Unexpected destinations - diversions on BA flights.
May 16, 2020, 3:37 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: UK
Programs: Lemonia. Best Greek ever.
Posts: 2,274
Unexpected destinations - diversions on BA flights.
I have not seen a thread on this, so please excuse me if this should go somewhere else.
The point of this thread is to discuss BA flights that took you to somewhere other than the scheduled destination.
I had 3 in, I think, 1990. BA first took delivery of the 747-400 in 1989, but was not the first European airline to get them.KLM and Lufthansa got theirs first. NorthWest had been the launch customer in the USA in 1989. SQ were the first to use them on real international long haul - Sin to LHR.
BA's early use of them was, er, mixed. All sorts of annoying technical gremlins gave BA problems. BA were keen to use them UK-Sin-Australia. The problem with this was that if the first flight had an issue, all 4 flights then had issues.
On one of my diversions, BA had been having issues with the plane earlier in the sequence of flights. We took off late from Sin. We landed in Athens.............the crew had run out of flying time. As I was bag-carrying (in J) for 3 Board members of a big UK multi-national, (they were in F), I set off to find the Athens Station manager for BA. I explained the situation, and he gave me a wad of Drachma and said it would be fine to take them land-side to a hotel/bar or wherever. Cutting a long story short, only one came and we went to Piraeus and had breakfast of Greek Coffee and good Metaxa overlooking the sea. Rather too much Metaxa, but we did get to the airport before the plane took off.
My next diversion was to Amsterdam. Again, the plane was late to take off, and the crew ran out of time. I had said to the BA passenger services supervisor (the delightful Ishahak) at Sin who told me about the late departure, that I hoped I would get to Heathrow. We laughed........
My next one was again from Sin. This time, the BA plane wasn't going anywhere. I explained my earlier misfortunes to the BA station manager, (Ishahak, for some reason, wasn't around) and he switched me to SQ. SQ to LHR was full, so I took SQ to Man.
The lady at check in at Man for the Man- LHR flight must have heard them all................she took my appearance and request for travel, without a relevant ticket, all in her stride.
Despite BA's attempts to put me off travel with them, I often went with them over the next 12 years. Although, as back-op, I did qualify for SQ's version of Gold aswell.
The point of this thread is to discuss BA flights that took you to somewhere other than the scheduled destination.
I had 3 in, I think, 1990. BA first took delivery of the 747-400 in 1989, but was not the first European airline to get them.KLM and Lufthansa got theirs first. NorthWest had been the launch customer in the USA in 1989. SQ were the first to use them on real international long haul - Sin to LHR.
BA's early use of them was, er, mixed. All sorts of annoying technical gremlins gave BA problems. BA were keen to use them UK-Sin-Australia. The problem with this was that if the first flight had an issue, all 4 flights then had issues.
On one of my diversions, BA had been having issues with the plane earlier in the sequence of flights. We took off late from Sin. We landed in Athens.............the crew had run out of flying time. As I was bag-carrying (in J) for 3 Board members of a big UK multi-national, (they were in F), I set off to find the Athens Station manager for BA. I explained the situation, and he gave me a wad of Drachma and said it would be fine to take them land-side to a hotel/bar or wherever. Cutting a long story short, only one came and we went to Piraeus and had breakfast of Greek Coffee and good Metaxa overlooking the sea. Rather too much Metaxa, but we did get to the airport before the plane took off.
My next diversion was to Amsterdam. Again, the plane was late to take off, and the crew ran out of time. I had said to the BA passenger services supervisor (the delightful Ishahak) at Sin who told me about the late departure, that I hoped I would get to Heathrow. We laughed........
My next one was again from Sin. This time, the BA plane wasn't going anywhere. I explained my earlier misfortunes to the BA station manager, (Ishahak, for some reason, wasn't around) and he switched me to SQ. SQ to LHR was full, so I took SQ to Man.
The lady at check in at Man for the Man- LHR flight must have heard them all................she took my appearance and request for travel, without a relevant ticket, all in her stride.
Despite BA's attempts to put me off travel with them, I often went with them over the next 12 years. Although, as back-op, I did qualify for SQ's version of Gold aswell.
