george Posted June 19, 2011 Share Posted June 19, 2011 Strategic Airlines Flight Cancellation Slams Phuket 220 passengers travelling by Strategic Airlines has been stranded on Phuket since Wednesday PHUKET: -- A disruption of flights between Australia and Phuket as well as Bali on Strategic Airlines has left passengers on the island wondering what to do next. Citing technical delays the airline has announced a new flight today for yesterday's cancellations, but the time is to be announced. About 220 passengers to Brisbane are stranded on Phuket since their relief flight was cancelled. The Strategic Airlines passengers have been stranded on Phuket since Wednesday June 15. The following is an update from the airline on the situation: Phuket/Bali Flight Update UPDATE 10:00AM AEST 19th June 2011 We ask that all passengers flying on the below services remain where they are until further notice. Once the flight details are confirmed, you will be notified via sms, email or by your travel agent. If you are in Phuket or Bali, please remain in your hotel until further notice. Please keep checking our website for information updates. We regret to advise the following flights have been delayed. Below is an approximate departure time for each flight. These departure times are subject to change at any time, so please keep checking the website for regular updates. VC247 - 17 June 2011 Phuket to Brisbane. We estimate that this flight will depart on 19 June 2011 TBA. VC226 - 18 June 2011 Brisbane to Denpasar. We estimate that this flight will depart on 19 June 2011 TBA. VC227 - 18 June 2011 Denpasar to Brisbane. We estimate that this flight will depart on 20 June 2011 TBA. VC246 - 19 June 2011 Brisbane to Phuket. We estimate that this flight will depart on 20 June 2011 TBA. VC241 - 19 June 2011 Phuket to Melbourne. We estimate that this flight will depart on 20 June 2011 TBA. We apologise for the inconvenience this has caused. Flight VC240 - 17 June 2011 Melbourne to Phuket has been cancelled. Passengers booked on this flight will be offered a full refund and the opportunity to rebook your flight free of charge within 12 months. Please email [email protected] and one of our team members will be in contact within five business days. Again we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience this has caused. Flight VC241 - 16 June 2011 Phuket to Melbourne has been cancelled. We are working with other airlines to try and get our passengers to their destinations as quickly as possible. Strategic Airlines will contact passengers via text message or by local contact. Again we apologise for any inconvenience this has caused. Strategic Airlines are still working with our Engineers to resolve the technical issues we are currently experiencing. Due to a minor technical fault, a decision was made to divert our Brisbane to Phuket service VC246 to Kuala Lumpur Thursday evening. As a result of the late arrival into Kuala Lumpur, all passengers and crew were accommodated in nearby hotels. Strategic Airlines apologises sincerely for this inconvenience however we are committed to our Captain's discretion to exercise our Safety First principle, without compromise. Our team are working swiftly to return this aircraft to service as soon as possible and to make alternative travel arrangements for our passengers. Given the large volumes of calls to our reservations team, we will continue to provide updated information on our website. Again our sincere apologies, we are endeavouring to return to our normal service as soon as possible. Thank you for your continued patience. Strategic Airlines -- 2011-06-19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MILT Posted June 19, 2011 Share Posted June 19, 2011 All I can say is Criykees mate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moe666 Posted June 19, 2011 Share Posted June 19, 2011 One of those budget airlines you get what you pay for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easyas Posted June 19, 2011 Share Posted June 19, 2011 While I wish Strategic well, I doubt they will survive long as a under funded start up airline. Before opening up their passenger services Strategic's business was charter based, centred on transporting Australian military personnel. Just after opening up their passenger routes, they lost their Australian military contract and thus the income they were relying on to fund their start up airline. I travelled with them from Brisbane to Phuket on one of their first flights and it was obvious they had significant teething problems. For example, my credit card was charged twice as a result of a glitch in their online booking system. OK, I got my second payment back, but only because I noticed the two entries on my credit card statement some weeks later! They weren't particularly