Sewage flows down aisles of trans-Atlantic flight
Jun 21, 2007, 7:01 am
#76
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 4,511
I hope CO cleaned this plane from top to bottom before it was placed back in service. Did someone get the aircraft number (just in case)?
Jun 21, 2007, 7:21 am
#77
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Houston, TX
Programs: CO non-elite, Marriott Silver, SPG Gold
Posts: 1,621
With all due respect, was this a public, customer-facing apology, or an internal note to co-workers?
Nowhere does CO accept responsibility for anything. They deeply regret... Someone else overlooked their instructions... Excuse me if I am not overly enthusiastic about the response.
And, I know this will bring out all those who feel that I bash CO too much, but CO's response is exactly the sort of response that really grinds my gears. I mean, everyone congratulates CO for being better than UA or AA or DL (including in this thread!), but that bar is set ridiculously low. CO had the opportunity to deal with this issue head-on, apologize, and accept responsibility. They chose to blame rubber gloves. Nice to see that we have become so desensitized to notions of responsibility that many want to give CO a free pass. Truman would be proud.
IMHO, good service is really defined by how one responds in situations like this, and CO chose the coward's way out. Vouchers?!? How about a refund? For everyone. When the plane landed. And, I don't think it makes a difference whether there was blue or brown liquid; in the aisles or confined to the toilets - 2 semi-working toilets, no TP, and instructions to watch liquid and food consumption on a TATL flight sounds to me like CO failed to adequately honor the implied contract they entered into when they sold the ticket.
And, I know this will bring out all those who feel that I bash CO too much, but CO's response is exactly the sort of response that really grinds my gears. I mean, everyone congratulates CO for being better than UA or AA or DL (including in this thread!), but that bar is set ridiculously low. CO had the opportunity to deal with this issue head-on, apologize, and accept responsibility. They chose to blame rubber gloves. Nice to see that we have become so desensitized to notions of responsibility that many want to give CO a free pass. Truman would be proud.
IMHO, good service is really defined by how one responds in situations like this, and CO chose the coward's way out. Vouchers?!? How about a refund? For everyone. When the plane landed. And, I don't think it makes a difference whether there was blue or brown liquid; in the aisles or confined to the toilets - 2 semi-working toilets, no TP, and instructions to watch liquid and food consumption on a TATL flight sounds to me like CO failed to adequately honor the implied contract they entered into when they sold the ticket.
Jun 21, 2007, 8:11 am
#78
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: DL Diamond, B6 Mosaic, AS MPV Gold, UA Gold MM, Marriott Plat, SPG Plat, Nat'l Exec Elite
Posts: 16,679
I just want to know why someone would flush something like latex gloves, especially when there's a trash receptacle right there in the lavatory! Common sense would dictate that what gets flushed should just be what came out of you and toilet paper. There's no reason anything else should ever go down through the aircraft's toilet.
Part of me also wonders if this was somehow deliberate. The only people I've ever seen on board an aircraft with latex gloves are flight attendants, and you would think they'd know better than to flush something that shouldn't be flushed. I'm not making any accusations, but if I was involved in dealing with this incident at CO I think I'd definitely be checking to see if there had been any recent personnel issues with any of the crew on board that flight.
Jun 21, 2007, 8:24 am
#79
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: In a van, down by the river.
Programs: Too many!
Posts: 497
Jun 21, 2007, 8:26 am
#80
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: NYC
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 375
Exactly!
Part of me also wonders if this was somehow deliberate. The only people I've ever seen on board an aircraft with latex gloves are flight attendants, and you would think they'd know better than to flush something that shouldn't be flushed. I'm not making any accusations, but if I was involved in dealing with this incident at CO I think I'd definitely be checking to see if there had been any recent personnel issues with any of the crew on board that flight.
Part of me also wonders if this was somehow deliberate. The only people I've ever seen on board an aircraft with latex gloves are flight attendants, and you would think they'd know better than to flush something that shouldn't be flushed. I'm not making any accusations, but if I was involved in dealing with this incident at CO I think I'd definitely be checking to see if there had been any recent personnel issues with any of the crew on board that flight.
