QF MEL - SYD - MNL - what could possibly go wrong?

[RSD]

Normally when I write a trip report I like to focus on the positives and not worry about delays etc because I just figure that they happen for a reason and are usually beyond the airlines control. Unfortunately this trip report is going to be different...

First leg was QF414 MEL - SYD on Thursday, the flight was fine apart from one of the cabin crew who must surely have been the most surly, sour, whinging person that Qantas ever put in a uniform! In 30 years of flying Qantas all over the world I have never ever seen a Qantas crew member behave like this before - I don't think she managed a smile for the entire flight, the whole time she was seated during take off and landing all she did was whinge about anything and everything about her job - it was totally disgraceful behaviour. I kind of got the impression that she was a union shop steward and so unsackable or something like that.

QF19 SYD - MNL - the flight was quite good, good crew etc, it just seemed to drag a bit being a daylight flight. The real surprise was when I was collecting my baggage on arrival in Manila - my very large "Pelican-type" case came out onto the belt without its lid - oh f..k!! This particular case has (had) a lid that doesn't have a hinge but instead has ten super strong double action clips to hold the lid on all the way around. Unfortunately it quickly became obvious that it had done the flight from Sydney without the lid as all of the cameras, lenses and everything else inside was completely soaked with condensation inside and out. There was condensation in the lenses, right through the camera bodies - some small electrical shorts had occurred, everything was unusable - trip effectively ruined. It's got me buggered why they would load it onto the plane in Sydney without doing something to protect it when it would have been very obvious that there was a lot of very expensive camera gear in there. We had 2 hours 45 minutes on the ground in Sydney between the flights - surely if they didn't know what to do with it after it somehow arrived from Melbourne without the lid they could/should have called me for advice? I'm still stunned that the lid could somehow come off - six clips down each of the long sides and two on each end. Not Happy Jan!!

 

[RooFlyer]

Hmmmm ... I wonder if 'someone' was having a bit of a look inside - either for nefarious (theft) or OK (security) reasons, and couldn't get the lid back on?

Hope you had something to photograph the aftermath as soon as you saw it.

 

[RSD]

Hmmmm ... I winder if 'someone' was having a bit of a look inside - either for nefarious (theft) or OK (security) reasons, and couldn't get the lid back on?

Hope you had something to photograph the aftermath as soon as you saw it.

We took some photos with camera phones, getting the lid back on is very straight forward - and even if they somehow couldn't manage that then surely you would tape it on so as the lid at least turns up at the other end!

 

[Major]

Not a good start. I hope you submit a strongly worded complaint to QF

 

[RSD]

Not a good start. I hope you submit a strongly worded complaint to QF

Some "Not Happy Jan" discussions were had with the Qantas duty manager at Melbourne airport when I flew back in yesterday morning - especially after we watched the temporary tub that was purchased in Manila come off the plane upside down yesterday in Melbourne and then arrive on the luggage belt also upside down - its like they were really trying hard to break everything - and me!