LHR-EDI BA Shuttle - 28th March BA 1432 06.55am – Airbus A319 – Seat 1F
Mar 31, 2003, 2:55 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Edinburgh UK
Programs: BA Silver, HHonours Gold, Mucci of Pucci, Oyster Card, Nectar Card, Father's Day Card
Posts: 9,372
LHR-EDI BA Shuttle - 28th March BA 1432 06.55am – Airbus A319 – Seat 1F
I wouldn’t normally post a trip report for a UK Domestic Flight but this one turned out to be quite eventful.
I had been to a glitzy awards ceremony in London the night before and had to be back in Edinburgh as early as possible for various important business meetings. I had considered going up during the night on the Calendonian Sleeper train, but the Train Guards were on strike and the Sleeper was not running. I was therefore reliant on the first BA flight the following morning.
Flight boarded on time, and seat 1E remained empty so me and the chap in 1D had more room to stretch out. I think this Airbus was a relatively new one as the leather seats were not worn in and therefore quite hard to sit on.
Left the gate on time and taxied out to the runway. Then we did a U turn and began to head back to the gate. Before I could say, “Oh oh something’s up” the Captain came on and said something was up. An indicator light suggested that there was a reduction in tire pressure in one of the wheels. So we went and parked on a remote stand whilst the techies checked it out.
Well of course the tire was bust so they had to replace the wheel. So over the next hour or so they jacked up the plane and replaced the wheel. The cabin crew came around and served orange juice or water.
Finally took off about two hours late and settled down for the usual shuttle service. Actually the hot breakfast was better than it has been recently. Two, yes two (not one) slices of bacon, sausage, mushrooms tomatoes and scrambled egg – with roll and jam. Certainly felt more welcome that usual after the two-hour delay.
No further delays into Edinburgh despite a very thick fog off the Forth and a fully automatic landing.
And the new tire held up!
I had been to a glitzy awards ceremony in London the night before and had to be back in Edinburgh as early as possible for various important business meetings. I had considered going up during the night on the Calendonian Sleeper train, but the Train Guards were on strike and the Sleeper was not running. I was therefore reliant on the first BA flight the following morning.
Flight boarded on time, and seat 1E remained empty so me and the chap in 1D had more room to stretch out. I think this Airbus was a relatively new one as the leather seats were not worn in and therefore quite hard to sit on.
Left the gate on time and taxied out to the runway. Then we did a U turn and began to head back to the gate. Before I could say, “Oh oh something’s up” the Captain came on and said something was up. An indicator light suggested that there was a reduction in tire pressure in one of the wheels. So we went and parked on a remote stand whilst the techies checked it out.
Well of course the tire was bust so they had to replace the wheel. So over the next hour or so they jacked up the plane and replaced the wheel. The cabin crew came around and served orange juice or water.
Finally took off about two hours late and settled down for the usual shuttle service. Actually the hot breakfast was better than it has been recently. Two, yes two (not one) slices of bacon, sausage, mushrooms tomatoes and scrambled egg – with roll and jam. Certainly felt more welcome that usual after the two-hour delay.
No further delays into Edinburgh despite a very thick fog off the Forth and a fully automatic landing.
And the new tire held up!
Mar 31, 2003, 9:50 am
#3
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: New York, NY, USA
Posts: 346
So glad the problem was fixed before you took off - also hope you were not too late for your meetings!
This reminded me of the time I was going from LGA-RDU and we were held up for over 2 hours for a light bulb replacement! Seemed that it took 2 minutes to change the bulb but 2 hours for the paperwork and inspection!
This reminded me of the time I was going from LGA-RDU and we were held up for over 2 hours for a light bulb replacement! Seemed that it took 2 minutes to change the bulb but 2 hours for the paperwork and inspection!
Mar 31, 2003, 11:00 am
#4
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: FRA
Posts: 2,175
Had a simliar event two weeks ago on a domestic flight on LH FRA-HAJ (Hannover, for CeBIT) and we made a U-turn as something in one engine seemd to be wrong.
I am very happy if they find thing before take-off and cannot understand how sometimes fellow passengers can yell at the crewmembers because they will be late for the meeting
at least in our case the captain allowed everyone to switch the mobiles on while the technicians worked on the plane.
I am very happy if they find thing before take-off and cannot understand how sometimes fellow passengers can yell at the crewmembers because they will be late for the meeting
at least in our case the captain allowed everyone to switch the mobiles on while the technicians worked on the plane.