Jun 21, 2007, 9:44 am
#81
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Brooklyn, NY, USA
Programs: DL SM Plat, B6 TrueBlue, UA MP, AAdvantage
Posts: 10,008
Why would a passenger do something like this, intentionally, at least twice? Do you think there are passengers out there whose anger against Continental is so profound, so inchoate, that they would be willing to divert a flight, spend a night in an intermediate location while the problem was fixed, then do it again the next day so they could get back at Continental by sitting in a sewage-infested plane all the way to Newark?
I also think it's absurd, almost comical to suggest a review of the passenger manifest. What do you expect them to find? A passenger with a TSA file that indicates a tendency to clog lavatories?
I'm afraid it's an all too common response on this board to blame everyone but the company.
Jun 21, 2007, 9:58 am
#82
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: DCA
Programs: Kommissar Giga-Posting Direktor, PWP; Fasano Nouveau Aristocrat; CO Platinum; BD Gold; MR Gold
Posts: 18,733
While it's already a bit of a stretch to somehow accuse CO's hard-working crews, it's preposterous to point the finger at passengers.
Why would a passenger do something like this, intentionally, at least twice? Do you think there are passengers out there whose anger against Continental is so profound, so inchoate, that they would be willing to divert a flight, spend a night in an intermediate location while the problem was fixed, then do it again the next day so they could get back at Continental by sitting in a sewage-infested plane all the way to Newark?
I also think it's absurd, almost comical to suggest a review of the passenger manifest. What do you expect them to find? A passenger with a TSA file that indicates a tendency to clog lavatories?
I'm afraid it's an all too common response on this board to blame everyone but the company.
Why would a passenger do something like this, intentionally, at least twice? Do you think there are passengers out there whose anger against Continental is so profound, so inchoate, that they would be willing to divert a flight, spend a night in an intermediate location while the problem was fixed, then do it again the next day so they could get back at Continental by sitting in a sewage-infested plane all the way to Newark?
I also think it's absurd, almost comical to suggest a review of the passenger manifest. What do you expect them to find? A passenger with a TSA file that indicates a tendency to clog lavatories?
I'm afraid it's an all too common response on this board to blame everyone but the company.
Jun 21, 2007, 10:03 am
#83
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Houston, TX
Programs: CO non-elite, Marriott Silver, SPG Gold
Posts: 1,621
I would like to think that someone just brain farted and flushed their gloves after they used the lavatory. Who would be most likely suspect? I would say a ground worker cleaning the plane, who I believe wear those gloves routinely. I've seen CO maintenance dudes come on planes before (one replaced a seat cushion) and they don't wear gloves.
Jun 21, 2007, 10:08 am
#84
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: SEA
Programs: UA Silver, BA Gold, DL Gold
Posts: 9,779
Per this thread, basically the same response was sent to Farecompare's editors when they asked for comment. This time they apologized for "discomfort caused by this unfortunate incident" and attributed the cause to a "foreign object clogging the system." Same old corporate CYA. Still no responsibility taken.
Jun 21, 2007, 10:13 am
#85
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SRQ-NYC-DCA
Programs: OnePass Infinite CO MM, PC Charter Lifer SkyMiles GM, MileagePlus
Posts: 1,826
Latex gloves
Cleaning crew sounds like the most reasonable scenario
Certainly with access to the lavs between flights
Retraining sessions might be in order
My vote goes to Miles Davis
Chic
Certainly with access to the lavs between flights
Retraining sessions might be in order
My vote goes to Miles Davis
Chic
Jun 21, 2007, 10:14 am
#86
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: SEA
Programs: UA Silver, BA Gold, DL Gold
Posts: 9,779
Do you think there are passengers out there whose anger against Continental is so profound, so inchoate, that they would be willing to divert a flight, spend a night in an intermediate location while the problem was fixed, then do it again the next day so they could get back at Continental by sitting in a sewage-infested plane all the way to Newark?
