[stephiedib]

Flt 720 is a direct flt from Charlotte to Rome, Italy. When we were over the Atlantic, east of Cape Cod the pilot announced that there was a noxious odor in the rear of the plane that had affected 5 crew members. The pilot advised us that there was a replacement plane and crew waiting for us in Philadelphia. I immediately realized that if we were in any danger we probably would have landed in Boston -- so the concept of danger has no impact on my comments.

Going back to what the pilot told us about a plane and crew? Not so! We were disembarked into a lounge with not enough seats for everyone, NO bathroom, NO water, and NO telephone service for us to call family -- and when we asked for these items we were told NO. And the plane and crew was NOT WAITING FOR US. We were told that there was a plane in the hanger but it had to be cleaned and stocked with food, etc. And that a crew had been called in == so did the pilot lie to us in=flight or was he lied to by USAir operations? Finally, they announced that the police would form a human barrier so that we could exit out to the bathrooms, and water and snacks were brought in. Never did get a phone so that I coud call my nephew and tell him not to come to the airport in Rome! We were there probably about 3 1/2 to 4 hrs hours. We were supposed to arrive in Rome about 9 am == instead we arrived about 3:30 or 4 pm. After a dinner (on the original plane) that was beyond terrible and the equivalent of an appetizer, you would have thought that USAir would at least have served a more substanial breakfast for some good relationship building -- but instead, we got the normal one muffin top (not even a whole muffin), OJ, and coffee or tea! Well, at least they did offer free headsets. As to the noxious odor, the pilot did something with the ventilation system -- what I do not know -- but I do know that my eyes burned immediately afterward -- a medic onthe ground flushed them out, and it really helped, but I couldn't get 2 aspirins for the low-grade headache I had developed unless I went to the hospital! What has arline travel come to????

[cortney]

funny. this story was just on the news but a bit different. they said that passengers (a few were sick appearantly) and some crew became sick with the odor. passengers were let off and according to other passengers were given snacks and such. plus, im sorry, but most people have cell phones this day and age. i would have asked somebody if i could borrow their phone and pay them for the call to rome. the news also said the flight was only an hour or 2 late

[stephiedib]

If you got your information from the news, than the news was wrong -- sorry but I was there, and your information is definitely skewed. USAir was not well organized to deal with the situation -- we were in the air more than 1 hour from the time the pilot made the announcement until the time we arrived. They had PLENTY of time to prepare the area with water and snacks and to make arrangements for us to have access to rest rooms -- instead they seemed not to have done anything until several passengers began to complain. I also have a cell phone but do not have international calling capability. NO ONE was offering the use of their phones, even though they were aware of what what was going on -- and I am not the type of person to be so forward as to impose. I really feel that it was the responsibility of the airline to make telephones available -- not necessarily free -- but we were NOT allowed "free access" to the corridor where there were phone until about 10 min before the flight was re-boarded -- we were kept under the watchful eyes of many police officers. I was one of the passengers that needed medical attention -- but had to search it out -- as I exited the plane I was told to go to the boarding lounge and someone would be there to help me -- not so, I had to go back to the jetway to search out a medic, and he apologized for having forgotten about me. And only 1 or 2 hours late? What a joke!!!!

[stephiedib]

For Cortney from the Airline Herald, a trade newspaper:

Accident: US Airways A333 near Boston on Jul 10th 2012, odour sickens five cabin crew

By Simon Hradecky, created Wednesday, Jul 11th 2012 15:06Z, last updated Wednesday, Jul 11th 2012 17:23Z

A US Airways Airbus A330-300, registration N276AY performing flight US-720 from Charlotte,NC (USA) to Rome Fiumicino (Italy) with 177 passengers and 12 crew, was enroute at FL370 about 160nm east of Boston,MA (USA) when the crew advised air traffic control that they needed a new destination Philadelphia,PA (USA). The aircraft was cleared to FL360, turn around and divert to Phialdelphia. The crew subsequently reported they were diverting due to an odour in the cabin, and on the way to Philadelphia reported medical issues. The aircraft landed safely on Philadelphia's runway 27R about 65 minutes after turning around. 5 cabin crew were taken to a hospital.

The airline reported 5 cabin crew were taken to a hospital feeling nauseous as result of fumes in the cabin. A replacement crew operated the flight to Rome.

A replacement Airbus A330-300 registration N270AY departed Philadelphia about 4 hours after landing and reached Rome with a delay of 6:15 hours.

The FAA confirmed on Jul 11th that 4 persons on board received injuries due to fumes on board of the aircraft, 13 others declined treatment.

[jimworcs]

There needs to be a wholesale review of the duty if care owned to passengers whilst in transit. They are effectively denied basic rights. A campaign a few years ago to limit the time passengers can be held hostage on the ground bore fruit, but a wider ranging review is called for. Here passengers were disembarked and had less rights than if they had remained on the plane. I suggest after check in, if a delay is greater than 2 hours, all passengers must be provided with access to drinking water and basic amenities such as access to a pay phone and toilet facilities. Greater than 5 hours, passengers should have the right to be booked on alternative flights, including those of other carriers.

