Maleth confirms end of P&O partnership

[Presto2]

5 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

Yes, that was confirmed some time ago.  Paul Ludlow announced to the trade in the week that P&O will be announcing their additional partner shortly so clearly there will be another airline announcement shortly.

 

I booked a Britannia fly cruise this week and my flight is already confirmed as TUI - I took the last two premium seats and availability in cabins was also quite restricted.

Dare I ask the date?

[Megabear2]

ICF, if you're passing through are you able to give us an update on what's happening onboard re the passengers scheduled to leave Arvia today in Antigua.  It appears the Manchester Maleth flight which should have left this morning is delayed to 8.00pm this evening and I just wondered how it's being handled onboard.

Hope you're having a brilliant holiday. Looking forward to hearing about it when you get back!

[Megabear2]

7 minutes ago, Presto2 said:

Dare I ask the date?

13th December so over Christmas.  We are doing 35 nights on Queen Mary 2 on January 11th but decided to go for Christmas on a whim.  Surprisingly good price for Christmas and we had some freebies for our next cruise gifted by P&O.  All in has cost nearly £1700 less than last year but we do not have a deluxe cabin.

[Presto2]

2 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

13th December so over Christmas.  We are doing 35 nights on Queen Mary 2 on January 11th but decided to go for Christmas on a whim.  Surprisingly good price for Christmas and we had some freebies for our next cruise gifted by P&O.  All in has cost nearly £1700 less than last year but we do not have a deluxe cabin.

Sounds lovely. 

PS hope you are feeling better and getting stringer each day. 

[Megabear2]

14 minutes ago, Presto2 said:

Sounds lovely. 

PS hope you are feeling better and getting stringer each day. 

Thank you. Yes, much better this week thankfully.  

[Well boy 91]

1 hour ago, Megabear2 said:

ICF, if you're passing through are you able to give us an update on what's happening onboard re the passengers scheduled to leave Arvia today in Antigua.  It appears the Manchester Maleth flight which should have left this morning is delayed to 8.00pm this evening and I just wondered how it's being handled onboard.

Hope you're having a brilliant holiday. Looking forward to hearing about it when you get back!

The flight from Manchester has been cancelled . Passengers are in a hotel at Manchester Airport.  New departure time tomorrow not yet known 

[molecrochip]

I understand that P&O didn’t charter two planes specifically. Maleth voluntarily chose to bid to provide the appropriate number of A330 aircraft and crew to meet the flight schedule included within the tender. That agreement apparently included access to a replacement aircraft if the original aircraft would be more than X hours late due to mechanical defect.

 

Maleth have breached their contract multiple times this season.

 

I’ve been annoyed by people who believe that P&O chose Maleth on the cheap. My understanding is still that they were the only option for 23/24. Pick Maleth or cancel thousands of cruises.

 

When the bad option is the only option, you take the bad option??? Turns out the bad option was shockingly appalling. Maleth were not ready.

[Megabear2]

2 minutes ago, Well boy 91 said:

The flight from Manchester has been cancelled . Passengers are in a hotel at Manchester Airport.  New departure time tomorrow not yet known 

Crumbs. What happened to 8.00pm? Antigua departure was showing as 2.55am on Flightradar24 which was worrying for the Arvia returnees.  Tye last Antigua delay/cancellation was a nightmare for the passengers.  I hope they are also being looked after this time.

[Megabear2]

1 minute ago, molecrochip said:

I understand that P&O didn’t charter two planes specifically. Maleth voluntarily chose to bid to provide the appropriate number of A330 aircraft and crew to meet the flight schedule included within the tender. That agreement apparently included access to a replacement aircraft if the original aircraft would be more than X hours late due to mechanical defect.

 

Maleth have breached their contract multiple times this season.

 

I’ve been annoyed by people who believe that P&O chose Maleth on the cheap. My understanding is still that they were the only option for 23/24. Pick Maleth or cancel thousands of cruises.

 

When the bad option is the only option, you take the bad option??? Turns out the bad option was shockingly appalling. Maleth were not ready.

Moving on things are looking pretty bad today.  Any idea what's happening in Antigua with those with no aircraft home today?  The last time this happened it was appalling. I'd it any better this time?

