Maleth confirms end of P&O partnership

[CarlaMarie]

1 hour ago, Megabear2 said:

From Antigua Airport site:

 

https://vcbia.com/?s=&r=&airline=&flight_number=Maleth

 

2023-12-02 20:00

Maleth-Aero

DB1106

Manchester Airport

cancelled

Manchester airport have the flight scheduled as arriving at 13:25 tomorrow. 

[carlanthony24]

2 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

From Antigua Airport site:

 

https://vcbia.com/?s=&r=&airline=&flight_number=Maleth

 

2023-12-02 20:00

Maleth-Aero

DB1106

Manchester Airport

cancelled

Antigua website showed it being cancelled on the arrivals page even though it was in the air. FR showing 01:30 departure. Flightaware showing departing in 4hrs 59mins. Route, altitude and speed is already filed for the way back.

Edited December 3, 2023 by carlanthony24

[Megabear2]

5 hours ago, carlanthony24 said:

Antigua website showed it being cancelled on the arrivals page even though it was in the air. FR showing 01:30 departure. Flightaware showing departing in 4hrs 59mins. Route, altitude and speed is already filed for the way back.

Excellent. 

[Guest]

My mum and sister flew back into Gatwick yesterday morning on a tui flight. They said it was utter bedlam when they were boarding. Due to delays, all Tui flights ended up leaving at once and they ended up with passengers in the wrong planes! The buses were taking pax to the wrong aircraft 😂 Good old Barbados airport.

 

On a side note, if aircraft capacity is going to be an issue for P&O going forwards, I’d rather have some onboard spend to offset the price of the flight and then be able to book my own. Or just have a cruise only option. 

[JungleJim42]

13 hours ago, carlanthony24 said:

Someone saying on another site that P&O are giving people £20PP for a drink and cabins till 9PM. 

Onboard they got

£20 OBC

100 minutes wifi

1 international phone call

a cabin until 10pm

 

and told they would get flight compensation forms on arrival UK

[Megabear2]

14 minutes ago, Glitterati said:

My mum and sister flew back into Gatwick yesterday morning on a tui flight. They said it was utter bedlam when they were boarding. Due to delays, all Tui flights ended up leaving at once and they ended up with passengers in the wrong planes! The buses were taking pax to the wrong aircraft 😂 Good old Barbados airport.

 

On a side note, if aircraft capacity is going to be an issue for P&O going forwards, I’d rather have some onboard spend to offset the price of the flight and then be able to book my own. Or just have a cruise only option. 

How delayed were the TUI flights? Assumedly some were weather related but for them all to be delayed seems rather odd.

[carlanthony24]

55 minutes ago, JungleJim42 said:

Onboard they got

£20 OBC

100 minutes wifi

1 international phone call

a cabin until 10pm

 

and told they would get flight compensation forms on arrival UK

Pretty good really. Never received anything like that when flying TUI back then we did not know we could get compensation from the airline. 

[jeanlyon]

As ex aircrew of 16 years, once you have weather related problems, or an aircraft goes tech, you have crew going out of hours and have to go to the on-call staff who are normally at home, so takes them a while to get to the airport.  Happy days!

Edited December 3, 2023 by jeanlyon

[Megabear2]

11 minutes ago, carlanthony24 said:

Pretty good really. Never received anything like that when flying TUI back then we did not know we could get compensation from the airline. 

Assuming it's based on the technical issue the compensation will be £520pp, so certainly not to be sniffed at.

[pennib]

Last year (2022 Christmas) the TUI flight from Manchester was over 5 hours late arriving in Barbados. Lots of people said you couldn’t claim compensation but we did and got £1050 for us both and we didn’t have to fight for it. 

[Cathygh]

2 hours ago, JungleJim42 said:

Onboard they got

£20 OBC

100 minutes wifi

1 international phone call

a cabin until 10pm

 

and told they would get flight compensation forms on arrival UK

I wonder if that was a decision made by Arvia's onboard management or shoreside? I have read that those left on Britannia were given the obc, but no cabin to use. 

[carlanthony24]

 I know this is not allowed but this guy always gets inside knowledge of things.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

How delayed were the TUI flights? Assumedly some were weather related but for them all to be delayed seems rather odd.

Most by between 30min to 2 hours. Which meant they all ended up leaving at once. 
 