Mar 31, 2003, 2:37 pm
#5
Moderator: UK and Ireland & Europe
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Biggleswade
Programs: SK*G, Lots of Blue Elsewhere
Posts: 13,611
Had a nice little BA trip this weekend too, although it doesn't warrant a thread of its own... On one of the ARJs out of LGW-CDG, all smug because I'd got the C-seat in Y - nice announcement came over:
"...however, there is a problem with the catering. We use an offsite catering company, and they've called to say that their van broke down somewhere in Crawley. Because of current security regulations, vans are sealed at the depot, and have to return to the depot. So it won't get here in time. But don't worry - it's the end of the day, and we've been round other flights and airlines, and have managed to cobble together a food service for you! We hope it's OK, although some of the combination may be a little... unorthodox."
I had fish and shortbread.
There's something very BA (well, very British) about this episode.
But I won't go into the return jouney (another C-seat in Y!) to LHR where Bloody Awful Airports repeatedly forgot to bring steps for half an hour...
"...however, there is a problem with the catering. We use an offsite catering company, and they've called to say that their van broke down somewhere in Crawley. Because of current security regulations, vans are sealed at the depot, and have to return to the depot. So it won't get here in time. But don't worry - it's the end of the day, and we've been round other flights and airlines, and have managed to cobble together a food service for you! We hope it's OK, although some of the combination may be a little... unorthodox."
I had fish and shortbread.
There's something very BA (well, very British) about this episode.
But I won't go into the return jouney (another C-seat in Y!) to LHR where Bloody Awful Airports repeatedly forgot to bring steps for half an hour...
Apr 4, 2003, 2:30 pm
#6
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: SoCal to the rest of the world...
Programs: AA EXP with lots of BA. UA 2MM Lifetime Plat - No longer chase hotel loyalty
Posts: 6,699
Have you noticed that BAA is trying to add extensions to all the aircraft parking slots that have airstair parking positions... T3 main sat got 4 or so new gates, looks like they are trying the same thing on the 2nd T3 sat and on one gate near T1.
Doesn't help with the regional aircraft as I still don't see BAA using a jetway supporting mainline and RJ aircraft (unless I'm missing something?)
Doesn't help with the regional aircraft as I still don't see BAA using a jetway supporting mainline and RJ aircraft (unless I'm missing something?)
Apr 8, 2003, 8:06 am
#7
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 5,398
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by freshair:
This reminded me of the time I was going from LGA-RDU and we were held up for over 2 hours for a light bulb replacement!</font>
This reminded me of the time I was going from LGA-RDU and we were held up for over 2 hours for a light bulb replacement!</font>
Time passes, the captain comes on and apologises a few more times... the poor guy was clearly getting more and more embarrassed/iritated.
After about 1 hour, he suddenly bursts out of the cockpit looking a bit red faced, goes out the airgate and down the little spiral staircase that goes down to the apron.. out across to the wing, up the little forklift they had position next to it and WHACKS the blinky thing. It comes on. He returns, we depart. Witnessed the whole thing from 1C and smiled the whole way home
I kid you not...
Apr 8, 2003, 11:12 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Edinburgh UK
Programs: BA Silver, HHonours Gold, Mucci of Pucci, Oyster Card, Nectar Card, Father's Day Card
Posts: 9,372
dnw -Fantastic story.
Also reminds me of another funny A320 story. I was sat quite far back and I looked out and (don't know what they are called - the Rib things under the wings that the flaps extend over)the covering on one of these things was off and the interior exposed.
I worried about this for a while, and remembered a book I'd read where a passenger had noticed a problem with the wing but had kept schtum because he assumed the Captain knew about it. The plane subsequently crashed and this chap survived and wished he'd had the guts to speak up.
So I alerted a cabin member, apologised for maybe appearing stupid and pointed out the bit of wing casing that was missing.
She immediately replied, "Yes sir we know about that - but don't worry - we've taken the one off the otherside as well so that we are nicely balanced up"!!!!!
[This message has been edited by edi-traveller (edited 04-08-2003).]
Also reminds me of another funny A320 story. I was sat quite far back and I looked out and (don't know what they are called - the Rib things under the wings that the flaps extend over)the covering on one of these things was off and the interior exposed.
I worried about this for a while, and remembered a book I'd read where a passenger had noticed a problem with the wing but had kept schtum because he assumed the Captain knew about it. The plane subsequently crashed and this chap survived and wished he'd had the guts to speak up.
So I alerted a cabin member, apologised for maybe appearing stupid and pointed out the bit of wing casing that was missing.
She immediately replied, "Yes sir we know about that - but don't worry - we've taken the one off the otherside as well so that we are nicely balanced up"!!!!!
[This message has been edited by edi-traveller (edited 04-08-2003).]