Maleth confirms end of P&O partnership

[Yorkie69]

4 minutes ago, SquishTheWhale said:

That's a pretty significant delay- I'm assuming original flight was 9am ish? So you should be entitled under eu261 and your insurance. 

 

I'd be pretty annoyed if I'd got up at silly o clock to drive to the airport to find that out. Especially passengers that will have kids with them.

Several small babies in the queue and the parents appeared livid. Flight was due to depart at 09:30 but we all knew there were issues when the flight stopped showing on Gatwick departures on Wednesday. The decision to use Maleth has backfired spectacularly on P & O and they must have lost so many loyal customers. 
The flight out of Antigua today is going to be heavily delayed also and the flight has been removed from the departure information for the airport in Antigua. 

[Sussexboy]

I agree it’s a shambles, and in your place I would be extremely angry at being messed about like that. I also agree that the decision to use Maleth has probably lost customers. However that must be weighed against what would have happened if they didn’t use Maleth. With so little air passenger capacity available P&O would have been forced to cancel many customers dream Caribbean cruise, which would have been disastrous. So they took the least worst option. The question that springs to my mind is why did Maleth have that passenger capacity when others did not? That should have rung some alarm bells when setting up the contract.

[Yorkie69]

48 minutes ago, Sussexboy said:

I agree it’s a shambles, and in your place I would be extremely angry at being messed about like that. I also agree that the decision to use Maleth has probably lost customers. However that must be weighed against what would have happened if they didn’t use Maleth. With so little air passenger capacity available P&O would have been forced to cancel many customers dream Caribbean cruise, which would have been disastrous. So they took the least worst option. The question that springs to my mind is why did Maleth have that passenger capacity when others did not? That should have rung some alarm bells when setting up the contract.

Thanks for the reply Sussexboy. Although I agree that Maleth were probably the only option for flights this winter but we tried to cancel when P&O announced Maleth as the operator but we were told this wasn’t a possibility unless we lost our deposit. P & O had an option at that point to manage the expectations of the customer but instead forced those that had booked before Maleth was announced to lose their money or put up with the issues we all knew would likely happen with an airline with little or no resource when things went wrong. I would have preferred the option to cancel/move the cruise deposit but was told that this wasn’t going to happen, this leading to another customer who will now look at taking their business elsewhere.

Edited January 27 by Yorkie69
Grammar issues

[CarlaMarie]

@Yorkie69 I am sorry to hear that your flight is delayed. You really do feel for all passengers involved.

 

Have either Maleth or P&O given a reason for today's lengthy delay? 

[Yorkie69]

8 minutes ago, CarlaMarie said:

@Yorkie69 I am sorry to hear that your flight is delayed. You really do feel for all passengers involved.

 

Have either Maleth or P&O given a reason for today's lengthy delay? 

Nothing said. The P and O employee at check in told me he had just been told of the delay when we were arriving. Maleth and P&O definitely knew this flight was never leaving on time earlier this week but it was on the Gatwick departures website last night that the flight was 15:00. I suspect nothing was sent to passengers as the airline and P&O have a contract with Swissport for check in staff at 06:00 and I would think it would cost to move the contracted hours of the check in staff or Swissport may have no resource if passengers turned up at midday. Instead we were all just expected to arrive before 06:30 and then spend the next 8.5 hours (if the delay doesn’t get any longer) in the airport.

[CarlaMarie]

7 minutes ago, Yorkie69 said:

Thanks for the reply Sussexboy. Although I agree that Maleth were probably the only option but we tried to cancel when they were announced but we were told this wasn’t a possibility unless we lost our deposit. P and O had an option at that point to manage the expectations of the customer but instead forced those that had booked before Maleth was announced to lose their money or put up with the issues we all knew would likely happen with an airline with little or no resource when things went wrong. I would have preferred the option to cancel/move the cruise deposit but was told that this wasn’t possible.

 

I know there are many who are defending Maleth and P&O (lengthy thread on TA). Yes Maleth was probably the only option and we all know delays happen with airlines, but P&O would have been well aware of the standard of the planes/service, their lack of resources and contingency for when things go wrong.

 

Somebody mentioned the contract with Maleth was signed last March, months before passengers were informed in September/October.  So they should have given passengers options rather than just drop the change on them and to be told they'll lose their deposits/cruise if they cancel. 

 

As the problems and issues continue, I am amazed that P&O are not making sure that communication is being kept up between them and the airline so that passengers can be well informed.

[Bill Y]

Flightradar currently shows.

