Go back to the start - why did you miss breakfast?

Any idea when the plane arrived at Palma?

If you saw it land around 6:30pm then clearly someone knew it wasn't going to depart until 7:15pm at about 4:30pm when it set off for Palma (with me so far?). That means they would have known what your likely delay would be and would have had time to feed you. In this scenario you should get some compensation off Thomson for breach of contract (not Monarch, don't get involved with them if this was a package tour).

But if it was on the ground much earlier with mechanics staring at it there may have been a case of they thought it would be ready in 20 minutes and so on until 20 mins turned into 4 hours. In this case I can see why they wouldn't want to start serving a meal at the airport if they thought the plane would be fixed before you were finished. Theoretically you still have a claim for breach of contract but in this case they have a better excuse.

In some cases they can say that the airport facilities couldn't provide meals for a full flight but I can't believe that at Palma in the middle of the day.

I also endured an 8 hour delay on 15 July 2010 on the Monarch flight from Palma airport to Edinburgh was due to depart 7.20pm, so arrived at airport at 5.00pm to check in. Got to the checkout to be told there was a 6 hour delay and wont be departing until about 1am. We were given 30 euros for me, my husband and two boys. Not much but it gave us something to get food and drink. Those 6 hours soon turned into 8 hours, we finally left at 3.20am in the morning. My boys are very young ages 2 and 4, it was hellish waiting for that length of time, nothing much but sitting around.

We were told when we arrived at Palma that our plane was sitting at Palma but was going to Aberdeen first. By the time it got to Aberdeen, got passengers and baggage off, reloaded passengers, baggages and refuled and fly back to Majorca, it was 2.30am before it arrived back.

Just glad to be home now.

Claire

Go back to the start - why did you miss breakfast?

I would assume that the OP was the victim of being the first pick up hence the time taken to get to the airport. As they would be aware that they were going to be picked up early did they not have the opportunity of an early breakfast? Did they not take the matter up with the rep the day before? The point Steve makes regarding a meal and 20 mins turning into 4 hours is probably very near the truth of the matter. A couple of years ago we were diverted to Liverpool due to an incident and sat on the tarmac - The problem they told me was that there was not the time or facilities to feed us before we were on our way again. Of course by the time we got to Manchester we were to late for the shops and finished up in a motorway cafe for a bite to eat.

Unfortunately we will all at some time have been the victim of being collected from our hotel several hours before we are due to check in. Reps always tell you that there are no delays. I have a complaint with Thomson at present for the same thing. I was actually logged onto Manchester airport on my blackberry when the coach arrived and was told there were no delays. Of course the rep was not very pleased when I told her the plane was still on the ground in Manchester and offered to prove it.

We are all just so much cargo to be shifted.

fwh

I believe the term is SLF (self loading freight!)

In answer to question back to the start:
We missed breakfast as we were half board at our hotel and breakfast/resturant opened at 8.15am. We were to be outside our hotel for pick up at 7.20am. Due to fly 11.15am. There were no places around our hotel or shops open at that time.

At gate 6 which we were all sitting is where we were given a 10 Euro voucher given just before 2pm at airport and that person that handed that out only said boarding was due at 2.30pm and handed you a sorry for the delay letter. Bought a sandwich and a bottle of coke each 9 euros.

At about 5pm the screen changed to gate 20, no annoucement.

The monarch plane we got ino arrived at gate 20 at 6.30 pm (not sure when it came in from) unloading a full flight of people and we got loaded on to same plane at 7.00pm and took off at 7.30pm. Air hostess asked if we wanted food or drinks first and got food 1st around 8pm.

There had been an technical fault according to the pilot annoucement on board with a fault alert in cabin causing a plane to be re routed back to Manchester in the am which turned out to be ok.

I know the plane we got on back to Aberdeen the hostess said they were flying back to Palma with people from Aberdeen and then back to Edinburgh from Palma.