[Megabear2]

4 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

Maleth have breached their contract multiple times this season.

I assume P&O are seeking legal recourse in that case as the damage to their brand by association has been pretty alarming?  Meantime the passengers continue to be the ones inconvenienced and suffering and everyone is still shrugging their shoulders.

[kalos]

17 minutes ago, Well boy 91 said:

The flight from Manchester has been cancelled . Passengers are in a hotel at Manchester Airport.  New departure time tomorrow not yet known 

 

 

 MCR Airport  now showing going out tonight  8 pm 

 

 

[Megabear2]

1 minute ago, kalos said:

 

 

 MCR Airport  now showing going out tonight  8 pm 

 

 

It's been saying that since lunchtime which was why I was surprised to be told passengers are in a hotel to leave tomorrow.  Antigua departures showing 2.55am tomorrow for return.

[cruising.mark.uk]

9 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

I assume P&O are seeking legal recourse in that case as the damage to their brand by association has been pretty alarming?  

Who says the damage to their brand has been pretty alarming?  I suspect there is no evidence to support that view and that there won't be until there's sufficient information on whether there is a drop off in uptake for fly cruises, with the charter problems this year quoted as a reason.

[molecrochip]

Not sure if today’s flight has ever been cancelled. The first report this morning to use the word cancelled said “flight cancelled, now departing 8pm”. That’s not a cancellation just a long delay.

 

Passengers were told they were being taken to a hotel and would be brought back at 5pm today. Not sure hotel was ever overnight.

[Megabear2]

8 minutes ago, cruising.mark.uk said:

Who says the damage to their brand has been pretty alarming?  I suspect there is no evidence to support that view and that there won't be until there's sufficient information on whether there is a drop off in uptake for fly cruises, with the charter problems this year quoted as a reason.

My words - I said damage by association, not damage as in P&O ferries style.  Lots of misguided people have been constantly blaming P&O for Maleth since the announcement in September and unfortunately in some cases mud sticks.  If I was P&O and my contractor had breached its contract multiple times as Moley says I would definitely state to them their failures have damaged my brand by association.  

 

Following Mr Ludlow's 'X' chat with the travel agents lots of them stated that people were holding off booking Caribbean fly cruises due to the Maleth situation.  That indicates some doubt by the public and I'd class that as damage.

[Well boy 91]

Passengers now back at Manchester airport terminal after playing Maleth Hokey Cokey 

[molecrochip]

6 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

My words - I said damage by association, not damage as in P&O ferries style.  Lots of misguided people have been constantly blaming P&O for Maleth since the announcement in September and unfortunately in some cases mud sticks.  If I was P&O and my contractor had breached its contract multiple times as Moley says I would definitely state to them their failures have damaged my brand by association.  

 

Following Mr Ludlow's 'X' chat with the travel agents lots of them stated that people were holding off booking Caribbean fly cruises due to the Maleth situation.  That indicates some doubt by the public and I'd class that as damage.

I believe some TAs have had so many complaints that they are actively encouraging passengers not to took until the airline is known.

 

 

What I find amazing is some passengers saying, based on our experience 4 weeks ago,  don’t leave the hotel / ship as you’re be dumped overnight at the airport. The flight is due to leave in 90 minutes / 3am on the return. Listen to Facebook and you’d miss your flight!

[molecrochip]

Hotel today was sorted by P&O. I understand Maleth would have let passengers wait at check-in.

 

Plane issue was found at start of checks following moving it early this morning from stand to plane.

[Snow Hill]

8 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

If that is true then I imagine that Maleth will now go bust, and leave all their debts behind, and possibly Maleth 2 will rise from the ashes.

I guess that would depend on whether Maltese insolvency law allows that scenario to occur. 

Edited February 24 by Snow Hill

[Yorkie69]

1 hour ago, Megabear2 said:

My words - I said damage by association, not damage as in P&O ferries style.  Lots of misguided people have been constantly blaming P&O for Maleth since the announcement in September and unfortunately in some cases mud sticks.  If I was P&O and my contractor had breached its contract multiple times as Moley says I would definitely state to them their failures have damaged my brand by association.  

