ATN on strike

Hi all

I just found out that ATN went on strike as of today. The news comes

from Tahti traveler.check that web site .

Hi Tattoo! Thanks for this information. Let's hope for the best and keep watching. ATN's site is updating - they cancelled a flight yesterday and another today but placed pax on other flights, which is good news.

http://www.airtahitinui-usa.com/company/flight-disruption.asp

We can only hope that it will be over by the time we go on the

26th

The last time we got stuck the pickets blocked the bridges.

It lasted a day.

Soooooo we will keep our fingers crossed.

Before our LAST (2008) PG sailing there was a short strike. If they had only done this while we were in FP and not LA!

"Hello Dad? Can you keep the kids a few more days? We're STUCK in Tahiti":D

I have been googling for info on the strike.

One web site claims pilots are unhappy that not enough pilots have been hired for summer. Another states that they are unhappy because TOO MANY have been hired.:confused:

All flights operating as scheduled today (so far) as well.

ATN was the main sponsor of a pretty large stand up paddleboarding competition in FP this weekend. Strategic timing!

ATN Striking with some flights cancelled. Oh heck no...... Been on hold with atn for 30 minutes. Web site informative but nothing posted from yesterday.... oh hell

mariah

Just talked to an agent. Cancelled today, hope to have more info later this afternoon....

I feel terrible for Mariah. I wonder if she was able to make other arrangements to get out to the ship. This appears to be a general strike affecting the airport. Yikes. FYI Spirit Airlines is also set to strike at 12:01 AM tomorrow. Tis the season?

UPDATE #3

June 11, 2010

11:45AM

Dear Sir/Madam

Air Tahiti Nui regrets to announce that there will not be a flight today from Los Angeles to Tahiti. We are not able to provide an update as to when the next flight will depart. The reason for this is that the civic servant workers at the airport in Tahiti remain on strike and we have no indication from them as to when they will return to work. Accordingly, we cannot advise of when our next flight may depart. For passengers originating from Los Angeles to Paris, this aircraft is stranded on the ground in Tahiti. Accordingly, until the strike is lifted, we are not able to advise our next flight to CDG. Please do not proceed to the airport counter. We apologize for this situation, which is as frustrating for us as it is to you. As Tahiti is 3 hours behind the Los Angeles time zone, there is a remote possibility that the strike could be settled in the afternoon in Tahiti, which would be early evening tonight in Los Angeles. Accordingly, we ask that you continue to monitor our website or contact our reservations office from 4:00PM onwards. If we are not able to have service departing this evening, we hope the strike will be lifted tomorrow and we hope that we can depart by mid day tomorrow. Again, we apologize for this inconvenience and thank you for your understanding. Air Tahiti Nui - North America

Also, from Radio NZ....

Posted at 19:19 on 11 June, 2010 UTC

One international flight to French Polynesia has been cancelled after a call for a general strike led to some disruptions in Tahiti. Domestic flights in and out of Tahiti have operated as planned but a flight by Air Calin has been cancelled amid concern that the strike will leave the airport short of the required number of firefighters. An Air Tahiti Nui flight from Paris due tonight is blocked in Los Angeles. The strike, which started in the early hours, followed unsuccessful talks with the government and the French high commission over union demands to relaunch the economy, improving employment and reforming social security provisions.

The action has paralysed the Papeete port, stopping the Moorea ferry but schools managed to open for the national French school exams. There are reports of sit-ins at some public buildings, involving a cross-section of employees. Unsuccessful talks were held yesterday in a bid to find an agreement and a further meeting between the collective of 11 unions and the government is due to be held later today. News Content © Radio New Zealand International PO Box 123, Wellington, New Zealand

Well I'm just heartbroken. SO far, one flight is definetely cancelled and mine is not cancelled yet. They just cancelled both today but said check back after 6 or so. Paul Gaugain is simply saying it is out of their hands (I'm sure it is) and haven't offered any alterntives....

Shipped my kid to CA, took off work and am packed.... No one joined me on roll call so hopefully I am one of the few.... :(. thanks for your positive thoughts..

mariah

MY EARLIER POST misspoke...it isn't the airlines. thanks for the intel angler...