[cortney]

Stephiedib...thanks for posting the article. you are right, i wasnt there. but they interviewed a passenger. did they return to a gate? if so , wouldnt that be at the airport where there are restrooms? again, i wasnt there, but they showed the aircraft parked at a jetbridge. US airways operations may have not known that the majority of the crew became ill from the odor and told the captain, and the captain relied that information to you. You cant fly with 5 ill crewmembers, they had to find a replacement crew. Jim, unfortuatley, with international flights, the majority of them leave in the evening and there are no alternitaves until the next day (24 hours later). i think the 6 hours was the best scenario. i flew PHL-FRA a month ago, and they were looking for volunteers to give up there seats and they would put them on the next flight out to FRA which was 24 hours later (they had about 15 takers!). after check in if a delay is greater than 2 hours? they check in at an airport where there are drinking fountains, food stands, restaurants, toilets etc.

[stephiedib]

It was very obvious that USAirways operations was not PRO-ACTIVE in receiving the disembarking passengers -- they were only RE-ACTIVE even though they had more than an hour to prepare for the arrival. The only plan they seemed to have in place was to provide emergency care and to keep us confined in a small area. We were disembarked into a waiting-area that had been sealed off with moveable walls. Immediately outside these walls was one of the concourses. It was only after a enough of us requested access to a bathroom that they finally got the idea to open a single door to the concourse and then to station police in the concourse along the way to make sure we did nothing other than go to the bathroom and return to the sealed off waiting area. As I said previously, just a few minutes before they started boarding the replacement aircraft, they openned the walls and allowed the captive passengers access to the concourse for a walk -- No shops/restaurants were open at that point -- must have been about 1 am when this happened.

[jimworcs]

Cortney, a few years ago I experienced a very similar experience to Stephanie. I was on a 747 from JFK to LHR and just after take off an engine developed some kind of vibration and the decision was made to return. On landing, we were disembarked and put into a room with insufficient seating for all the passengers, no toilets and no access to phones or water. We were told it was not due to security, but because we had access to duty free, so was a customs rule. After an over 4 hour delay, and some agitation, the rules were relaxed to allow us to go the toilet and eventually the airline deliverd some pizza.

What characterises the handling of these situations is the pisspoor communication by the airline. Long waits are made even worse by the failure to tell people what they are facing. I would have found it more palatable if the airline had simply come and said, we are struggling to find a replacement aircraft and this delay could a last up to 8 hours (which is what it did take). For very long periods there was simply no one there from the airline or to communicate what was happening. You end up feeling like a hostage.

The DOT should require standards to assist passengers in such circumstances. We had nursing mothers, elderly people and young children left for hours without any access to basic amenities. I have every sympathy with the OP... I have experienced this problem and it is not pleasant.

[cortney]

i have no doubt its unpleasent and i wish things would change (as being a passenger alot on other airlines, it does appal me to see some of these employees and the way they are, i would have been fired at my other job as a csa if i did some of these things i see).
I was a working crew member on a flight from montego bay-JFK and after the captain tried twice to land in JFK (due to fog) they shut down the airport and we had to divert to LGA (no customs and 10pm at night) we had to sit on the plane, with passengers grabbing us, spitting at us, screaming at us, hitting us (no im not exagurating!) etc. because they thought this was our fault that we wouldnt let them off. our company called custom officials to see if they could meet the aircraft (before we landed, and it was a no go). we had a flight attendant go into the flight deck and she had a major breakdown, i ended up getting sick for a week after the chaos, it was pure hell, thankfully our captain got out and talked to the passengers (told them if they didnt stop threatning the crew, police will be meeting the a/c in JFK). I felt bad for the passengers, and i wish we could have done more but couldnt. this happend 6 years ago. there wasnt anything else really we could do. customs wouldnt help us out and passengers cant get off the plane from an international destination without customs

[jimworcs]

This is exactly why we need regulation....and these rules should also set standards for how goverment agencies respond, such as Customs, TSA, etc. In our case we were repeatedly told that we had technically departed and that it was not possible to allow us to leave the secured area. Four hours later, it suddenly became possible and people were able to go to the toilet and a woman was allowed to purchase something from a store. Unless the law changed in the middle of our event, they were either a) Lying that it was "illegal" to let us out or b) Willing to break the rules only when faced with a full scale rebellion.

The lack of common sense amongst the staff can be astonishing. It was totally obvious that regardless of "federal regulations", the rules would have to be relaxed to let people go to the toilet. Instead of making people uncomfortable and agitating them for hours before relenting why can't the staff simply use some common sense and allow passengers access to basic comforts?

Too many airline staff have become cynical and lack any compassion for the challenges people face when travelling. Not all travellers are experienced and think about what might happen. On our flight, one elderly lady had packed medication in her hold luggage. When she raised the issue with a staff member, instead of a simple bit of compassion, explaining that unfortunately this could not be accessed and that it was always advisable to pack medications in hand luggage, she was publicly berated and made to feel an idiot. It was her second trip abroad ever and the previous one had been 15 years before.

[stephiedib]

Jim --- do the airlines monitor these boards? Perhaps a win-win situation is for the airline(s) -- in this case, USAirways -- and you, as moderator, and obviously an experienced traveller, to establish some passenger-protection guidelines in these instances.

USAirways has yet to answer a question that I presented to their corporate CS: what happened as to cause the noxious odor. They did offer a token of goodwill -- a 15,000 mile credit to my mileage account -- which I graciously declined. What I want is an answer, not a bribe! -- because I wonder if this problem was due to inadequate maintenance. And, as a passenger, I think I have the right to know.

Many thanks for your input.