The choice is yours! 20 AUG 2008: This harks back to the early days of the seventies and eighties, when charter travel and tour operators occasionally resembled the wild west rather than the more sedate and corporate businesses they are today. However, stunned passengers on a plane at Newcastle airport got a taste of the bad old days when faced with a choice – half of the 150 passengers on board had to get off the flight, or, all could travel - but the luggage stayed behind – the plane was too heavy.
The passengers were allegedly told that there was only enough fuel to take 70 passengers and the luggage.
When there were two few volunteers to make a difference, they were informed that the only alternative was to leave the baggage on the tarmac.
Though they were assured their bags would follow them to Crete, the passengers allegedly ended up spending the first few days of their holiday in Crete with only the clothes they were wearing.
One couple said it took three days for part of their luggage to arrive – only after they had spent hundreds on new clothes and toiletries. (Rule one for passengers whose bags are lost by the airline is pretty well standard - spend hundreds). It was 24 hours more before the final case showed up.
The couple said they had booked their holiday through Kosmar Holidays which chartered a flight with Viking Airlines, a Swedish company which operates flights to and from Greece.
Neither company were available to comment.
|
