Bad time with MAS

[Les69]

Just had a bad time with Malaysia Airways. After there 777 flight from Perth WA to KL broke down on the runway as it was taking off. They took us all back to the terminal and abandoned us to make our own arrangement for replacement flights. Is this normal for MAS? [email protected]

 

[cove]

How many people got dumped in Perth?

 

[munitalP]

Just had a bad time with Malaysia Airways. After their 777 flight from Perth WA to KL broke down on the runway as it was taking off. They took us all back to the terminal and abandoned us to make our own arrangement for replacement flights. Is this normal for MAS? [email protected]

Wow, thats terrible - keep us posted

 

[drmikki]

Can you give us some more information, such as what exactly happened to the plane (taxi or takeoff itself?) and whether any assistance was offered at all? Given there is a MH office in Perth and 2 further MH flights depart on Sunday night (one to KL and one to Kota Kinabalu) there's surely some room for manoeuvring some pax onto a later flight. Or AirAsia! (kidding...)

 

[mannej]

I think the actual fault with the plane is irrelevant. It seems very odd that MH would dump everyone and run.

+1 for letting us know more


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[straitman]

I think the actual fault with the plane is irrelevant. It seems very odd that MH would dump everyone and run.

+1 for letting us know more


Sent from my iPhone using AFF Mobile

Whilst it may be irrelevant it is of interest to many people here.




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[delfredo]

That's interesting. If it was Qantas, it'll be on the front page of the newspaper. Can you please share with us:

* what was communicated to affected passengers

* who communicated this (ie. airport staff or MAS staff at airport counter or stewardess in the plane)

 

[cove]

By the way Les69 welcome to the site.

 

[Les69]

You asked how many people got dumped in Perth? Everyone on board was just dumped. Approx. 150 people or more. Can you imagine all those people trying to re-arrange there flights? It was chaos. To think that they tell you that they stand for Malaysia hospitality. Don't know where there hospitality was that day? The plane was half way down the runway on take off. We were given a peace of paper telling us to ring their reservation number and re book.

 

[mannej]

You asked how many people got dumped in Perth? Everyone on board was just dumped. Approx. 150 people or more. Can you imagine all those people trying to re-arrange there flights? It was chaos. To think that they tell you that they stand for Malaysia hospitality. Don't know where there hospitality was that day? The plane was half way down the runway on take off. We were given a peace of paper telling us to ring their reservation number and re book.

Rejected Take-off, surprised it hasn't made it to the news.

I have heard some airlines do leave people with a number to ring to re-arrange travel plans. This normally happens when things go pear-shaped outside an airlines main hub.
Did MH provide any form of transport back to where you were staying?

It seems strange that a 5-star airline would not put much effort into service recovery.

 

[anat0l]

It seems strange that a 5-star airline would not put much effort into service recovery.

I think those ratings should be re-evaluated every year. Although they are not a bottom-of-the-barrel carrier by a long shot, it still behooves me how they keep that rating.

Irrelevant...so let's continue with the discussion (which I think should be moved off the Introductions forum soon...)

Welcome Les69 to AFF - funny you should talk about MH because I just finished a trip where I travelled with them (they are not my carrier of choice, but when you're travelling between Australia and Malaysia (and within), it's pretty difficult not to choose them).

A little bit of advice: probably not a good idea to put your email address directly on the forum boards - it makes it easier for spam bots to pick up, amongst other issues.


Now finally to your issue, obviously (although we don't have the full picture) the response from MH was not satisfactory. I would've expected that MH would at least have rebooked you all for the next flight (whether that was same day or next day). Of course, things get much more difficult if MH doesn't have a dedicated team in PER (which, although is still an assumption, I'm guessing is not the case: that is, they use a contractor like Toll Dnata or Menzies or whatever). But giving everyone the re-booking number which everyone (except for MH elites) will have to wait at least 15 minutes to get answered is a bit cold (although not entirely unexpected).

Now for those that don't live in PER, I'm surprised that they won't get any assistance (although it's not mandated in law per se). I'd also be worried about those with MH connections (even other airline connections, although they are not constrained to assist you unless the connections are on the same booking).

For your sake, I hope you had/have travel insurance and were onto MH on the double. That seems the best you can do now, apart from also preparing and sending a letter to MH voicing your disappointment. If you have connections on the same itinerary, I'd be seeking to get those actively rebooked plus you need to mention this in your letter. Don't actively seek compensation, because (a) it may not be coming, (b) there's no precedent for how much you should ask for, and (c) letting them decide to grovel or grave-sit is better than having you do it in the letter.

MH took better care of us when our KBR-KUL flight was cancelled resulting in our misconnecting to our KUL-BNE flight. Although it was a mildly chaotic process that involved going from check-in counter to sales desk and back again twice, eventually we managed to get rebooked onto the KUL-BNE flight the next day, the next KBR-KUL flight and overnight accommodation at the Pan Pacific KUL Airport with three meals and three IDD calls. Mind you, it helped alot that we were in MH territory (i.e. dealing with MH staff). They really didn't have to help us as our domestic and international flights were on different itineraries.

Good luck Les69 - hope you get the assistance you need. (This is my guess - you'll get what you need to get going, but it'll happen a lot slower than perhaps expected).

 

[ksthommo]

Googled and Perth flight aborted after 'technical glitch' - The West Australian

 

[anat0l]

Well that's interesting. According to the article all passengers were rebooked, fed and put up in hotels. Which I would expect is standard good protocol.

So what's (or rather, which is) the real deal here?

 

[delfredo]

So what's (or rather, which is) the real deal here?

Les69 - If you haven't been treated in the same manner as others (as per the news article), then you're entitled to have a discussion with MAS. Please share with us the outcome of this.

 

[Les69]

Rejected Take-off, surprised it hasn't made it to the news.

I have heard some airlines do leave people with a number to ring to re-arrange travel plans. This normally happens when things go pear-shaped outside an airlines main hub.
Did MH provide any form of transport back to where you were staying?

It seems strange that a 5-star airline would not put much effort into service recovery.

Yes MAS did give me a taxi chit to get home. I just could not beleave that they could not lift a finger to help their passengers.

 

[Les69]

Les69 - If you haven't been treated in the same manner as others (as per the news article), then you're entitled to have a discussion with MAS. Please share with us the outcome of this.

I have emailed MAS and im waiting for a reply

 

[mannej]

I have emailed MAS and im waiting for a reply

I would call the Perth office instead of waiting for a reply to the email- 9263 7000.

I have heard of other airlines doing something similar when things go wrong for them away from home, i.e here is a number, get home (by your own means if you are in your home city) and organise it with them.

Please let us know how everything goes with MH

 

[munitalP]

Yes MAS did give me a taxi chit to get home. I just could not believe that they could not lift a finger to help their passengers.

What am I missing here, MAS plane breaks, obviously not an easy fix, PAX not Perth residents get put up in a hotel and given a number to check status of next flight, PAX who are Perth residents get a taxi voucher to get home and a number to ring to check on flight status...

Les69, sorry to hear of your dilemma, and the inconvenience of a delayed flight such as you have experienced is annoying, but, I daresay the inconvenience of being dead because the pilots ignored the alarms would be worse, however, I'm hoping it's quite a number of years away before I can confirm that argument.

Let us know how it pans out, hopefully sent from your hotel in KL

 

[Les69]

What am I missing here, MAS plane breaks, obviously not an easy fix, PAX not Perth residents get put up in a hotel and given a number to check status of next flight, PAX who are Perth residents get a taxi voucher to get home and a number to ring to check on flight status...

Les69, sorry to hear of your dilemma, and the inconvenience of a delayed flight such as you have experienced is annoying, but, I daresay the inconvenience of being dead because the pilots ignored the alarms would be worse, however, I'm hoping it's quite a number of years away before I can confirm that argument.

Let us know how it pans out, hopefully sent from your hotel in KL

No problem of plane braking down. cough happens as Tony Abbot says. My complaint is about the the treatment by MAS. They could not care less about their passingers.

 

[munitalP]

No problem of plane braking down. cough happens as Tony Abbot says. My complaint is about the the treatment by MAS. They could not care less about their passingers.

Know that feeling, I've flown Ryan