expert7700

As much as I dislike cost cutting (rouge), I think almost any airline would be at a disadvantage when diversion back to origin followed by cancellation occurs.

what is the optimal # of staff when you normally need 5 employees? 5 more in case they end up going over hours? But what would 2 more to continuously block and reserve hotels just in case. And 5 more for if back to back flights or a rescue flight on an off-sceduled day of flying occurs.

My opinion is that passenger care/ground accomodation can be handled better by just one consolidated team (co-op), shared by all airlines. Airports could require each operator to contribute a share of normal expenses based on passengers carried each month, and also would be billed 100% of costs incurred for hotels/meals/etc when this "go team" covers for an event that the airline causes.

Sounds like Rouge managed to handle is still better than AC's mainline Tokyo cancellaton a year ago....rubber mats for the terminal, restaurants closed, gave just a hard dinner roll to each passenger.

canadiancow

What exactly is the airline required to do?

LGW has one flight a day (I think?), so after it takes off, I assume all staff are "gone".

For a mechanical issue, meals and hotels and such have to paid for, but is the airline required to handle everything (with prepaid food and hotel vouchers), or is it acceptable to just reimburse passengers after the fact?

Jagboi

Since this is a flight departing the EU, the 261 regulations apply. The airline is required to provide "duty of care" and accommodations if there is a forced overnight.

The right to care entails:
a) Food and drink: Meals and refreshments “in a reasonable proportion to the waiting time”;
b) Communications: 2 telephone calls, telex or fax messages, or e-mails. In practice, airlines often give passengers a telephone card;
c) Accommodation: hotel accommodation where the passenger is rerouted (or the flight delayed) the next day or later as well as transport to/from the hotel.

canadiancow

But do they have to provide it, or just reimburse it?

Symmetre

Irrelevant. In either case, the airline should have sufficient staff on hand to deal with the passengers. You don't just abandon your customers. Well, at least decent airlines don't.

Stranger

My guess would be that (1) they have to provide it, but that (2) in case they did not, they should still pay for it, no?

Stranger

Decent airlines might not. But then, any decent one left?

Jagboi

They are supposed to provide it. The idea is that if the airline delays/forces an overnight on passengers they should not be out of pocket. Passengers might be stuck at a connecting airport and not have any local currency/not have enough etc.

As the reason for the delay was caused by the airline, the airline has a duty to care for those people it has delayed. Reimbursing after the fact isn't looking after the people in the airlines care.

Jagboi

Correct. It's a legal obligation, not airlines "goodwill"; assuming the delay thresholds have been met.

Wpgjetse

Please name 1 company that has sufficient staffing when problems arise? You will be very hard pressed to find even 1.

Symmetre

Since I seldom fly with Air Canada any more, thinking of companies that provide good customer service isn't hard at all. A couple of weeks ago when thunderstorms cancelled a bunch of flights and killed my ride home, Delta were quite proactive in giving me the choice of an alternate routing home, or a hotel for the night while they sorted it out.

Last year I was delayed on a trip home from AMS when the plane went mechanical. KLM had a bunch of agents waiting at the gate to help pax as we disembarked.

Oh hell, I've even received help from United when they couldn't complete a flight. I have zero status with them - or any Star Alliance carrier.

Customer service is far from extinct. Some companies offer it, others choose to abandon their customers. It's your choice who you give your business to.

Bohemian1

Totally agree.

And there's something about your 'plane went mechanical' phrase that I really like and will steal for future use.

tcook052

http://www.flyertalk.com/articles/ga...e-blowout.html

Symmetre

Saw that. But the links at the end of the article to other stories are classics in themselves. Do I see a pattern here?

songsc

That AC is at the bottom of the barrel article should be paired with AC ranked the best airlines in NA by Skytrax.