Hi everyone
We have just spent SIX HOURS waiting at the Perth airport before being sent home. We boarded the plane, only to be told that there were technical difficulties and we had to disembark again. The plane has a fuel leak, and it is grounded INDEFINATELY. there are no other planes to take us, and all flights are full. It doesnt seem to matter that this flight was payed for by MARCH for most passangers, since it was an original flight not one of the extras that has been put on.
We are very angry and unimpressed with GARUDA. they had hardly any ground staff, it took THREE HOURS until some ground staff arrived to sort things out. No one knew what was going on, they were very disorganised and unhelpful. We sat and waited and waited and waited and waited.... What we were told would be a one hour delay went to 3 hours and kept growing.
Most passangers had been at the airport since 5 or 6am, many with young children. We went without breakfast and lunch, and were not given any food except a container of orange juice and 2 biscuits each. IMPRESSIVE - NOT! To make things worse we had been told to leave our hand luggage on the plane, and some people didn't have any money or anything with them!
Eventually they announced that we'd have to go home. Went on the plane to get our stuff, and then collected our suitcases. They then gave us a business card and told us to phone back in the afternoon to see what was happening. Couldn't they even do us the courtesy of notifying us!? On asking when we should phone, they replied, "phone back every hour". GREAT.... So on arriving home, we phoned the number we were instructed to call and SURPRISE SURPRISE "this call could not be connected..." the number doesn't exist! So we have to find another number to call, are put on hold, finally when someone answers they don't know what we're talking about so are put on hold AGAIN..... and they still know nothing.
We are VERY angry and upset. We understand that planes get grounded all the time BUT the way it was dealt with by Garuda was APPALLING. We only had 6 days in Bali, today is wasted so that takes it down to 5. There isn't even garuntee of a flight tomorrow and our hotel might very well give our specially requested connecting rooms away.
To make things worse, we spent 6.5 boring hours at the airport. When they told us the delay would be 1 hour, SOMEHOW the catering staff already knew that the delay would be at least 3 hours. SO WHY WERE WE NOT CORRECTLY INFORMED!?????????
If you are leaving Perth with garuda tomorrow morning, watch out. and as for others wanting to travel with this airline - AVOID IT AT ALL COST!!!!!!!
Does anyone have any comments ? We are not avid travellers so do not know how this is usually done.