May 16, 2020, 3:51 pm
#2
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: BA Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 326
A couple of years back, my flight from GLA to LGW ended up in Southampton due to storms at LGW, I would never have flown to Southampton if it wasn’t for that. Some people got off (perhaps it was closer to their final destination) I stayed on and flew up to LGW to get where I had intended to be.
May 16, 2020, 3:52 pm
#3
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I wasn't onboard that specific flight but I remember a 787 from Chennai to Heathrow diverting to IST.
And, the fun fact that the 787 needed maintenance so BA sent an A321neo to Istanbul to rescue those passengers.
This happened in 2019.
And, the fun fact that the 787 needed maintenance so BA sent an A321neo to Istanbul to rescue those passengers.
This happened in 2019.
May 16, 2020, 3:53 pm
#4
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: London
Programs: Gold at BA, Hilton and Radisson.
Posts: 593
Went to Malaga last year and I was not planning to do so...
The coach journey was good fun
Another BAFT mini-do. Gibraltar, Saturday 23 March 2019
The coach journey was good fun
Another BAFT mini-do. Gibraltar, Saturday 23 March 2019
May 16, 2020, 4:15 pm
#5
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Global Again
Programs: OWS IHG Diamond + Accor Plat, Scandic Top Level
Posts: 762
Was flying BA39 circa 2012...ish LHR-PEK..
Woke up in Siberia Irkutsk...
Its in the history of this forum ...somewhere,(I made a post at the time) one of the mods suggested that I do a trip report, unfortunately the hospitality of the Russians got the better of me....
Much respect to the Russians for that experience...I took me PE blanket from the plane when disembarking, thinking no visa no entry...stay here in some shed....
But we were put in a great hotel for two days, just not allowed outside the gates...
I think I left me EU comp in the bloody pool hall bar at the hotel..
Note to ones self, Siberia in Summer is great..Thank ??...it was not winter..
Woke up in Siberia Irkutsk...
Its in the history of this forum ...somewhere,(I made a post at the time) one of the mods suggested that I do a trip report, unfortunately the hospitality of the Russians got the better of me....
Much respect to the Russians for that experience...I took me PE blanket from the plane when disembarking, thinking no visa no entry...stay here in some shed....
But we were put in a great hotel for two days, just not allowed outside the gates...
I think I left me EU comp in the bloody pool hall bar at the hotel..
Note to ones self, Siberia in Summer is great..Thank ??...it was not winter..
May 16, 2020, 4:53 pm
#9
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: York, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold, Honors Diamond
Posts: 1,184
Went to Malaga last year and I was not planning to do so...
The coach journey was good fun
Another BAFT mini-do. Gibraltar, Saturday 23 March 2019
The coach journey was good fun
Another BAFT mini-do. Gibraltar, Saturday 23 March 2019
.
May 16, 2020, 5:07 pm
#10
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Derbyshire, UK
Programs: BA Gold, AVIS Presidents Club
Posts: 165
2010 and we were one of the first flights in the air after the Volcano closed everything down. Abu Dhabi to LHR but UK airspace was still just on the verge of opening and we were too far ahead of the curve so got as far as Frankfurt and had to turn around and land at Athens. Spent a night in hotel in the city before eventually continuing on to LHR.
May 16, 2020, 6:29 pm
#12
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 3,596
In the days (1998 I think) when Larnaca was the only Cyprus destination, my 767 ended up diverting to Paphos due to fog further up the coast. We landed at around 3am and parked up, steps pulled into position and we waited until after dawn before taking off again for the short hop over to Larnaca. I remember we were allowed off if we wanted to stretch our legs at the bottom of the steps. A couple of PA's to remind passengers that smoking wasn't permitted and a few disgruntled passengers who wanted to get off as they were staying in that area but weren't allowed to.
May 16, 2020, 10:24 pm
#13
Moderator, Emirates
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Where My Heart Is
Programs: BAEC Silver, FB Platinum, KQ Asante Gold, Shebamiles Blue, Emirates Blue
Posts: 3,386
I think it was 1999 or 2000, coming back from either Delhi or Islamabad (whichever one used to go via MAN on the outward and return) on a 744. Somewhere over Russia, a call went out over the PA asking for a doctor. Unfortunately someone had a stroke during the flight so the crew descended to a lower altitude for quite some time. As their condition was worsening, the crew decided to divert to HEL.