Here is an updated situation on Air Tahiti Nui’s flights:

• PPT-LAX - Friday June 11:
  

TN02 & TN08 – CANCELLED

• LAX-PPT - Saturday June 12:
  

TN07 - CANCELLED

TN01 - CANCELLED

• There is a possibility that Air Tahiti Nui will be able to operate a flight at approximately 12:55pm on Saturday, June 12th LAX-PPT. We hope to have an update at about 9:00AM PDT, Saturday morning. Please monitor this website or call our reservations at 1-877-824-4846.
  
• LAX - CDG - Saturday, June 12th
  

TN07 - 12:30 PM departure – CANCELLED

• For Paris bound passengers, please do not come to the airport. At such time that the CDG flights resume, ATN will contact you with updated flight information.
  

Air Tahiti Nui apologizes for these delays, which is beyond the airlines control due to the civic servant strike in Tahiti.

Air Tahiti Nui - North America

Our hearts go out to you Mariah.

We were on tenterhooks till the last minute before our cruise because of the volcanic eruption but were lucky.

Hope you find an alternative solution.

Sincerely

Brian & Tony

It looks like the major problem is that there are not sufficient Firefighters at the PPT airport to allow planes to takeoff and land.

See: http://qa.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/4836586/

Hi Guys!

Just back in Phoenix from two days of utter heck trying to figure out what to do!! PG said fly from phx to la in case they would get one flight out at 1 pm. We did, got to the airport and got in line..many people showing up at the airline were shocked and amazed when they walked up and saw that all flights were cancelled. Some TN personnel told us that EVEN IF there was a 1 pm flight, people from the four flights cancelled before us would be sent out and it was UNLIKELY we would get out 24-48 hours after the strike was lifted. Later other TN personnel said we should wait a few hours and see if the strike was resolved. They handed out sheets of paper saying they weren't liable, they weren't accomodating hotel rooms, we should go back to our hotels and watch the web site. Then the web site said MAYBE at 1145 pm flight. ... PG told us they would put us up at hotel room and then said they wouldn't. THey would NOT agree to just rebook us at a later trip this summer. They said if the flight left at midnight, they would figure out a way to get us out to the boat even if we missed a day or two (ignoring the fact that TN people said they'd send out the prior cancelled flight people before us.

PG people at the airport were nice but just as clueless and at TN's mercy. The TN people actually became rude.... PG people said they'd call us back and didn't. PG emergency line said they were clueless. MY TA was nowhere to be found. I just think PG should have had a plan and conveyed it. SOme said the PG ship actually couldn't even dock and was hanging out in Moorea or somewhere waiting for the port to open.

That's my tale of woe for my first cruise ever, the trip of a lifetime... not what I had been dreaming of for 8 months....

mariah

Mariah, I am so sorry for your trouble! What a nightmare! The most difficult thing seems to be ATN and PG are (as you so eloquently said) CLUELESS!!!!! Its been a few days now, they should have been able to get creative minds together to deal with this situation! NOT give contradictory info, and it sounds like both corporate entities are trying to make sure they do as little as possible to accommodate you.

I can't believe PG said they would not allow you to rebook!!!!!!!!

I am very PO'd at your treatment - particularly at PG! My time at the ticket counter comes two weeks from yesterday - the 26th - and even if the strike is settled and the airport is back to normal, hearing your story is making me very, very mad at these corporations. What happened to customer service????? Especially in these trying circumstances???

Let us know if there is any positive end to this story......

Sending good thoughts your way

:confused:

I'm scheduled to go on the June 19th sailing:( Not sure what is going to happen. I'm going to call PG today and see what my options are. I would love to hear updates from the June 12th sailing to see what PG has communicated with them. So sad......this is our 10 year anniversary trip that we have been planning (in our mind) for 10 years!:(

Are those who booked air through PG getting a different result? I believe Air France (?) flies to FP and there are probably other indirect routes to get there. Isn't PG obligated to get you to the ship (if they can) if flights they booked for you are cancelled?

We did book our airfare through PG! The entire airport was shut down due to the firefighter's strike so NO airline (Hawaiian flies there) could get in or OUT. I can't feel too sorry for those souls stuck on the boat for an extra two or three days but I know people have personal circumstances that may cause that to be a hardship.

