But yeah, you wouldn't have been laughing. Sounds like they're winding up because they can't afford to keep the planes flight worthy.
Phuket Air - LGW to BKK
The rumour is the Gatwick flight will be stopping and now routeing via Amsterdam. Numerous reasons for the fuel spill. On fuelling shut off is automatic, but on the older aircraft this can be a little premature, thus the flight engineer occasionally pull's the circuit breaker to preven this early shut off. Forgetting to reset it will cause fuel to spill out. Another reason could be expansion of fuel due temperature, but unlikely. Also a valve failure could allow fuel to vent out of the surge tank then overboard. Glad to hear of the passenger making a fuss and demanding that the cabin crew inform the flightdeck. A little worrying however that the cabin crew thought this was normal. Anything that does not look normal needs to be conveyed ASAP, particularly at this time of the year in europe/USA where de icing may be required. Enough bullshit, see you for a beer soon. Rgds.
Phuket Air anyone?
Phuket Air passengers 'frightened to fly'
(Filed: 05/04/2005)
Hundreds of British holidaymakers have been stranded in the United Arab Emirates after a second Phuket Air flight failed to take off.
Matthew Cripps, a passenger on the first flight which was halted on Sunday, said that people have been without food or drinks for more than 10 hours after the airline told travellers "something different every 20 minutes".
Mr Cripps, 39, from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, said the situation was "crazy" and people there were "frightened to fly Phuket Air".
He said British passengers were hauled from their hotels at about 2am (UAE time) with the promise that they were finally going home.
They had been stranded at a refuelling stop in Sharjah when their original flight, originally from Bangkok, Thailand, was halted on Sunday.
Terrified passengers claimed "gallons" of fuel was seen gushing from the wing of their plane as it prepared to take off and others said they were prepared to storm the cabin if the flight was not halted.
Gordon MacFarland, Phuket Air's UK sales and marketing manager, said the leak on Sunday had been caused by an overfilling of the fuel tanks on the Boeing 747-200, no- one had been in any danger, and that passengers had "panicked".
But Mr Cripps, who is returning from a holiday in Thailand with his 27-year-old girlfriend, Mary Cheeseman, said another flight was grounded this morning.
He said most of the stranded passengers were British, adding: "Of the original group, 150 people have been waiting here to go home.
"Another flight came from Bangkok to pick us up, with about 350 people on board.
"That has been grounded since 3.30am this morning (UAE time) and it's now 11.30am.
"There are now almost 500 of us here with yet another Phuket Air plane grounded.
"There are people with children and babies and everybody just wants to get home.
"It's a crazy situation. Many people do not feel safe getting on the flight even if it gets fixed. They are frightened to fly Phuket Air."
The refuelling stop was "substandard", with people crammed into two main rooms.
"It is a refuelling stop, not a main airport," Mr Cripps said. "And we cannot leave because we do not have the right visas."
Source: telegraph.co.uk
(Filed: 05/04/2005)
Hundreds of British holidaymakers have been stranded in the United Arab Emirates after a second Phuket Air flight failed to take off.
Matthew Cripps, a passenger on the first flight which was halted on Sunday, said that people have been without food or drinks for more than 10 hours after the airline told travellers "something different every 20 minutes".
Mr Cripps, 39, from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, said the situation was "crazy" and people there were "frightened to fly Phuket Air".
He said British passengers were hauled from their hotels at about 2am (UAE time) with the promise that they were finally going home.
They had been stranded at a refuelling stop in Sharjah when their original flight, originally from Bangkok, Thailand, was halted on Sunday.
Terrified passengers claimed "gallons" of fuel was seen gushing from the wing of their plane as it prepared to take off and others said they were prepared to storm the cabin if the flight was not halted.
Gordon MacFarland, Phuket Air's UK sales and marketing manager, said the leak on Sunday had been caused by an overfilling of the fuel tanks on the Boeing 747-200, no- one had been in any danger, and that passengers had "panicked".
But Mr Cripps, who is returning from a holiday in Thailand with his 27-year-old girlfriend, Mary Cheeseman, said another flight was grounded this morning.
He said most of the stranded passengers were British, adding: "Of the original group, 150 people have been waiting here to go home.
"Another flight came from Bangkok to pick us up, with about 350 people on board.
"That has been grounded since 3.30am this morning (UAE time) and it's now 11.30am.
"There are now almost 500 of us here with yet another Phuket Air plane grounded.
"There are people with children and babies and everybody just wants to get home.
