Angry denials on ‘being told’ of flight change

Press, 30 July 1980, Page 1

Angry denials on ‘being told’ of flight change

By

LES BLOXHAM,

travel editor

The assertion by Air New Zealand yesterday that all passengers on Flight TE1760 were told before boarding at Sydney on Saturday that their plane was bound for Auckland and not Christchurch, has drawn . strong and angry denials from passengers.

“Our information from Sydney is that all passengers were told at the check-in counters that the flights, destination was Auckland, and that an announcement to this effect was made ,over the publicaddress system,” said the airline’s director of public and corporate ..affairs, Mr D. C. Saxton.

A front-page report in “The Press” yesterday told how passengers • had boarded the aircraft unaware of the change in

destination until after the doors were shut. Mr Saxton said the incident was “clearly a storm in a teacup” generated by a few passengers who “apparently had communication problems of their own.”

He said investigations had shown that all passengers were told the plane was going to Auckland, instead of Christchurch, and that they could stay in Sydney if they wished or go on. . Informed that passengers. in Christchurch were adamant that they had not been told before boarding, Mr Saxton said: “Naturally I can’t be sure that everyone knew. But our information from Sydney is that the change of destination was definitely passed on at the check-in. counters.

“In the rush and flurry that followed a day lost by

a strike, one must accept a margin for error,” he said. Fourteen passengers known to “The Press" last evening insisted that they were not told until they were aboard the aircraft. Mr Saxton said one passenger had got in touch with the airline's Auckland office to advise that he had heard of the change of destination when he telephoned to check the time of departure. Other passengers remained insistent that an audible expression of shock ran through the plane when Captain P. Grundy (who is also the airline’s flight operations manager) welcomed everyone on board “this flight to Auckland.”

“We were definitely not told when checking in and we heard no other announcement before boarding,” said Mr L. W. Grieve.

of Sydney, who with his wife was travelling to Ashburton to attend the funeral of his brother-in-law. “By the time we got there the man was in the grave,” said Mr Grieve. He said it was obvious from the response to Captain Grundy’s “welcome aboard” announcement that the majority of people in the economy zone were learning for the first time of the change of destination.

Mr Rex Stewart, referring to Mr Saxton’s explanation, said most of the passengers in the FT (frequent traveller) zone were visibly surprised when they heard they were not going to Christchurch.

“Several of us felt that there had been either a colossal error in communication or a deliberate untruth, to get us on board without a fuss,” he said. “One person in our section did know we were going to Auckland but he only found out from the check-out clerk as we boarded.” Mr K. Cosgrove, of Timaru, said the airline’s statement was “contrary to what in fact happened."' Mr and Mrs Cosgrove were in the airport terminal from the time they checked in until they boarded the DCIO. He said they were not told of the destination change and they heard no public announcement to

that effect in the terminal. ! Further verification along these lines has been given by other passengers, including Mr J. J. Watts, of Christchurch. “Everyone was told the plane was going to Christchurch; I even asked shortly before we left,” he said. Mr Saxton said the airline ; regretted any inconvenience caused by the diversion. “We are sincerely sorry if some pas- . /sengers were unaware of the change, but I am satisfied that everything possible was done to help them,” he said. This included the provision of two special domestic flights to help get all except 28 of the passengers from Auckland to Christchurch on Saturday night. Those that had to remain in Auckland were provided with accommodation.