apologetic (I got the impression that the reservations area was under a great deal of pressure, possibly due to its flawed on line booking system), although I did manage to negotiate an upgrade to business class. The flight itself was fine, although my seat couldn't recline as it was broken. The stewardess was very apologetic and promised the seat would be fixed by their engineer on arrival in Phuket. Fat chance, with the turn round time they had, even if there were an engineer available! The return flight was delayed by two hours (sitting on the runway) due to the non-appearance of two passengers. When the two drunken Pommie louts were eventually extracted from the bar, they offered the excuse that the departure time on their itinerary showed 7.45, not 17.45! OK, they were drunk and totally stupid, but how come their documentation wasn't right? The current problem with stranded passengers in Phuket just shows how difficult it is to run an airline with a minimum number (one, two?) of reasonably tired chartered aircraft! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanLaew Posted June 19, 2011 Share Posted June 19, 2011 I guess they only have one plane huh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whybother Posted June 19, 2011 Share Posted June 19, 2011 Strategic flight updates: http://www.flystrategic.com.au/Home/Phuket_Bali_Flight_Update.aspx UPDATE 10:00AM AEST 19th June 2011We ask that all passengers flying on the below services remain where they are until further notice. Once the flight details are confirmed, you will be notified via sms, email or by your travel agent. If you are in Phuket or Bali, please remain in your hotel until further notice. Please keep checking our website for information updates. We regret to advise the following flights have been delayed. Below is an approximate departure time for each flight. These departure times are subject to change at any time, so please keep checking the website for regular updates. VC247 - 17 June 2011 Phuket to Brisbane. We estimate that this flight will depart on 19 June 2011 TBA. VC226 - 18 June 2011 Brisbane to Denpasar. We estimate that this flight will depart on 19 June 2011 TBA. VC227 - 18 June 2011 Denpasar to Brisbane. We estimate that this flight will depart on 20 June 2011 TBA. VC246 - 19 June 2011 Brisbane to Phuket. We estimate that this flight will depart on 20 June 2011 TBA. VC241 - 19 June 2011 Phuket to Melbourne. We estimate that this flight will depart on 20 June 2011 TBA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawksway Posted June 19, 2011 Share Posted June 19, 2011 Pure Consumer greed. So many want something for money and will travel by any airline if it's cheap enough! So often, safety and reliability are furthest from Customers mind. If they really value these qualties pay up and travel by established carriers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tw25rw Posted June 19, 2011 Share Posted June 19, 2011 Compass mark III I certainly wouldn't trust them with any money that I couldn't afford to lose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george Posted June 20, 2011 Author Share Posted June 20, 2011 Phuket flights still not running PHUKET SERVICES UPDATE: Strategic Airlines apologises that our Phuket services continue to be delayed at this time. As soon as we are able to confirm revised flight times we will contact our passengers immediately by email, SMS or via your travel agent confirming details of revised flight arrangements and times. Please do not travel to the airport until your revised flight details are provided to you. This advice applies to the following services: VC247 - Phuket to Brisbane. VC241 - Phuket to Melbourne VC246 - Brisbane to Phuket Strategic Airlines apologises sincerely for the inconvenience caused by this interruption to our normal operating schedule. Source: http://www.flystrategic.com.au/Home/Phuket_Bali_Flight_Update.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THAILIBAN Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 in the EU, this would turn out VERY costly for them - AT LEAST 600 € for every passenger plus accom and food. but as I had to painfully find out myself on a trip to OZ 2 years ago (on a home-grown OZ-carrier), the airlines of OZ are the worst I have experienced anywhere in approx. 