"It's a crazy situation. Many people do not feel safe getting on the flight even if it gets fixed. They are frightened to fly Phuket Air."
The refuelling stop was "substandard", with people crammed into two main rooms.
"It is a refuelling stop, not a main airport," Mr Cripps said. "And we cannot leave because we do not have the right visas."
Source: telegraph.co.uk
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malcolminthemiddle
- Guru
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- Joined: Sat Mar 05, 2005 1:56 pm
- Location: Here,there and everywhere
Third Flight Abandoned
Third flight abandoned by airline
The plane had been due to fly to Bangkok
An airline which twice abandoned take-off attempts when passengers said they saw fuel gushing from a plane's wing has suffered another safety scare. Britons flying with Phuket Air out of the United Arab Emirates on Sunday were left stranded by the halted take-offs.
On Wednesday, a separate Phuket Air Boeing 747 had to return to Gatwick three hours into a flight to Bangkok because of a hydraulics fault.
UK officials have grounded the plane until repairs have been completed.
Engine shut down
It has emerged that an engine had to be shut down while the plane was airborne.
The plane, which had taken off from the Sussex airport at 0830 BST and landed back at 1137 BST, has been grounded by the Department of Transport.
A spokeswoman said it would not be permitted to leave the UK until the damaged engine had been repaired or replaced.
An airline spokeswoman said on Wednesday: "There were 82 people on today's flight, which flew into Gatwick from Sharjah last night and had suffered a hydraulics problem.
"Though it was thought the fault had been corrected, the plane suffered the same problem this morning."
'Gushing' fuel
The passengers were transferred to London Heathrow to take alternative flights, said a British Airports Authority spokeswoman.
On Sunday, around 200 Britons travelling with Phuket Air stopped their plane when many said they saw fuel gushing out of the wing of their aircraft.
Pilots abandoned two take-off attempts as screaming passengers threatened to storm the cockpit.
The airline later said the aircraft had been overfilled with fuel by ground staff and had not been a danger to passengers.
But several passengers refused to board another of the company's planes and others were left stranded in the UAE following further problems and delays.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4418597.stm
The plane had been due to fly to Bangkok
An airline which twice abandoned take-off attempts when passengers said they saw fuel gushing from a plane's wing has suffered another safety scare. Britons flying with Phuket Air out of the United Arab Emirates on Sunday were left stranded by the halted take-offs.
On Wednesday, a separate Phuket Air Boeing 747 had to return to Gatwick three hours into a flight to Bangkok because of a hydraulics fault.
UK officials have grounded the plane until repairs have been completed.
Engine shut down
It has emerged that an engine had to be shut down while the plane was airborne.
The plane, which had taken off from the Sussex airport at 0830 BST and landed back at 1137 BST, has been grounded by the Department of Transport.
A spokeswoman said it would not be permitted to leave the UK until the damaged engine had been repaired or replaced.
An airline spokeswoman said on Wednesday: "There were 82 people on today's flight, which flew into Gatwick from Sharjah last night and had suffered a hydraulics problem.
"Though it was thought the fault had been corrected, the plane suffered the same problem this morning."
'Gushing' fuel
The passengers were transferred to London Heathrow to take alternative flights, said a British Airports Authority spokeswoman.
On Sunday, around 200 Britons travelling with Phuket Air stopped their plane when many said they saw fuel gushing out of the wing of their aircraft.
Pilots abandoned two take-off attempts as screaming passengers threatened to storm the cockpit.
The airline later said the aircraft had been overfilled with fuel by ground staff and had not been a danger to passengers.
But several passengers refused to board another of the company's planes and others were left stranded in the UAE following further problems and delays.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4418597.stm
Getting back to mention of Garuda earlier in the thread, I thought they were very good (apart from the food) when I flew with them 3 or 4 years ago. Aircraft was a new 747-400 and all very clean and shiny. They had overbooked the plane on the outbound leg from LGW and they offered the following in compensation to volunteers willing to give up their seat for a flight 2 days later:
2 nights in 4 star London hotel
£80 a day spending money and....
complimentary return tickets to Bali (stop in BKK) from LGW valid for a year!
I kept the offer letter in case it ever happens again, at which point I will say to the official of whichever airline it happens to be "I want the same as that!"
