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Original poster

Well this has never happened to me before - and I don't like it.

259 replies

Timeforatincture · 23/02/2025 01:02

19:30 flight from Lanzarote ponced about for ages on the tarmac then threw us all off at 23:30. No offer of accommodation or any indication of time of replacement flight. At least a cafe is open (poor sod at the till) and we had a bottle of gin. You had this?

OP posts:
notimagain · 23/02/2025 17:02

@Glittertwins

What other flights are doing is to some extent irrelevant if for example your aircraft has a minor defect that has resulted in a bespoke weight restriction.

There should be no reason now why we can't take off

Well if the aircraft is still overweight for the runway and current conditions that is very much a reason why you can’t take off.

It sounds more and more like just maybe, perhaps the sort of scenario I speculated about upthread, and TBF to the pilots and other staff sometimes it can be really really hard to explain the layperson what’s going on without oversimplifying to the point the explanation is meaningless.

Bromptotoo · 23/02/2025 17:03

Glittertwins · 23/02/2025 16:50

The reasons keep changing. High winds (not stopping any other flight) over weight - (fuel now being removed). There should be no reason now why we can't take off but still we remain.

Different aircraft will have different restrictions. There's an Easy flight to Gatwick just left taking off towards the hills. Looks similar to the BA jobbie but it's a smaller and much more recent aircraft with different engines.

Newgirls · 23/02/2025 17:21

Willing you to be on your way soon

Breezeblock · 23/02/2025 17:28

Vielleicht · 23/02/2025 09:02

It's really not patronising. Keeping perspective is really useful in stressful situations, I speak from experience.

Show quote history

I think what you speak from, is your sofa.

Glittertwins · 23/02/2025 17:50

We've now had a medical emergency, poor lady. She's now off the plane, fortunately able to walk unaided.

Glittertwins · 23/02/2025 17:54

Appreciate the explanations @Bromptotoo and @notimagain. Helping pass the time 👍🏻

Glittertwins · 23/02/2025 18:44

Wheels up!!!!!!! Bye Arrecife, it's been interesting.

Bromptotoo · 23/02/2025 18:56

Glittertwins · 23/02/2025 18:44

Wheels up!!!!!!! Bye Arrecife, it's been interesting.

And took off towards the hills but presumably that's OK at reduced weight.

Bromptotoo · 23/02/2025 20:05

Descending to Faro now for a 'splash and dash'.

Glittertwins · 23/02/2025 20:28

Just touched down for splash and dash

Newgirls · 23/02/2025 20:48

Hope you have nice drinks and snacks OP - nearly there!

ShinyHappyTits · 23/02/2025 21:03

Talonz · 23/02/2025 09:06

A long (long) time ago I used to spend frequent times in the Channel Islands. Just after Christmas I was due to fly back to Exeter for a very important family birthday. This involved a simple car journey from Exeter to Norfolk - ok not quite that simple given the west/ east road structures, hence setting out early. A long trip, but generally two straight lines and at a steady pace a 10am flight meant I would make it by 4pm ish.

Fog on the islands meant the 10am flight was delayed. In the end it took off…..fog then at Exeter meant we would have to land at Southampton, then a coach to Exeter. Well we landed at…..Heathrow which meant the tube into London and the train back out from Waterloo to Exeter at about 5pm. I finally picked my car up at Exeter, but it broke down on the A303 near Stonehenge around 11pm. The AA came out, replaced a lead to the battery in the swirling fog, and I’m on my way. No mobile phones then so I find a phone box in a small village to call my hosts but the party is in full swing so they don’t hear the ring.

