flying, now I'm petrified. :ohmy:

:huh:Charlie:huh:

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i dont mind getting delayed coming home, caus i hate leaving canada, just drink more tim hortons i guess. Going out would be awful.
We were flying to paris last week for disney and got diverted then, wasted half our day in the park was gutted! and yes im 24 without kids!! :))

Its an air transit flight outbound, never had problems with them before. Need to go get packing btw, v excited now :)

Re: Dreadful flight
 

Valium is your friend. We get really well acquainted whenever I fly, you should meet her. Everyone who flies with me encourages the intermittent travelling relationship. Most have seen me fly when Valium and I did not know each other. Enough said. ;)