Maleth DB1103 (9H-MFS) LGW- ANU 15:00 Est dep 15:20

 

(9H-MFS) CHR (Chateauroux) Est dep 13;10 - LGW

 

Apparently it should have left CHR at 18:00 last night

Edited January 27 by Bill Y

[Yorkie69]

47 minutes ago, CarlaMarie said:

 

I know there are many who are defending Maleth and P&O (lengthy thread on TA). Yes Maleth was probably the only option and we all know delays happen with airlines, but P&O would have been well aware of the standard of the planes/service, their lack of resources and contingency for when things go wrong.

 

Somebody mentioned the contract with Maleth was signed last March, months before passengers were informed in September/October.  So they should have given passengers options rather than just drop the change on them and to be told they'll lose their deposits/cruise if they cancel. 

 

As the problems and issues continue, I am amazed that P&O are not making sure that communication is being kept up between them and the airline so that passengers can be well informed.

We have had nothing from either so far. Only one employee trying to manage some very upset people at check in.

[Sussexboy]

51 minutes ago, CarlaMarie said:

 

I know there are many who are defending Maleth and P&O (lengthy thread on TA). Yes Maleth was probably the only option and we all know delays happen with airlines, but P&O would have been well aware of the standard of the planes/service, their lack of resources and contingency for when things go wrong.

 

Somebody mentioned the contract with Maleth was signed last March, months before passengers were informed in September/October.  So they should have given passengers options rather than just drop the change on them and to be told they'll lose their deposits/cruise if they cancel. 

 

As the problems and issues continue, I am amazed that P&O are not making sure that communication is being kept up between them and the airline so that passengers can be well informed.

I think you have hit the nail on the head there, it appears that there is no contingency plan, and a serious lack of communication to the end customers who actually pay for this fiasco. Here’s hoping that Yorkie69 has a great cruise once they can get there…..

[Yorkie69]

7 minutes ago, Sussexboy said:

I think you have hit the nail on the head there, it appears that there is no contingency plan, and a serious lack of communication to the end customers who actually pay for this fiasco. Here’s hoping that Yorkie69 has a great cruise once they can get there…..

Fingers crossed we’ll get there and P&O will manage the issue with those affected better than at present.

[david63]

I can understand the dilemma that P&O found themselves in with a shortage of charter flights and, to use an apt pun, found that it was an "any port in a storm" scenario.

 

I think that the underlying problem is that in Carnival's eyes P&O is at the bottom of the pile (if not then very close and falling rapidly) and doesn't warrant much attention. You can see with Carnival that their focus is on the American market - you only have to look at how many Americans use Cunard as opposed to P&O.

 

However none of that absolves P&O from yet another mismanagement probably caused by everything being done "on the cheap" - peanuts and monkeys comes to mind.

 

Sadly what was once one of the premier cruise lines in the world has sunk to unfathomable levels since it came under the Carnival umbrella and I cannot see the situation changing anytime soon.

[Eddie99]

Poor you.  You have my sympathy

 

If it’s any consolation (I hope it is), when we were delayed on a Thompson flight heading to P&O in the Caribbean, P&O we’re super.  (So were Thompson, but that’s another story)

We were delayed from about 9am till about 7pm (I don’t remember exactly)

Once we got to Barbados everything worked like clockwork.  It was in pre-Covid days, so we were dreading having to wait till the whole plane-load of pax arrived to attend the old fashioned muster but no, we were spoken to in busload sized groups, during which time our luggage got to the cabins.  There was *an enhanced buffet* available for those who wanted

… and after we had fallen into our bed and had a few solid hours sleep, hey, guess what, we were on a lovely liner, cruising in the Caribbean 

That’ll be you this time tomorrow 

And you can look forward to €600pp (iirc) compensation, as long as that’s still around post-Brexit

 

 

[doog442]

An announcement has just gone up on Arvia. A Maleth Aero flight home has been delayed at least 4 hours and guests will be disembarking at 1800hrs. An audible groan went up from the MDR. 

Edited January 27 by doog442

[Yorkie69]

50 minutes ago, doog442 said:

An announcement has just gone up on Arvia. A Maleth Aero flight home has been delayed at least 4 hours and guests will be disembarking at 1800hrs. An audible groan went up from the MDR. 

They’ll be lucky if it’s only four hours late as we are sat at Gatwick still and we’ll be upwards of 6 hours late departing out on that aircraft. The plane is yet to arrive here so expecting a further delay. I expect they’ll bus you all to airport anyway as we were told to turn up at Gatwick at 6am even though the flight was delayed until 15:00 at least!