Jun 21, 2007, 10:14 am
#87
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Upcountry Maui (OGG)
Programs: yes
Posts: 1,607
I also have pulled stuffed toys, keyrings, sanitary pads, snow gloves, and of course the toilet paper roll holder (the center spring-loaded metal piece) from toilets.
IME, I suspect that CO 1E may be correct. I have seen people using latex gloves in a DFW concourse restroom before, and since it isn't their toilet, I can imagine what they did with them.
Jun 21, 2007, 10:43 am
#88
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 402
Talk about blowing this way out of proportion! Did anyone take the time to read what actually happened? Stop being so hysterical.
The plane took off from AMS. The toilets backed up and leaked into the cabin. The plane diverted to Shannon. The airline tried to fix it, but unfortunately could not and the passengers had to spend the night.
The next morning, after admittedly conflicting information in the terminal, all the passengers were told the toilets were not working. The plane took off and continued to Newark. There was no sewage flowing down the aisle on the SNN-EWR leg. It appears from passengers on board that the passengers were made aware of the lack of toilets on the flight prior to take-off. If people were so offended they could have simply gotten off, asked for refunds and/or found alternative arrangements to their destinations. Nobody was put in a situation that risked infection or their lives; despite people's apparent lust for compensation and blood.
Of course CO didn't take responsibility. I has not been determined that it was anyone at CO's fault that a rubber glove was flushed down the loo. While they made evey reasonable effort to remedy the situation, the option was given to either continue onto EWR with no toilets, or not go at all. The passengers acceptance of those conditions to any reasonable person means there is no problem. Any corporation in the same situation would have done the exact same thing. If you admit guilt, you open yourself to all the wackjobs that want to sue for millions when no grave injustice has actually occurred.
It seems to me the only people that are up-in-arms by this are the ones not actually on the plane. Don't you find it a tad convenient that it wasn't until the TV and Drudge picked it up that people got so bent out of shape?
The plane took off from AMS. The toilets backed up and leaked into the cabin. The plane diverted to Shannon. The airline tried to fix it, but unfortunately could not and the passengers had to spend the night.
The next morning, after admittedly conflicting information in the terminal, all the passengers were told the toilets were not working. The plane took off and continued to Newark. There was no sewage flowing down the aisle on the SNN-EWR leg. It appears from passengers on board that the passengers were made aware of the lack of toilets on the flight prior to take-off. If people were so offended they could have simply gotten off, asked for refunds and/or found alternative arrangements to their destinations. Nobody was put in a situation that risked infection or their lives; despite people's apparent lust for compensation and blood.
Of course CO didn't take responsibility. I has not been determined that it was anyone at CO's fault that a rubber glove was flushed down the loo. While they made evey reasonable effort to remedy the situation, the option was given to either continue onto EWR with no toilets, or not go at all. The passengers acceptance of those conditions to any reasonable person means there is no problem. Any corporation in the same situation would have done the exact same thing. If you admit guilt, you open yourself to all the wackjobs that want to sue for millions when no grave injustice has actually occurred.
It seems to me the only people that are up-in-arms by this are the ones not actually on the plane. Don't you find it a tad convenient that it wasn't until the TV and Drudge picked it up that people got so bent out of shape?
Jun 21, 2007, 10:49 am
#89
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: DL Diamond, B6 Mosaic, AS MPV Gold, UA Gold MM, Marriott Plat, SPG Plat, Nat'l Exec Elite
Posts: 16,679
A germ-phobic passenger with latex gloves makes sense. I hadn't thought of that one. I was just speculating based on where I've always seen latex gloves being used on flights in the past.
And the suggestion of the cleaning crew makes sense as well. In any case, I hope whomever was responsible now understands how their actions resulted in a lengthy travel delay and considerable discomfort for the passengers and crew on the flight, and next time just throws the gloves in the trash bin.
And the suggestion of the cleaning crew makes sense as well. In any case, I hope whomever was responsible now understands how their actions resulted in a lengthy travel delay and considerable discomfort for the passengers and crew on the flight, and next time just throws the gloves in the trash bin.
Jun 21, 2007, 10:54 am
#90
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: United States
Programs: UA, AA, DL, Amtrak
Posts: 4,647