I've flown with EVA a few times now and they continue to offer excellent value for money. I always found their service a bit cold though (compared to their Taiwanese competitor China Airlines) but on my latest trip in March 2005 they had improved alot in this regard and in quality of food. The one time I flew EVA Deluxe I was very disappointed by the service but I think I just got a stewardess on a bad day - no control over boorish pissheads on the flight either.
I remember the first time I heard of EVA at a travel agents (now becoming an extinct species with internet booking) they were the cheapest fare and the agent said "Well, it's up to you but I wouldn't fly with them." Safety was apparently the issue but in reality EVA have one of the best safety records of any airline. Just goes to show that even people supposedly 'in the know' often rely on BS & hearsay. Although plenty of horror stories circulate about Garuda and China they haven't had any trans-continental accidents either (although domestic ones abound). China Airlines was far & away the best service I have ever received in economy class travelling with kids and I wish more connecting flights were available from Cardiff-Schipol-BKK. As for Phuket Airways, I have yet to read a good review of them and I think they are doomed after this latest run of incidents.
2 nights in 4 star London hotel
£80 a day spending money and....
complimentary return tickets to Bali (stop in BKK) from LGW valid for a year!
I kept the offer letter in case it ever happens again, at which point I will say to the official of whichever airline it happens to be "I want the same as that!"
I've flown with EVA a few times now and they continue to offer excellent value for money. I always found their service a bit cold though (compared to their Taiwanese competitor China Airlines) but on my latest trip in March 2005 they had improved alot in this regard and in quality of food. The one time I flew EVA Deluxe I was very disappointed by the service but I think I just got a stewardess on a bad day - no control over boorish pissheads on the flight either.
I remember the first time I heard of EVA at a travel agents (now becoming an extinct species with internet booking) they were the cheapest fare and the agent said "Well, it's up to you but I wouldn't fly with them." Safety was apparently the issue but in reality EVA have one of the best safety records of any airline. Just goes to show that even people supposedly 'in the know' often rely on BS & hearsay. Although plenty of horror stories circulate about Garuda and China they haven't had any trans-continental accidents either (although domestic ones abound). China Airlines was far & away the best service I have ever received in economy class travelling with kids and I wish more connecting flights were available from Cardiff-Schipol-BKK. As for Phuket Airways, I have yet to read a good review of them and I think they are doomed after this latest run of incidents.
I flew EVA Evergreen class three years ago and I thought it was really good value for money - I'd use them again, but....Emirates now fly direct from Glasgow so it's knocking a good £100 off the price of a flight. Used them twice now and can't knock them - service is great, choice of main meals and the various online games on your personal screen keeps you occupied if you can't sleep. There's also talk of them operating out of Edinburgh in the near future which will be just perfect.
I'm considering a stopover in Dubai on the way back next time - does anyone have any Dubai recommendations re hotels/things to do etc?
Subtlely changing the subject there....
I'm considering a stopover in Dubai on the way back next time - does anyone have any Dubai recommendations re hotels/things to do etc?
Subtlely changing the subject there....
Never trust a hippy....
Hi heebio, no word on flying to Edinburgh yet, not even a rumour in the company so would be a long way off i think. EK will be putting the larger boeing on Glesgie towards the end of the year, more capacity for pax and freight along with 15 mins off flight time. I live in the sandpit, not a bad place overall and worth a few days on your way to or from LOS. Lot's of info on activities in and around Dubai. For after dark activities plenty going on in bur dubai hotels, cyclone etc. Rgds.
A colleague of mine returned from BKK last night. His outward flight was with Phuket Airways a couple of days before the recent safety scares. His return flight yesterday was changed by the travel company to Qatar Airlines, who he said were great with personal tv & entertainment in economy class etc.. No explanation was given by the travel company as to why the carrier was changed and he only found out what had happened with Phuket Air when he spoke with me today.
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Moto Guzzi Bob
- Member
- Posts: 51
- Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2005 12:20 am
- Location: Brighton UK
Phuket Air
Hi All,
Just thought you should know (Can't find this elsewhere).
Phuket Air suddenly pulled out of flights from Gatwick/ London.
I booked a flight in March for July.
It was cancelled (having paid £500) early April, just before those fiascos with fuel during the Easter period.
Needless to say I haven't had a refund yet . 
The local agency have told me they can not refund me until Phuket Air refund the UK agent which could take months.
Does this sound fair? I've paid for goods that don't exist and yet I don't get an automatic refund as I would expect with a shop or any other organisation.
Please, can any one out there help/ give me advise?
Any one else caught out?
Moto Guzzi Bob
Just thought you should know (Can't find this elsewhere).
