AIRLINE FROM HELL(IOS) (Helios Airways)

Member Name: CAROLSH

Product:	Helios Airways
Date:	31/05/06 (344 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: GETTING HOME ALIVE

Disadvantages: TOO MANY TO LIST DONT DARE TO TRAVEL WITH THEM

Our stress breaking week in the sun was not to be. We were scheduled to leave Newcastle at 11am on Sunday 21st May 2006 for a weeks break in Protaras Cyprus our tour company Libra charters Helios Airways to Cyprus. we checked in and all was well on arrival in the departure lounge we were advised that we would not leave until 3pm at 3pm we boarded our Helios Airways jet and looked forward to our forthcomeing holiday. Once we were airbourne and levelling off my husband notice the "flaps come up" on the wings which is not normal at that height then the pilot spoke and said that we had a technical problem the windscreen had a crack in it and he was waiting instructions he then said we would need to go back to Newcastle to have it checked out, then that we could not go to Newcastel as the runway was too short with the amount of fuel on board and we would divert to Manchester we then travelled at 10000 feet to manchester rather slowly arriving at 5pm The pilot announced a normal landing(not) we hit the runway like a brick were "chased" by 8 fire tenders and parked no where near any other plane. ( n ot good when my husband has a fear of flying)After sitting on the plane aprox 1 hour we were told that we would have to stay in Manchester overnight. We were bussed to the terminal building and then placed in a hotel which we walked to. We were then advised that we would travel at 11am on 22nd May at 8.30 am we were delayed until 3pm at 1pm we were delayed until 10pm (are you keeping up here) We checked in and when in the daparture lounge we were advised departure to be 11pm. On boarding the plane we found our seat numbers to be the toilets,so we comandered seats and would not move. eventually we set of at 11.30pm on a Fischer Air plane (polish I Think) staff could not speak emglish to find out.We had a box thrown at us with a piece of cheese a couple of crackers and a cake bar we were offered no refreshment not even water during our flight and there was no inflight entertainment apart from the irate passengers.We eventually landed in Cyprus but alas not in Larnaca as scheduled but in Paphos a 3 hour bus journey from our accomodation. We arrived in our apartment at 11am on Tuesday 23 May 2006 36 hours after our original departure. we had a pleasant four days of our holiday and then attempted to return home. we arrived at larnaca airport as scheduled and checked in our flight was due to depart at 7am we were put on a Dubrovnic airways flight as Helios had no planes available (apparently they only had 4 one hit a mountain in Athens in August 05 one lost its windscreen in manchester and thank god the other two were not available) We set off at 7.30AM and once airbourne the pilot made an announcement there was a head wind and we had not enough fuel to get to Newcastle so had to divert to Dubrovnic to refuel (remember this is a Dubrovnic Airplane) coincidence or what (check other reviews of Helios) to add insult to injury after we had our inflght meal which was inedible the free snacks offered with the bar service were out of date.we eventualey landed at Newcastle at 12 15 pm pleased to back alive. Please think carefully before using this airline they are an accident which has happened.

Summary: An accident which has happened (august 2005)