Turns out it wasn't a BA crew. Sub-contracted to some German outfit. Would explain the lack of the usual pre-flight announcements, which BA pilots are the best at.
As for why no one noticed not flying over the Channel, depends on the weather, doesn't it. I very rarely see the Channel on the way out from London, they want to get above the cloud asap.
I flew back from Singapore about twenty year ago to a fogbound UK. The flight was equipped to land using auto pilot in fog at Heathrow, but as we'd had a long flight (14 hr), we didn't have enough fuel left if we had to do a holding pattern, go-around, etc. We therefore diverted to Manchester looking down on chimney stacks poking out the top of the fog. Problem was, after landing, Qantas would not let anyone off the flight (and didn't even go to a gate), which really annoyed those that in fact were booked on connections to Manchester. After a couple of hours delay for refuelling etc, we flew back to Heathrow, having been on board for 19 hours! I did pity those poor people who then had to re-connect to fly back to Manchester again...
Turns out it wasn't a BA crew. Sub-contracted to some German outfit. Would explain the lack of the usual pre-flight announcements, which BA pilots are the best at.
As for why no one noticed not flying over the Channel, depends on the weather, doesn't it. I very rarely see the Channel on the way out from London, they want to get above the cloud asap.
No you wouldn't mate, you might see the Thames though. You won't see the Channel till a bit later
The flight plan could have been up the east coast and therefore flying over the North Sea.
Is possible as Aircraft get allocated a SID (Standard Instrument Departure) from whatever Airport they're departing from, around the London Airports they usually get restricted to 3,000 - 5,000 ft and that is enforced usually until they hit the coast.
Nor do those SIDs have them flying in a straight line to the destination; i.e. a flight leaving Gatwick to Amsterdam will usually head out over Tunbridge Wells before flying up the coast to Clacton on Sea where they'll turn out to the North Sea
Must admit that when I used to fly regularly to Switzerland from City Airport, I deliberately chose Swiss Air because they tended not to do things like making pointless announcements telling everybody where we were going!.
Turns out it wasn't a BA crew. Sub-contracted to some German outfit. Would explain the lack of the usual pre-flight announcements, which BA pilots are the best at.
As for why no one noticed not flying over the Channel, depends on the weather, doesn't it. I very rarely see the Channel on the way out from London, they want to get above the cloud asap.
No you wouldn't mate, you might see the Thames though. You won't see the Channel till a bit later
Although I have only recently been able to use City, all the flights seemed to take off towards the west and then quickly join the Heathrow track towards Brussels so we were well into/above the cloud before any sign of the Channel. I'm pretty sure a Dusseldorf flight would take that track to Brussels.
I've become a bit of an anorak about such matters :-:smile:
I really do like coming in to City, where you always come up the Thames, but on a lower track than the Heathrow squadrons. It means no tedious stacking. I feel like I'm sneaking back in to London under the radar, and get a good view of Charlton-land, although you only get to see the Valley if it takes the longer route involving a pirouette around the Shard, a mighty impressive arrival. City is great news all round, I hope BA are turning a profit on its Prague flights.
Turns out it wasn't a BA crew. Sub-contracted to some German outfit. Would explain the lack of the usual pre-flight announcements, which BA pilots are the best at.
As for why no one noticed not flying over the Channel, depends on the weather, doesn't it. I very rarely see the Channel on the way out from London, they want to get above the cloud asap.
No you wouldn't mate, you might see the Thames though. You won't see the Channel till a bit later
I hope BA are turning a profit on its Prague flights.
The Pilot was given a Flight Plan stating that the plane was going to Edinburgh. Even if he wanted to go to Dusseldorf, there is no way he could have changed the route. My guess is that he kept schtum until Edinburgh so as not to cause any unrest among the passengers
The Pilot was given a Flight Plan stating that the plane was going to Edinburgh. Even if he wanted to go to Dusseldorf, there is no way he could have changed the route. My guess is that he kept schtum until Edinburgh so as not to cause any unrest among the passengers
That's hilarious. Not least because it's probably true!
Turns out it wasn't a BA crew. Sub-contracted to some German outfit. Would explain the lack of the usual pre-flight announcements, which BA pilots are the best at.
