Serendib Flight from Hell.
 

The day was 22 Dec and I was to fly MAA-CMB-AUH in UL J. Everything went excellently until 40 minutes before landing at AUH. Due to fog we had to divert to AAN where we spent 3 hours before flying to MCT where we had to wait on the aircraft until one hour after landing in MCT. We then spent the next 5 and a half hours in the transit hall presecurity in the MCT ghetto. Finally they put us in a Holiday Inn a second rate hotel fir J pax if you ask me. I write this story from the lobby of the holiday inn as I have checked out and prepare to leave for the airport to fly MCT-AUH on the same bird.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...fbc0ccd886.jpg

MAA-CMB 332 J
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b19980d793.jpg

AUH-CMB 32Aneo J
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...2deb9d1062.jpg

Ground workers at AAN
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...1dbe4e9801.jpg

AAN-MCT
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...8a7254a763.jpg

Status of the weirdest flight
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...52441c4988.jpg

Photo of the neo bird at MCT
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...46f9df41a8.jpg

Holiday inn m8 that they put us up in.

I wonder why they didn’t just bus you from AAN to Abu Dhabi. I guess no immigration facilities?

I'm about to board MCT-AUH operated by UL in J.
Same crew, pilot and plane. The plane has been sitting on the tarmac at MCT for about 18 hours now.

:D:D:D:D

We are walking from the gate to the plane because there are not enough busses.:(

I will report on the actual flight after I arrive in AUH alright.

I am confused. Would you have preferred to fly in unsafe conditions? Usually when flights arrive unscheduled it takes longer to get a gate ( for arrival or departure) In terms of the hotel--you needed a place to sleep. I think you are complaining unnecessarily--but thats just my opinion!

I agree that I am complaining unnecessarily, but that is what flyertalk is for :D and besides the Rotana was closer and attention should be paid for J pax.
I was too tired to discuss my last flight last night, so I shall do that now.
MCT-AUH was catered by Oman Air (it was disgusting) and not UL and as always the crew was splendid.

Big fog delays in DXB this morning apparently, seems to be going around the region. Either way, your only possible complaint is the lack of quality hotel - that being said for a last-minute diversion accommodation a Holiday Inn seems just fine - even travelling in J, you're 14, what amenities were you missing that mattered so much to you?

Bizarre for 2 reasons:

1) AAN is an international airport that is very close to AUH, why in the world would they not bus you from there?

2) As this is a weather related issue, are they required to pay for a hotel? Seems strange to complain about a hotel which I am not even sure they are required to pay for. Furthermore, a Holiday Inn is far better than some other options.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...8714e8ec07.jpg

MCT-AUH status.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...6aeef924fa.jpg

MCT-AUH J catering.

All of you that are critical of my hotel conundrum - you must know that if this flight had been on QR I would be certain that a better hotel would be used.

We'll fly QR to AUH next time...oh wait.

That's like saying it'd be better on LATAM, nvm if they fly there or not.

You can not be sure of that, at short notice with so many diversions and at such a busy time in the region with tourists, you were lucky to have a hotel at all.
I have had far worse before but there was so little the airline could do to solve the issue, but I will not hold it against QR as other times its been excellent.

I can remember that we had another 'boy' here who also had some sort of a sense of entitlement and threatened to leave EK for QR etc... :rolleyes: