Calm weather at WLG sees VA bump pax

[markis10]

Calm Wellington weather is being blamed for 20 passengers being bumped off their Brisbane-bound plane.

The Virgin Australia flight from Wellington on Saturday afternoon was delayed by two hours as flight crew waited for 20 of the 167 passengers to voluntarily surrender their seats.
The airline blamed "light winds" for the last-minute bump-off, which was needed to shed weight before takeoff.
Passenger Chris Eichbaum said people were surprised when cabin crew told them that, because of the lack of wind at Wellington Airport, people would need to volunteer to leave with their bags before the aircraft could take off.
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Cabin crew pleaded with passengers to volunteer, offering a free night's accommodation and a meal in a Wellington hotel.
"They left in ones and twos, accompanied by sympathetic applause from those remaining behind as they did so," Mr Eichbaum said.
He was annoyed that passengers off-loaded had bought tickets in good faith and should have expected the airlines to meet their side of the deal.

Read more: Virgin Australia | Passengers bumped from Wellington flight due to lack of wind

LOL re the comment in RED, what other choice was on offer??
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[SeaWolf]

Wow, I had no idea that the runway at Wellington was so short. You'd kind of think that being the country's capital and all that it would have a better equipped airport.

 

[JessicaTam]

I guess the windiest capital city in the world caught them out when the wind died. Interesting that they rely on the wind for their take off air speed.

 

[haydensydney]

You'd think they would offload a crate of freight rather than inconvenience 20 passengers.

 

[docjames]

You'd think they would offload a crate of freight rather than inconvenience 20 passengers.

Depends on the yield of each, in fact how much freight they were carrying at all.

I wonder if offloading sufficient luggage was an option?

 

[Fifa]

A free night's accommodation and a meal wouldn't cut the mustard for me...
For the inconvenience I'd want decent compensation to accompany the 'freebies'!

 

[kpc]

A free night's accommodation and a meal wouldn't cut the mustard for me...
For the inconvenience I'd want decent compensation to accompany the 'freebies'!

You are a tough cookie Fifa! They would have to offer me a lot more to stay an extra night at Wellington!...irrespective of whether I needed to work the next day

 

[UP4014]

A free night's accommodation and a meal wouldn't cut the mustard for me...
For the inconvenience I'd want decent compensation to accompany the 'freebies'!

Agree, hotel and meal, plus booze until the bar is closed and business on the next flight.

 

[UP4014]

20 people at about 13 people to the tonne, plus bags might be 2 tonne.

It was silly to wait until everyone was on board and then ask, very silly indeed.

 

[whatmeworry]

You'd think they would offload a crate of freight rather than inconvenience 20 passengers.

Obviously they value their freight more then they do their pax.

You are a tough cookie Fifa! They would have to offer me a lot more to stay an extra night at Wellington!...irrespective of whether I needed to work the next day

Agree, hotel and meal, plus booze until the bar is closed and business on the next flight.

Not just business class but business SC's and points and compensation points.

 

[markis10]

Obviously they value their freight more then they do their pax.

Big assumption that they had any, at best a 738 will take 3.6T.

 

[aupirate]

I will never forget landing in an ATR in Wellington from ZQN. I honestly thought we were going to crash, my 9 yr old daughter looked at me across the aisle and said Daddy are we going to be ok? I just hope that I had a smile on my face even if it was through clenched teeth. The sea was breaking over the breakwater on the southern end of the runway. We boarded our connecting 737 to AKL, I swear to god the aircraft was rocking on its suspension at the gate due to the strong winds. After take off the Captain apologised for the bumpy start to the flight and remarked that the airport had just been closed due to adverse weather conditions. Seems a long way removed from Virgin`s latest drama.