We had honeymooner's at the airport with us and one couple, it was their 40th wedding anniversary..another had flown out from New Jersey....No one had called to tell them of the strike. I wouldn't have known except for this board. The PG reps at the airport couldn't tell us whether or not PG would rebook us or not, whether they would pay for the room we had to get to wait until the next day... We were told that if a flight went out the next morning and they could get us to the ship for a shorter cruise they would consider that a done deal.

I just wanted PG to communicate with ATN, recognize that we wouldn't get out for AT LEAST 24-48 hours and tell us what our options were, even if we didn't like it. A) you can rebook with no penalties B) you can take a shorter cruise if the strike is lifted C) tough toenails, this is what trip insurance covers or ANYTHING>>>>>

Now they are offering to rebook without penalties (big woop) but it doesn't cover the airfare we incurred to get to LA, my daughter's airfare to stay with family this week, hotel and meal stayover in LA... time off work.... etc.

Sorry to whine so much. I notice ATN has not cancelled todays flights yet. I just hope and pray all of this is a bad dream for those of you on June 19 or 26......

mariah

Mariah - what a mess! So sorry for your disappointment.

We are scheduled to depart on June 19th - and I just learned of this strike this morning. Yikes. Thank you for post your experiences - I hope that things do work out for you in some fashion. My husband's response was - doesn't it just figure, the deal of a lifetime, and foiled by a stike.

As for myself, forewarned is forearmed for those of us on the next week's cruise. At least we will know what to look out for. Imagine arriving in LAX and having such a surprise.

What happened to the closing June 5th cruisers lately?

Maddle

The strike that is afflicting French Polynesia is a General Strike and not one specific to ATN. Most civil servants and Public Administrations are on strike. Some firemen at the airport refuse to respond to requisition orders which means that International Air Traffic (all airlines, not only ATN) is suspended. Apparently about 3500 travellers are now stranded.

http://en.tahitipresse.pf/2010/06/general-strike-still-on-negotiations-on-hold/

and (in French) :

http://www.latribune.fr/entreprises/services/transport-logistique/20100613trib000519256/la-greve-a-tahiti-bloque-3.500-voyageurs-aeriens-.html

Hope that the problem is resolved soon and that you can all cruise serenely.

B & T

I read early this morning that the President is bringing in government employess to fill in the firefighters roles so the airport can reopen?

I read early this morning that the President is bringing in government employess to fill in the firefighters roles so the airport can reopen?

That's also my understanding, but it seems that they have a bunch of stranded pax to deliver first.

This is all so sad, and I'm sorry for all those who are missing their long hoped-for dream vacations. It's too bad that PG Cruises is not stepping up to the plate better, but I'm not surprised. For several reasons:

- they are a new enterprise and struggling with the economic downturn that has decimated tourism in FP, so they will hesitate to dispense largesse

- FP is very isolated, so there's not much that the cruiseline or airline for that matter could do to work around the situation

- the tourist industry in FP in general is badly run; they don't really know their you-know-what from a hole in the ground, and it sounds like PG Cruises is inheriting some of that dysfunction

Let's hope this gets resolved and that you all will end up having your dream vacations, sooner or later.

I think it's highly likely that any strike in FP is disorganized and poorly planed . The havoc must be maddening for visitors, vendors and the workers. I wonder how many people got aboard Saturday. If the airport closed, then even people on a pre cruise stay on BB for example wouldn't have made it to Papeete, right? Oh, how maddening. All the airlines, hotels and ships should have a statement by now. They can't fix the problem, but it sure would be helpful to communicate with customers with a daily status, update or plan. Bailey owns lots of hotels and is a fixture in Tahitian biz. He should be leading the effort to communicate IMO. Sorry for any typos.

I actually happen to be in regular contact with one of the senior pilots at Air Tahiti Nui, and what I understand is that ATN pilots are so frustrated by all of this. They would love to fly, and the smaller planes between the islands can fly, but the larger intercontinental ones are not allowed to land due to not enough firefighters being on call because of the strike. What he is writing on his weblog is that it is not just ATN, also all flights from Air New Zealand, Air France, etc are all cancelled too.