Finding my way across country from memory was easy enough, (no Sat Nav then) but it’s a long journey and I’m getting very tired, starting to nod off, doing the stretchy faced thing to try to stay awake. I’m not on any motorway and those days no coffee shops or hot drinks at service stations. Somewhere near Wellingborough there is an accident and diversion signs scattered travellers out into the dark country lanes into thickening fog spreading up country. Eventually I’m on my own, no tail lights to follow, trying to gauge where I am. After more than an hour I’ve travelled north towards Rutland Water and now need to travel due east crossing The Fens - and even thicker fog and drainage ditches with no barriers between the road.

About 15 miles from my destination I’m getting too tired, but it’s a case of ”well, im nearly there now, just bash on”. I’m starting to hallucinate, the road is at right angles to the position of the car and it’s just white lines in the lights spinning away. I manage to finally arrive and it’s about 5am and my brother is the last one up, just heading upstairs to bed. I’ve been from Guernsey to Heathrow back to Exeter then a drive across country to near Sandringham taking the best part of a day to do so.

The following Spring I was flying with the same small airline when the cockpit was struck by lightning and it blew one of the window shields half off.

I think I must have spent a year's worth of hours over my life sitting at Guernsey airport fogged in! Obviously the fog pocket was the ideal place to site the one airport 🙄

MinnieCoops · 23/02/2025 22:37

Kiss the ground when you get off at Gatwick!

Talonz · 23/02/2025 22:37

@ShinyHappyTits were you flight crew?

Original poster
Timeforatincture · 24/02/2025 00:15

Arrived at Gatwick only 24 1/2 hours late!

OP posts:
Glittertwins · 24/02/2025 01:06

We're back and got everything/ everyone. Safe onward trip home @Timeforatincture

Binglebong · 24/02/2025 01:19

Congratulations!

SpidersAreShitheads · 24/02/2025 01:51

I'm glad that the flight has landed safely but I'm more interested in the story of the Emmental cheese!

Google//AI tells me that the weight difference is minimal and that Swiss airports do not keep pallets of cheese on standby. I'm assuming that it's just an entertaining myth but I completely believed it until PP pointed out that the captain was just on the wind-up!

Talonz · 24/02/2025 09:28

Cheese was made up, just to brighten everyone’s day. Though I have flown a lot in and out of Switzerland before giving up my passport.

Glittertwins · 24/02/2025 09:55

Talonz · 24/02/2025 09:28

Cheese was made up, just to brighten everyone’s day. Though I have flown a lot in and out of Switzerland before giving up my passport.

I've heard it before but it still raised a smile!

ShinyHappyTits · 24/02/2025 14:39

Talonz · 23/02/2025 22:37

@ShinyHappyTits were you flight crew?

No, it's where I grew up and still have family there. So am painfully familiar with guernsey airport and the full range of inadequacy of the States government!

RavenhairedRachel · 24/02/2025 19:00

Last year around this time actually. My daughter and partner were delayed 53 hours on a flight from Mexico. They arrived at the airport in Mexico for a 4 p.m (there time ) flight were told at nearly midnight the flight wouldn't be leaving at all. All bused to an horrendous hotel. Bused back to airport at 10 a.m next morning same thing at 11 p.m were told no flight bused back to a different hotel only because they all kicked off and said they would rather stay at the airport than go back to the first hotel. Next day bused back to airport and eventually took off that evening. The excuse the aircraft had a flat battery.

Glittertwins · 24/02/2025 19:12

Makes our 25 hours lateness pale into insignificance there!

selffellatingouroborosofhate · 24/02/2025 21:26

Timeforatincture · 23/02/2025 07:59

I haven't spotted @Glittertwins yet. Is there a special signal?

According to FWR regulars, displaying a Tunnocks Teacake is the secret sign.

selffellatingouroborosofhate · 24/02/2025 21:52

Vielleicht · 23/02/2025 09:43

Our local airline is Loganair, and no other airline flies here.
Folk book mostly expecting delays and/or cancellations.
It is only sometimes weather related.
It's fairly frustrating.

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I'm now reading about Loganair and I'm gobsmacked that Barra Airport's runways are on the beach and made of wet sand.

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