We spent around 1.5 hours on the ground there before flying to MAN. Due to very high winds, we had to circle for a bit before we could land. By the time we were on stand, the crew were out of hours and we had to wait for a replacement crew. My colleague who I was with knew the replacement Captain and got to fly the MAN-LHR leg on the flightdeck.........was ever so slightly jealous!
Around 2002/2003 flying back from LOS with VS. Once boarded and ready to go (upper deck in J in a 747-200) the Captain did the usual introduction then gave us the bad news that due to a fuel shortage in Lagos, we would have to fly to ACC to get more fuel before heading back to LHR. So off we went to ACC with a couple of people around grumbling under their breath. In ACC, the crew had to do a bit of bartering, some of which included handing over some crew meals for some of the ground crew!
Once re-fueling had completed, doors closed and ready to go, the Captain came over the PA again and told us that we had more fuel than when we left LOS but it might not be enough to get us back to LHR so we were going to fly slower than normal but we may have to divert to MAD if fuel levels required. We managed to overfly MAD and as we got closer to the English coast, the Captain announced that we would not have enough fuel to go into a holding pattern to land at LHR so we would have to land at LGW to take on more fuel before flying to LHR..........And that’s how I ever made my shortest flight ever & 3 safety demonstrations for 1 flight!
We spent around 1.5 hours on the ground there before flying to MAN. Due to very high winds, we had to circle for a bit before we could land. By the time we were on stand, the crew were out of hours and we had to wait for a replacement crew. My colleague who I was with knew the replacement Captain and got to fly the MAN-LHR leg on the flightdeck.........was ever so slightly jealous!
Around 2002/2003 flying back from LOS with VS. Once boarded and ready to go (upper deck in J in a 747-200) the Captain did the usual introduction then gave us the bad news that due to a fuel shortage in Lagos, we would have to fly to ACC to get more fuel before heading back to LHR. So off we went to ACC with a couple of people around grumbling under their breath. In ACC, the crew had to do a bit of bartering, some of which included handing over some crew meals for some of the ground crew!
Once re-fueling had completed, doors closed and ready to go, the Captain came over the PA again and told us that we had more fuel than when we left LOS but it might not be enough to get us back to LHR so we were going to fly slower than normal but we may have to divert to MAD if fuel levels required. We managed to overfly MAD and as we got closer to the English coast, the Captain announced that we would not have enough fuel to go into a holding pattern to land at LHR so we would have to land at LGW to take on more fuel before flying to LHR..........And that’s how I ever made my shortest flight ever & 3 safety demonstrations for 1 flight!
May 16, 2020, 11:39 pm
#14
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Kazakhstan
Programs: BA Gold, AirAstana Silver (much use as chocolate teapot)
Posts: 867
This was always an interesting one.. BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | BA flight diverted in fire alert
May 17, 2020, 12:54 am
#15
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: US/UK - and elsewhere
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 2,563
The only one I have had (out of hundreds of flights) was BA1851 FCO to BHX (Rome to Birmingham) which was diverted to EMA (East Midlands) on 21 April 2004. (In those days the business class flights from BHX-FCO were a mere 120 UKP return - which was quite a bargain - and of course didn't last.)
Anyway, the approach to BHX was through a series of heavy showers, and 3 miles out the engines revved up and we went around: the plane landing in front of use had skidded off the taxiway at the end of the runway. After several minutes looping around over the Midlands we were diverted to EMA - and parked up. Surprisingly most of the passengers took the offer of a coach transfer back to BHX - although I remained on board figuring out that that option would take longer (and at least I would have my hold luggage). Meanwhile the captain made me a cup a tea and we chatted for a while. After about 3 hours or so we were sent on our way - all 30 miles of it to BHX - my shortest BA flight.
Anyway, the approach to BHX was through a series of heavy showers, and 3 miles out the engines revved up and we went around: the plane landing in front of use had skidded off the taxiway at the end of the runway. After several minutes looping around over the Midlands we were diverted to EMA - and parked up. Surprisingly most of the passengers took the offer of a coach transfer back to BHX - although I remained on board figuring out that that option would take longer (and at least I would have my hold luggage). Meanwhile the captain made me a cup a tea and we chatted for a while. After about 3 hours or so we were sent on our way - all 30 miles of it to BHX - my shortest BA flight.