Obviously in was a knock on effect but that was known from the morning.

Now Sunday morning and my 'suitcase' has still not arrived back with me from Thursdays delayed flight either.

How after 8 hour delay can it still be missing ? Do I get any compensation for that ?.

It had my hairdrier, hubbys razor and shaving gel and my lady shave in it which we use daily.

It had my hairdrier, hubbys razor and shaving gel and my lady shave in it which we use daily.

So you need these every day .... at least you are home and can buy replacements very easily from your local supplier (a bit more difficult if this was the outward leg of your journey).

arrived at gate 20 at 6.30 pm

how was that for a guess!! We can assume that the plane did not get lost, go off the radar and suddenly reappear at Palma hours later. So you can count backwards, allow say 2 hours for the outward flight and a bit more for it boarding. Now count forward, the bare minimum time they could allow for turnround at Palma was 45 minutes (Ryanair and easyjet tend to work to 35 minutes for a 120 seat plane with less luggage and no seat allocations). So you can say with confidence that at about 4:15pm (Palma time) someone at Monarch knew that plane would not be taking of from Palma before 7:15pm and Thomson should have had that info shortly afterwards. So even if there was a bit of the mechanics saying "20 mins" in the UK by 4:15pm they knew you were facing an 8 hour delay and had plenty of time to feed you. Sounds like breach of contract to me and at the very least a good explanation is justified.

And then we come to breakfast. You booked half board - did the brochure say "but no breakfast on last day"? Half board includes breakfast, if they arranged the pickup they should have arranged the breakfast before it! On it's own maybe not worth chasing but it then snowballed with their other mistake. I'd say the two omissions (and the discomfort) together are worth £20 cash per person, if they want to offer vouchers and you are prepared to have them then go for more.

You definately get compensation for the lost bag if it doesn't turn up. How freqeuntly does Palma - Aberdeen operate? We had an instance in the winter when baggage was missed off a once a week ski flight, it turned up 7 days later! But you should have filled in a baggage irregularity form before you left the baggage hall at Aberdeen airport. If you just went home and hoped to sort it out later then you may lose your rights.

Just to say that flights to Edinburgh takes 2 hours 45 mins, and to Aberdeen it will be much longer, probably about 3 hours plus.

Claire

Thanks for replies. Our tour operator was Thomsons and flight was contracated to Monarch Airlines.

Just chased my suitcase with Aberdeen Airport, not turned up and they have had one flight yesterday and one this pm, looks like its vanished from 10am Thursday !

Just listed everything that was in it, clothes, beach towels,etc, everything from last week. My 9 year son had purchased a Spain David Villa football top and scarf with his holiday saving money and that was it. So trying hard to fob him off its in the wash as he'll be broken hearted .

Dear Claire,
were you booked with Thomson holidays ? Think it is more annoying they knew from early that am and had families sitting around away from shops and food places and ignored us from 8 hours that is the annoying bit. Feels like Thomson dumped you. We didnt even have a rep on the pick up bus. We were orginally at gate 6 for 7 hours and not an information desk in sight. Surely we could have spent the last day longer at our hotels.

I've just spotted something odd. Aberdeen Airport's own website say the only flight on Thursdays from Palma is operated by Air Europa and is due in at 12:20 (about 08:30 take off Palma time). It is shown as being on charter to Thomsons. I'll try to remember to watch the tracker systems on Thursday and see what happens this week.

I was booked with First Choice but they are merged with Thomsons, so yes. There was no rep on our bus either. We had no one around physically to keep us updated. we had to just keep watching the screens for updates. When we checked in our luggage for the 7.20pm, flight, that was where Monarch check in agent told me there was an estimated 6 hour delay, but she told me to keep checking for updates on the screen as things could change. They gave me 30 euros for me my hubby and two boys to get dinner. So in total we were at Palma airport for 10 hours before taking off, arrived at 5pm to check in, and didnt leave until 3.20am in the morning, Monarch gave us free drinks on the flight, but it was such a long horrendous time to wait, we got our luggage luckily. Im sorry to hear about your lost luggage, you should claim for compensation, it should be covered in your holiday insurance (assuming you took out insurance)! Poor wee boy, hopefully you can buy a new top with your compensation that you should get eventually.