 

[molecrochip]

Firstly, I do have sympathy with the poster. It is not a good way to start your holiday.

 

3 hours ago, Yorkie69 said:

The P and O employee at check in told me he had just been told of the delay when we were arriving. Maleth and P&O definitely knew this flight was never leaving on time earlier this week 

Can you prove P&O knew? If Maleth told them that yesterday when it was updated on Gatwick's website then there was little they could do - especially if, as I suspect, its correct about Swissport not being able to move check-in time. Communication of problems from Maleth to P&O seems to be a specific issue. 

 

To be fair, you could have been on Tui today and if that flight was delayed 6 hours, the airport experience would not have been much different. Been there, experienced that.

3 hours ago, CarlaMarie said:

I know there are many who are defending Maleth and P&O (lengthy thread on TA). Yes Maleth was probably the only option and we all know delays happen with airlines, but P&O would have been well aware of the standard of the planes/service, their lack of resources and contingency for when things go wrong.

 

Somebody mentioned the contract with Maleth was signed last March, months before passengers were informed in September/October.  So they should have given passengers options rather than just drop the change on them and to be told they'll lose their deposits/cruise if they cancel. 

I don't believe the March date is correct. Travel Weekly reported that Maleth was announced within days of the contract being signed. Maleth is relatively new, especially in the passenger market. It seems one of their bigger issues is recruiting cabin crew.

 

The courts have already determined that package holidays or plane operators, have to provide a service from A-B as broadly specified to meet their contract. Food & drink, TVs, enhanced classes are all nice to have but do not form part of the contractual service. Flights from London can also mean any Gatwick or Heathrow. The booking usually states a flight on a specific day rather than a specific time as airlines often change the times of their flights.

2 hours ago, Yorkie69 said:

We have had nothing from either so far. Only one employee trying to manage some very upset people at check in.

That will likely be the P&O staff member from the Southampton office on duty.

2 hours ago, Sussexboy said:

I think you have hit the nail on the head there, it appears that there is no contingency plan, 

And lets say that that is correct. The two options were take a newish charter operator with limited contingency plans, or cancel lots of holidays.

1 hour ago, david63 said:

I can understand the dilemma that P&O found themselves in with a shortage of charter flights and, to use an apt pun, found that it was an "any port in a storm" scenario.

 

I think that the underlying problem is that in Carnival's eyes P&O is at the bottom of the pile (if not then very close and falling rapidly) and doesn't warrant much attention. You can see with Carnival that their focus is on the American market - you only have to look at how many Americans use Cunard as opposed to P&O.

 

However none of that absolves P&O from yet another mismanagement probably caused by everything being done "on the cheap" - peanuts and monkeys comes to mind.

 

Sadly what was once one of the premier cruise lines in the world has sunk to unfathomable levels since it came under the Carnival umbrella and I cannot see the situation changing anytime soon.

Hang on... this is just American corporation bashing without basis. P&O is not eyed as a bottom of the company cruise line. It has significant attention and support from the corporation, and those in Carnival UK actually lead and influence in lots of areas of corporation policy. Cunard is led as part of Carnival UK by the same bloke as P&O.

 

America is the biggest cruise market in the world so it makes sense that the Corporation has a big focus here however P&O along with Aida , Costa, P&O Australia and Carnival are region specific cruise lines focusing primarily on local custom.  P&O is 98% British customers and doesn't routinely advertise outside of the UK. Cunard has key markets in the UK, US, Japan, Germany and Australia and advertises in all of them.

 

Every brand has to evolve to meet the changing needs of its audience. If you like the P&O of old then maybe Princess or Saga is a better fit. P&O has evolved to continue to be the first choice cruise line in the UK for UK passengers.

 

Finally, you say on "the cheap", if Maleth were the only option, its unlikely they were cheap, as that position commands a premium.

[molecrochip]

54 minutes ago, Yorkie69 said:

They’ll be lucky if it’s only four hours late as we are sat at Gatwick still and we’ll be upwards of 6 hours late departing out on that aircraft. The plane is yet to arrive here so expecting a further delay. I expect they’ll bus you all to airport anyway as we were told to turn up at Gatwick at 6am even though the flight was delayed until 15:00 at least!

The Manchester Maleth flight has been delayed by 4hrs. That delay has been incurred since arriving at Manchester this morning.

[lancashire_cruisers]

3 hours ago, david63 said:

I can understand the dilemma that P&O found themselves in with a shortage of charter flights and, to use an apt pun, found that it was an "any port in a storm" scenario.