40 countries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaoyang Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 But I don't understand how the incompetence of the airline "slams Phuket." Slam could mean to criticize, but I don't see the island's role in the misfortune. Or it could mean to be hit hard, but I fail to see how one delayed OZ light has seriously impacted an entire province. Could it be, once again, that the writer/editor at the (so-called) newspaper, The Nation, is what should be slammed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Stranded Phuket tourists get strategic in face of flight delays AVE MARIA: Maria is receiving high praise for her efforts in keeping fellow stranded passengers up to date with developments. Photo: Natdanai Arno One of the Aussie passengers stranded in Phuket reads the update notices posted at the Naithonburi Resort. Photo: Natdanai Arno PHUKET: -- Passengers grounded by ongoing delays and cancellations by Strategic Airlines are upbeat despite little information from the airline. Following a forced landing in Kuala Lumpur last week, the airline canceled their immediate Brisbane-Phuket services and today delayed their Melbourne-Phuket flights. “About 300 [passengers] all up. They did fly one lot of people out to Melbourne, people with children or medical emergencies,” Steve Smith, 48, from Brisbane said. Passengers who were meant to leave for Brisbane last week were taken to Phuket City Hotel on Friday. They were taken to the airport again on Saturday but after over eight hours of waiting, they were brought to the Naithonburi Resort [at Nai Thon Beach, near the airport], he added. With no contact from the airline other than printed notices, some of the stranded have taken it upon themselves to organize a group and find information. “We were due to depart Phuket to Brisbane on Friday evening [June 17] and the plane was delayed,” Chris O’Shea, 43, from Brisbane, explained to the Phuket Gazette. “There was a technical problem with the plane. We might get another [flight] with Thai Airways, hopefully,” he said. The airline has offered a full refund or chance to rebook the canceled flight from Brisbane. “[At first] Our group decided to get a bit upset and demand some information,” Mr O’Shea said. “Since then we have been contacting the airline and they have been great enough to give us the information about what’s happening and possibly when the plane might be fixed. “Perhaps we can get onto another flight with another airline,” he added. He also praised fellow passenger Maria, who was responsible for contacting the airline and keeping her compatriots informed. “If it wasn’t for her, there might be a lot more upset people. She is looking after everybody. “I think Strategic should give her a free flight anywhere around the world cause she’s done an amazing job for that airline when they didn’t really step up to the occasion,” Mr O’Shea said. Maria, who modestly refrained from revealing her family name, did not have much time to comment but explained that she wanted to help because she has airline experience. “Yesterday we sent 60 people back to Melbourne and I got some messages from them saying thank you very much. “And today we are going to send 140 Brisbane people and maybe all the Melbourne people. The Brisbane [people] are definitely going,” she told the Gazette. “Thai Airways flights are arranged by Strategic. They are getting people home,” she added. Thanks to Maria’s efforts, passengers were more relaxed, forming good relationships with one another and the transportation and accommodation was a positive thing, Mr O’Shea said. His sentiments were shared by others in the group as well, seeing that a few extra days in Phuket would not change much and that the situation was greatly helped by the lodging provided to them. “It’s just another experience in life. Nothing to worry about, we’re here, good bed, good food, sooner or later everything will come right,” Frank Evans, 80, from Melbourne, said. However, Mr Smith did highlight the frustrations as a recurring issue with Strategic Airlines. “I have traveled by myself but I flew with Strategic Airlines to Phuket three months ago and the same thing happened. “The first time, we contacted the airline because we never received an apology. We wanted someone to explain it [the circumstances] to us and see if we could trust them enough to fly with them again “We never heard anything back from the company,” he said. LTU International Airlines, the check-in service operators for Strategic Airlines in Phuket, were unable to comment, stating that their management were in continuous contact with Strategic Airlines for updates on the situation. -- Phuket Gazette 2011-06-21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NealeGoldingay Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 I'm surprised the other Airlines are not pitching in to help get these folks back home as is customary elsewhere in the world. this site Phuket Flights state's their is at least 40 airlines flying in and out of Phuket Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Strategic Airlines Gets Stranded Phuket Aussies Home Follow this link: //CLOSED// Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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