Kosmar holiday nightmare (Kosmar)

Member Name: Streamer

Product:	Kosmar
Date:	09/06/02 (3542 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: none

Disadvantages: many

My wife and I have just returned from the worst holiday of our lives through Kosmar and after complaining and following up the complaint within 28 days of our return, we have received a standard reply which has totally denied any responsibility for the whole mess.
We booked a fortnights self catering holiday in the Greek Island of Zakinthos through Kosmar. Our flight from Glasgow to Zante on 12/5/02 with Transjet Airlines, was delayed from 14:30 until 23:00. One hour after we eventually took off, the pilot announced he was diverting to Gatwick as one of his engines was low on oil pressure. The disappointment after our long delay was overshadowed with fear as the cabin began to depressurise and my usual sore head on landing started long before there were any airport lights in sight. We were further distressed when a young air hostess ran down the plane at full speed. When we landed at Gatwick the fire engines surrounded the plane and we were told on leaving the plane that the engine had actually caught fire.
We were taken by bus to Gatwick and spent a further 8 hours huddled under blankets they handed out. We had no intention of going any further and at least 12 people demanded to be flown home to Glasgow. By 4:00am we were told that an Air 2000 jet would be taking us on to Zakinthos departing Gatwick at 8:00hrs. I discussed this with some of the other passengers and we decided to continue because we were all by then in such a state of fatigue that we agreed we were very much in need of a holiday and being assured that we would not be travelling on another Transjet plane we decided to give it a go.

The plane eventually took off from Gatwick at 9:00 and arrived in Zakinthos at approximately 12:30 which was 14:30 Greek time. We both knew what to expect at Zakinthos having visited the island before. While waiting in the small crowded airport terminal for the previous flight's bags to be unloaded we got talking to some Newcastle passengers who had
just arrived after us and the conditions were by then getting a bit hectic. As luck would have it, the Newcastle flight's bags were unloaded first and we were left in a state of complete anger and frustration. There was nothing to kick. If I had lashed out I would have been attacking an innocent Geordie who had nothing to do with my dilemma. I could hear some kind of angry words being exchanged with passengers and reps in the background but I was by then at a point of wanting to pass out but I had to make an effort to stay active as my wife has chronic back trouble and I had to retrieve our luggage and get us into some accommodation, having become seriously concerned about what she'd already been through.

We eventually got clear of the airport and into our accommodation about 15:30. There was no rep to bother us for a couple of days and when we did see her we were beginning to settle down to retrieving something of the holiday spirit. We asked for a complaints form and duly filled it in and returned it. She asked us to phone home as it had been in the national press and news about our flight and the engine catching fire. We expected to be flown home by Air 2000 after having lost all faith in Transjet. She told us to watch the board outside our apartment and the flight times would be announced two days prior to departure.

We were due to fly home on Sunday 26/5/02 at 11:30. On the Friday night a girl called Jan we got to know from the flight out, became very ill and had to be taken to hospital. We learned on the Saturday morning she had died on the way to the hospital. She was only 27 and she had no record of heart trouble or indeed any kind of trouble and yet the doctors said she'd suffered a heart attack. We were dumbfounded. Needless to say our holiday was over then and we could only wish for a safe return. We were told that the flight home would be with Transjet as originally planned, departing 11:30 on the Sunday and that due to t
he number of flights leaving at that time, we were being picked up at 8:30 to get checked in at Zante airport as early as possible to avoid delays.

We arrived at Zante airport as planned and by 9:00 our bags had been checked in and we went through passport control into the departure lounge. This was the last we seen or heard from any Kosmar reps. At 12:00 it was announced that our Transjet plane had been diverted to Kefalonia due to congestion at Zante airport and had landed with damage to it's undercarriage. We were left sitting with Jan's bereaved parents and another couple who knew them. We knew from other people we had flown out with that another Air 2000 flight was due to take off for Glasgow at 16:30. All we could do at this stage was hope that someone could help Jan's parents to get on this flight. Their holiday was through Libra and their rep had given them her mobile number to get in contact with her at any time. Harry and Margaret phoned the Libra rep and we later learned that she did manage to get them on the Air 2000 flight to depart at 16:30. The next thing that shook us was another announcement. "If there is a doctor in the airport would he please go to the main reception immediately as his assistance is required". Next we saw an ambulance driver and it turned out that another passenger from our flight had taken a heart attack and we watched as he was stretchered away to the hospital. We haven't yet learned how the chap is or if he survived.
The next announcement said that a Transjet Plane was flying from Rhodes to Kefalonia to pick up the passengers stranded there from the previous flight and it was hoped it would arrive at Zakinthos at 19:00. We were given a small baguette with a hint of cheese and a scliff of tomato and a cup of warm kola. The 16:30 Air 2000 flight was boarded on time and we said farewell to the others, and we waited, and we waited. At 19:30 another announcement came over the system and I cou
ldn't make it out because a big cheer had gone up because a Transjet plane had just landed. Everybody mistakenly thought they were telling us to take our boarding passes to the departure gate. What they were actually saying was that the plane we were expecting was further delayed and we were to take our boarding passes up to the bar for another stale roll and kola. We were eventually flown out of Zante at 21:40 on a Transjet plane which was originally scheduled to fly to Gatwick but the passengers were ushered into the airport and back out into temporary accommodation on the island.
I need legal advice as I don't feel capable of any more stress in having to go over this situation again. Others I have been speaking to from the flight lost work on their return because of the stress of the whole thing. As far as I see it, Kosmar have had various opportunities to put things right now but have failed hopelessly throughout and should now suffer the full consequences of their inaction.
As for Transjet as an airline, I would never take a chance on them ever again. I never felt safe on their plane from the time I sat down in it. I don't feel it was airworthy when it left Glasgow and I would like to know if there is anyway of checking on the amount of air miles a plane is allowed to fly before undergoing a major service. During our flights on this trip we were twice boarded on aircraft whilst they were refuelling. Is this not a compromise of passenger safety? Maybe I haven't flown enough, or maybe I'm just too careful, or maybe I'm looking for a bit too much for my money. The Transjet flight crews were all openly admitting to being pulled out at short notice and having to endure long hours in flight. Do Kosmar or any tour operator for that matter need to compromise people's safety to get their packages going?
Zakinthos airport is a disgrace to say the least. It lets down the island which it supports. I love Zakinthos and I like the G
reek people. I do think however that their airport standards need upgrading if a catastrophe is to be avoided. I had hoped to take my grandchildren to Zakinthos but after my recent experiences I would not fly there again.

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