 

I think that the underlying problem is that in Carnival's eyes P&O is at the bottom of the pile (if not then very close and falling rapidly) and doesn't warrant much attention. You can see with Carnival that their focus is on the American market - you only have to look at how many Americans use Cunard as opposed to P&O.

 

However none of that absolves P&O from yet another mismanagement probably caused by everything being done "on the cheap" - peanuts and monkeys comes to mind.

 

Sadly what was once one of the premier cruise lines in the world has sunk to unfathomable levels since it came under the Carnival umbrella and I cannot see the situation changing anytime soon.

I think that’s a very unfair assessment other than cancelling a significant portion of the Caribbean season what option did P&O have?

 

Aviation is still recovering post-COVID and it isn’t as if the airlines have a cupboard full of spare aeroplanes they can pull out on a whim 🙄

[carlanthony24]

2 hours ago, Yorkie69 said:

They’ll be lucky if it’s only four hours late as we are sat at Gatwick still and we’ll be upwards of 6 hours late departing out on that aircraft. The plane is yet to arrive here so expecting a further delay. I expect they’ll bus you all to airport anyway as we were told to turn up at Gatwick at 6am even though the flight was delayed until 15:00 at least!

 

Even though it said delayed until 15:00 that could have improved or they could have found another company to take you that’s why they still ask you to arrive at the time specified pretty common for companies to do this.

[carlanthony24]

Look at TUI right now struggling for planes to fill the Marella cruises. They wet leased Norse the other day to take guests to Phuket. The flight had to be delayed due to crew needing minimum rest. They have aircrafts stuck in Cape Verde because of a dust storm. They have hired ETF Airways, Titan, Wamos and Privilege Style. For winter season which is not peak season if you like they are struggling.

[Castle25]

Departed at 16:02

[cheshire]

Flight radar is showing all Maleth flights today (Saturday) pretty much on time leaving the uk

 

MLT 1103 LGW -Antigua due 20:17

32 min delay

MLT 1105 MAN -Antigua  arrived 14:25

14 minutes early 

TUI have a long delay on the 11;35 Manchester to Barbados flight.  This left over three hours late today. Due in at 16:20 now due at 19:15

 

there may be other flights but they’re not showing anywhere.  

[cheshire]

10 minutes ago, cheshire said:

Flight radar is showing all Maleth flights today (Saturday) pretty much on time leaving the uk

 

MLT 1103 LGW -Antigua due 20:17

32 min delay

MLT 1105 MAN -Antigua  arrived 14:25

14 minutes early 

TUI have a long delay on the 11;35 Manchester to Barbados flight.  This left over three hours late today. Due in at 16:20 now due at 19:15

 

there may be other flights but they’re not showing anywhere.  

A bit naughty by Maleth.  Rather than show a delay they have “rescheduled” the flight so that those looking can’t see any issue. Should have left at 10:30 at least Eu261 should pay €600 each!! 

[carlanthony24]

22 minutes ago, cheshire said:

A bit naughty by Maleth.  Rather than show a delay they have “rescheduled” the flight so that those looking can’t see any issue. Should have left at 10:30 at least Eu261 should pay €600 each!! 

Nothing naughty about it. FR24 is just having a moment. FR24 is just not capturing the information correctly on that flight. Happens from time to time. Seems like its capturing when they refiled the flight plan. FlightAware does not pick up the flight times correctly either every week. Other means to find out when it should of departed but that would be internal for them to investigate. 

 

Its picking up the the Antigua route only no Barbados and no times to show. 

Edited January 27 by carlanthony24

[CarlaMarie]

14 minutes ago, carlanthony24 said:

Nothing naughty about it. FR24 is just having a moment. FR24 is just not capturing the information correctly on that flight. Happens from time to time. Seems like its capturing when they refiled the flight plan. FlightAware does not pick up the flight times correctly either every week. Other means to find out when it should of departed but that would be internal for them to investigate. 

 

Its picking up the the Antigua route only no Barbados and no times to show. 

 

To be fair, even on the Gatwick website it wasn't showing the flight as delayed. It had the departure listed as 15:00, and not the original time. Passengers saw the flight time listed as 15:00 yesterday, so I presume it was refiled then?

[carlanthony24]

6 minutes ago, CarlaMarie said:

 

To be fair, even on the Gatwick website it wasn't showing the flight as delayed. It had the departure listed as 15:00, and not the original time. Passengers saw the flight time listed as 15:00 yesterday, so I presume it was refiled then?

Most likely. They can last up to 3hrs maybe longer so old one expired.