An airplane that was in non-compliance was not allowed to taxi after curfew. I than advised the Captain that this would certainly delay our departure in the morning because there is NO way we will be back in the blocks prior to 2300. The Captain
advised Norwalk and was told advise us when you block in. I then asked about accommodations since we had checked out of the FULL Hotel. We will work on it was the response.
We were tugged out and completed the run-up tugged back to the gate and blocked in at 2300. We jumped through the hoops and arrived at the hotel at 0030. We were advised that the hotel was full and there were NO rooms. Hum… Hey we just checked out five hours ago perhaps our dirty rooms are still available???? You are in luck! We would be MORE THAN HAPPY to sell you your dirty room for another $150 EUROS. Please sign us up!!!!
Off to bed. 0530 wake-up 0630 van 0830 takeoff. WUHU! I arrive in the lobby at 0620 and check out of the hotel. I am greeted by a new face. Hello, I’m FRED who are you. I am Jim. Hello Jim where are you going? Oh! I am flying the flight from
FRA to
TAS. I was walking out of my room this morning to catch my Delta flight from
FRA TO
LAX and crew scheduling called me and told me that I was operating the flight from
FRA to
TAS. I told them that was fine but, I would be working on GDO’s. No problem you are the only one! I asked Jim what’s your last name? He said SMITH. I told him my name was SMITH as well and I was scheduled to fly the trip. At this point the Captain arrived downstairs and we brought him up to speed. He called the company and they said oops! Have Jim SMITH fly the trip and have MR. SMITH DH to Tashkent then operate to Kuala Lumpur. We will book travel for Jim SMITH from Tashkent to
LAX on Uzbekistan Airways.
Seven or eight hours later we arrive in Tashkent. The other crew leaves the aircraft and I build my nest for the flight to KL. I have completed all of my work and then load the INS’s and have the aircraft fueled and do everything that can be accomplished. The Captain and Engineer show up 20 or 30 minutes prior to scheduled departure. They had spent an hour looking for their FO at the Hotel. They had not been informed that crew scheduling had re-assigned their FO to DH on the earlier west bound flight so he could operate to the USA to start his GDO’s.
Seven or eight hours later we arrive in Kuala Lumpur, we jump through the hoops and arrive at the airport hotel. “MISTER SMITH sorry the HOTEL is FULLL
LLLL and
you have NO reservation”. That concludes my first revenue leg. Unfortunately, this story is true and these tribulations continue on a daily basis.