Barbados airport is so chaotic. So I’m not surprised 😂

[Thejuggler]

There has been a live stream from Manchester Airport this morning, but its gone off air just minutes before it lands!

[Megabear2]

2 hours ago, Glitterati said:

Most by between 30min to 2 hours. Which meant they all ended up leaving at once. 
 

Barbados airport is so chaotic. So I’m not surprised 😂

That's pretty standard then.

[Interestedcruisefan]

52 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

That's pretty standard then.

Exactly my thoughts

 

Just a normal chaotic day at Barbados airport when Arvia guests depart

[Megabear2]

28 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Exactly my thoughts

 

Just a normal chaotic day at Barbados airport when Arvia guests depart

Never mind Arvia, it's been that way since Ventura and then Azura and Britannia!  Airport Expansion is planned into the Concorde Experience, perhaps P&O could fly everyone home on that!

[laslomas]

just a little aside, that came to mind after reading this thread. Maybe P&O should advertise their Caribbean cruises more widely in the U.S.  If they had more customers flying in from North America it would be easier to source enough planes for those coming from UK.

 

I have not been on a P&O Caribbean cruise, but have been with other cruise lines. The bulk of the passengers were from North America. They like the Caribbean. 

Edited December 3, 2023 by laslomas

[gsmt47471015]

14 minutes ago, laslomas said:

just a little aside, that came to mind after reading this thread. Maybe P&O should advertise their Caribbean cruises more widely in the U.S.  If they had more customers flying in from North America it would be easier to source enough planes for those coming from UK.

 

I have not been on a P&O Caribbean cruise, but have been with other cruise lines. The bulk of the passengers were from North America. They like the Caribbean. 

A lot of North Americans can sail out of there own country to reach the Caribbean, admittedly usually on seven day cruises but longer ones are available for them

[CarlaMarie]

Just read a review by a passenger who was meant to fly to Barbados on the 12 hour delayed Maleth flight on 1/12. They finally got to the ship at 230am yesterday morning but they were told that their luggage was stuck at the airport and not due until 9am, and at 10am they still hadn't received their cases. 

[laslomas]

29 minutes ago, gsmt47471015 said:

A lot of North Americans can sail out of there own country to reach the Caribbean, admittedly usually on seven day cruises but longer ones are available for them

But, due to the size of North America, huge numbers of those cruisers fly to their embarkation port. So, why not fly a bit further to Barbados to embark if they are flying anyway. I just think if P&O promoted cruises more in US it could relieve the necessity to get 5000+ passengers there from the UK for each sailing.

[Megabear2]

56 minutes ago, laslomas said:

But, due to the size of North America, huge numbers of those cruisers fly to their embarkation port. So, why not fly a bit further to Barbados to embark if they are flying anyway. I just think if P&O promoted cruises more in US it could relieve the necessity to get 5000+ passengers there from the UK for each sailing.

Rc had cruises departing Barbados a while back. The Americans hated them, didn't like the airport and immigration rules apparently. It was during the pandemic but they were very unpopular on the forum over there.

[kermchem]

I have no experience of Americans and cruise lines other than what I read, but it seems that the cruise and flight part of the fly-cruise are separate bookings, and the concept of a "package" holiday is unknown. Americans seem to fly, stay in hotel for a few days and then cruise. Buying a cruise "with air" seems to be the subject of many a discussion thread.

P&O are mass-selling winter long-haul fly-cruises from Barbados to Brits, up to 28 months in advance, when flight schedules are only available at 12 months, P&O don't actually own an airline (unlike Marella / Tui) and UK airports fall apart at the mere forecast of half an inch of snow, and they are doing it with bigger ships than before. Oh, and those passengers walk off the plane and onto the ship same day.

Amazes me it even works. Sorry to hear that the rubber band broke this weekend.

[Tynkabell]

FYI regarding the luggage allowance, confirmation from p&o

[Guest]

Just a warning for those flying with Tui- they are getting strict at check in for cabin bag size. We use a standard IT luggage cabin case (and have done for years on Tui (for P&O), Jet2, BA, Virgin). Last month my sister got pulled up for her case. It fits in the measurements P&O give us but Tui check in agents are being strict. I’m sure you could argue it if it fits the measurements P&O give you.