 

Following Mr Ludlow's 'X' chat with the travel agents lots of them stated that people were holding off booking Caribbean fly cruises due to the Maleth situation.  That indicates some doubt by the public and I'd class that as damage.

I for one have booked with another cruise line for next years Caribbean cruise after the mess of the flight out with Maleth this year and the previous concerns I raised with P&O when we were told Maleth would be the operator. I was told that the same “fantastic” service would be provided and that was well off what we actually got. I have had four P&O cruises and all were fantastic but I wouldn’t risk another fly cruise with them without knowing exactly who the operator was. As P&O couldn’t confirm when I was on the last cruise early this month (I normally book when onboard) I decided to avoid the gamble and book with Celebrity instead and fly with BA. I would think I am not the only one who has avoided booking with P&O due to this so I would state the brand has been affected and some confidence has been lost.

Edited February 24 by Yorkie69
Grammar

[kalos]

MLT1105  Now pushed back and on taxi to the runway .

 

https://www.flightradar24.com/MLT1105/34207068

[HalifaxYorksCruiser]

[Interestedcruisefan]

3 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

ICF, if you're passing through are you able to give us an update on what's happening onboard re the passengers scheduled to leave Arvia today in Antigua.  It appears the Manchester Maleth flight which should have left this morning is delayed to 8.00pm this evening and I just wondered how it's being handled onboard.

Hope you're having a brilliant holiday. Looking forward to hearing about it when you get back!

They got told on the tannoy this morning to meet in Headliners theatre at 11.45pm tonight instead of 2.30pm!! 

 

Apparently when leaving from Antigua everyone has to leave the ship in the morning and queue to go through an immigration check as well

 

And there were only 2 people doing the immigration checks so that took 90 minutes plus

 

Heard a load of people complaining around the  pool earlier on about it all

 

I stayed out of it

 

Didn't want to bring up the fact they might end up stuck in the airport all night!!

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 24 by Interestedcruisefan

[Megabear2]

3 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

They got told on the tannoy this morning to meet in Headliners theatre at 11.45pm tonight instead of 2.30pm!! 

 

Apparently when leaving from Antigua everyone has to leave the ship in the morning and queue to go through an immigration check as well

 

And there were only 2 people doing the immigration checks so that took 90 minutes plus

 

Heard a load of people complaining around the  pool earlier on about it all

 

I stayed out of it

 

Didn't want to bring up the fact they might end up stuck in the airport all night!!

 

 

 

 

 

Very sensible not to get involved!  The flight left a short time ago scheduled to arrive around 1.00am and depart 3.00am so you may well be right about sitting at the airport for a while.

 

Will this impact your scheduled departure or did they not say anything?

 

 

[Interestedcruisefan]

2 hours ago, molecrochip said:

I understand that P&O didn’t charter two planes specifically. Maleth voluntarily chose to bid to provide the appropriate number of A330 aircraft and crew to meet the flight schedule included within the tender. That agreement apparently included access to a replacement aircraft if the original aircraft would be more than X hours late due to mechanical defect.

 

Maleth have breached their contract multiple times this season.

 

I’ve been annoyed by people who believe that P&O chose Maleth on the cheap. My understanding is still that they were the only option for 23/24. Pick Maleth or cancel thousands of cruises.

 

When the bad option is the only option, you take the bad option??? Turns out the bad option was shockingly appalling. Maleth were not ready.

Our Maleth flight out was better than Tui last year

 

Way more leg room. Zero queuing for check in. Staff who seemed to genuinely love being on the plane?

 

Great service. Everybody seemed very happy and surprised

 

Complimentary Bells whisky, Smirnoff vodka, Gordon's gin and wine etc

 

Everybody reading books, crosswords, word search,  watching films on iPad's or phones

 

Or actually just chatting to each other

 

People on different rows helping each other with cross words

 

Shame they are now having plane issues again. 

 

Lots of laughing and joking all flight. Was like the old days!

 

Way more sociable than when everyone has headphones on

 

I find It hard to find anything on  Tui I preferred

 

The amount of leg room was a genuine bonus and surprise