Claire

Claire

Like us, Thomson knew a long time before hand you would be delayed more than 6 hours. At least we are home but I will be writing to Thomsons, just waiting to see if my suitcase turns up this week or not first. Two flights from Plama at weekend and one tomorrow so fingers crossed. We had a superb holiday just shame it ended that way.

Steve

When we booked with Thomsons last July 2009 it was Air Europa as previous years we travelled with them and to Majorca and tickets came in for Monarch.

Thomsons have a two flights a week: Tuesday flight with Air Europa and a Thursday flight with Monarch from Aberdeen. Think Monarch flight is in/out and to many places in such short times.

I will need to find out what happended to all the people who were waiting to depart from Aberdeen to Palma on 15 July who were waiting to board the flight we got off. It should have departed at 2.25pm but if we were 8 hours late not sure it would have left that day at all, Aberdeen airport usually shuts at 10pm.

That Aberdeen flight still went ahead as thats the plane we were waiting on from Aberdeen. Those people from Aberdeen arrived at Palma at 2.30am in the morning, then we took off at 3.20am. So it did still go ahead, it had to as they were also waiting 8 hours for their flight and no airport shuts if delays happen like this.

Claire

no airport shuts if delays happen like this

- don't be too sure about that, a couple of years ago I got hold of the operating rules for Faro (it's a long story!) and they would only stay open for one hour more than published for either a take off or landing, but not both. They probably aren't alone.

We had similar problems on that Thomson/Monarch Aberdeen flight in May. Managed to get some breakfast as the hotel restaurant allowed us in early for a continental breakfast. On arrival at the airport there was no wheelchair assistance despite being prebooked with the airport, Monarch and Thomsons. After struggling to the check in, it was on the opposite side from all the Thomson flights. All the reps were at the Thomson check in and there was a desk for wheelchair assistance but when we tried to get them to help they said they were for Thomson flights only and our tickets started MON for Monarch. After getting checked in we refused to leave the desk until we got a wheelchair and eventually the check in operator got a supervisor to organise a wheelchair (the supervisor also tried to persuade the "Thomson" helpers but they refused her too). This flight was delayed by just under three hours which actually in our case turned out to be a bit of a blessing as we may well have missed the flight if it had been on time. We did not get any kind of compensation, just a letter apologising for the delay. In the end we were just glad to be home.

On a slighly different matter my wife bought perfume on that flight priced at £60 in the Monarch brochure. She did not have pounds on her and offered to pay in Euros. She was charged €85. We only realised later that this was charged at a rate of 1.41!!!!

It would appear that Thomsons are chartering the flight but from then on are leaving everything up to Monarch. No Thomson reps, no Thomson assistance, and while the airport treat Thomsons as a big customer, they see Monarch as a budget customer. Thomsons should take note that we are still their customers regardless of the flight operator.

steve8482 wrote:

no airport shuts if delays happen like this

- don't be too sure about that, a couple of years ago I got hold of the operating rules for Faro (it's a long story!) and they would only stay open for one hour more than published for either a take off or landing, but not both. They probably aren't alone.

MJV - Murcia in Spain shuts at 2230 and will only extend the opening hours by 30 minutes. There has been plenty of times crew have got stuck there!

Aberdeen still shuts at 10pm, noticed the time tables. I thought so as I never hear the planes going over my house at nights.

Well despite what Aberdeen's timetable page said their arrivals board agrees a Monarch flight scheduled for 13:25 today. And it's running baout 25 minutes early , crossed the coast near Portsmouth around 12:30. Good days and bad days.....