Phuket Air suddenly pulled out of flights from Gatwick/ London.
I booked a flight in March for July.
It was cancelled (having paid £500) early April, just before those fiascos with fuel during the Easter period. Needless to say I haven't had a refund yet . The local agency have told me they can not refund me until Phuket Air refund the UK agent which could take months.Does this sound fair? I've paid for goods that don't exist and yet I don't get an automatic refund as I would expect with a shop or any other organisation.
Please, can any one out there help/ give me advise?
Any one else caught out?
Moto Guzzi Bob
Nah, must be more to it!
MGB - Hi,
Phuket Air announced that they were pulling out of this route prior to March 27th - when did you book?
See link http://www.luchtzak.be/article8161.html
Regards
Peter
Phuket Air announced that they were pulling out of this route prior to March 27th - when did you book?
See link http://www.luchtzak.be/article8161.html
Regards
Peter
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Moto Guzzi Bob
- Member
- Posts: 51
- Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2005 12:20 am
- Location: Brighton UK
Phuket Air
Hi Peter,
Thanks for your help on the other thread. The local trading standards office were very helpful.
Incidently, if you have bought by credit card, as I did, there is, appararently, no particular time limit to claiming from them. To my surprise, depending on and in most circumstances, you can make a claim after several years!
I bought the ticket in the middle of March. The travel agent are well established, with a good reputation, but obviously not keen to pay out of their own pocket. I know they have sold quite a few tickets so it would be expensive! Today I received a letter saying they were in regular contact with Phuket Air's agency and expect to get the money within the next few weeks.
I feel more secure for a refund, but will take further advice from the Trading Standards office to decide on the best and/ or fastest route.
Once again thanks for the help
MGB
Thanks for your help on the other thread. The local trading standards office were very helpful.
Incidently, if you have bought by credit card, as I did, there is, appararently, no particular time limit to claiming from them. To my surprise, depending on and in most circumstances, you can make a claim after several years!
I bought the ticket in the middle of March. The travel agent are well established, with a good reputation, but obviously not keen to pay out of their own pocket. I know they have sold quite a few tickets so it would be expensive! Today I received a letter saying they were in regular contact with Phuket Air's agency and expect to get the money within the next few weeks.
I feel more secure for a refund, but will take further advice from the Trading Standards office to decide on the best and/ or fastest route.
Once again thanks for the help
MGB
Nah, must be more to it!
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Guess
- Deceased
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- Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2005 3:01 pm
- Location: BangSaphan. Laurasia. Sub thumb
From what I have heard it does not even stretch that far. I have checked out their web site and it is for sale fo 5000 bucks.Rider wrote: As of now the extent of Phuket Airways 'empire' now stretches to Burma/Myanmar, Phuket, BKK and Chang Mai!
The Andaman club web site says it is under construction and the club itself can not afford to pay for their duty frees.
Any positive news would be welcome. I have given up.
[color=blue][size=134]Care in the community success story.[/size][/color]
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Moto Guzzi Bob
- Member
- Posts: 51
- Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2005 12:20 am
- Location: Brighton UK
Hi All
I've no idea Guess, but I heard when I was in Bangkok (August) that someone had bailed out Phuket Air, apparently releasing an aircraft that the Thai authorities had confiscated for none payment of bills.
Incidently,
I got my money back from the travel agent (took a long time) and flew with Eva Air for about the same amount about 500 GBP. I needed to play around a lot with dates (and in peak season August), but worth it.
Good luck all
Moto Guzzi Bob
I've no idea Guess, but I heard when I was in Bangkok (August) that someone had bailed out Phuket Air, apparently releasing an aircraft that the Thai authorities had confiscated for none payment of bills.
Incidently,
I got my money back from the travel agent (took a long time) and flew with Eva Air for about the same amount about 500 GBP. I needed to play around a lot with dates (and in peak season August), but worth it.Good luck all
Moto Guzzi Bob
Nah, must be more to it!
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Hermano Lobo
- Novice
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- Location: London
- Contact:
The Air Phuket crate aka B747-200SUD(upgraded to a 300 series) is still sitting on the ramp at Gatwick impounded.
Apparently it had just been catered when the impounding happened so all that food must have gone really smelly by now. There should be quite an outrush of gases when the doors are finally opened.
Pooh !
Apparently it had just been catered when the impounding happened so all that food must have gone really smelly by now. There should be quite an outrush of gases when the doors are finally opened.
Pooh !