As for why no one noticed not flying over the Channel, depends on the weather, doesn't it. I very rarely see the Channel on the way out from London, they want to get above the cloud asap.
No you wouldn't mate, you might see the Thames though. You won't see the Channel till a bit later
I hope BA are turning a profit on its Prague flights.
Only because you've got investment in them.
Do I? Not that I am aware of.
BA City Flyer Club Europe is the best deal in the European sky. Often get a return from Prague for £250, seriously delicious meal and free booze, and if you choose seat 2D on the Embraer 190 it's like a private jet, there's so much legroom. Out at City and standing in Woolwich Arsenal station 20 minutes later. At which point it all goes downhill fast :-)
I flew back from Singapore about twenty year ago to a fogbound UK. The flight was equipped to land using auto pilot in fog at Heathrow, but as we'd had a long flight (14 hr), we didn't have enough fuel left if we had to do a holding pattern, go-around, etc. We therefore diverted to Manchester looking down on chimney stacks poking out the top of the fog. Problem was, after landing, Qantas would not let anyone off the flight (and didn't even go to a gate), which really annoyed those that in fact were booked on connections to Manchester. After a couple of hours delay for refuelling etc, we flew back to Heathrow, having been on board for 19 hours! I did pity those poor people who then had to re-connect to fly back to Manchester again...
"The passengers only realised the error when the plane landed and the "welcome to Edinburgh" announcement was made."
This worries me a bit. All flights before take-off typically announce where they are going, what time they anticipate to arrive, height of flying etc You would think one of the 140-odd passengers would have raised the alarm when the captain announced it was heading to Edinburgh, not Dusseldorf.
"At no time has the safety of passengers been compromised. We flew the passengers on the flight with number BA3271 to Düsseldorf after the involuntary stopover in Edinburgh," it said.
Sophie Cooke, a 24-year-old management consultant, travels from London To Dusseldorf each week for work.
She said when the pilot first made the announcement that the plane was about to land in Edinburgh everyone assumed it was a joke. She asked the cabin crew if they were serious.
The pilot then asked passengers to raise their hands if they wanted to go to Dusseldorf."
I'd have stuck my hand up and said I quite fancy Mexico for a few weeks mate if you're taking votes...
Since we're on the BA subject, did anyone watch their BBC docu 'A Day In The Life of...' a few years back. They came across very poorly. Treatment of cabin staff in training was very condescending and draining and they showed how completely out of touch they are with regular or infrequent fliers outside of the 2%, which they tried to pretend at the start of the docu was who they wanted to move away from - "we want to get more in line with passengers who use easyjet etc" - but in the end it just became about how important their business class to China moving into the new decade was.
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As for why no one noticed not flying over the Channel, depends on the weather, doesn't it. I very rarely see the Channel on the way out from London, they want to get above the cloud asap.
Nor do those SIDs have them flying in a straight line to the destination; i.e. a flight leaving Gatwick to Amsterdam will usually head out over Tunbridge Wells before flying up the coast to Clacton on Sea where they'll turn out to the North Sea
I've become a bit of an anorak about such matters :-:smile:
I really do like coming in to City, where you always come up the Thames, but on a lower track than the Heathrow squadrons. It means no tedious stacking. I feel like I'm sneaking back in to London under the radar, and get a good view of Charlton-land, although you only get to see the Valley if it takes the longer route involving a pirouette around the Shard, a mighty impressive arrival. City is great news all round, I hope BA are turning a profit on its Prague flights.
BA City Flyer Club Europe is the best deal in the European sky. Often get a return from Prague for £250, seriously delicious meal and free booze, and if you choose seat 2D on the Embraer 190 it's like a private jet, there's so much legroom. Out at City and standing in Woolwich Arsenal station 20 minutes later. At which point it all goes downhill fast :-)
I blame @GermanAddick and the guys - DUS/LCY on BA is their preferred route.
Either that, or the pilot wanted to recreate a bit of history and he was looking for the Duke of Hamilton's estate ....
This worries me a bit. All flights before take-off typically announce where they are going, what time they anticipate to arrive, height of flying etc You would think one of the 140-odd passengers would have raised the alarm when the captain announced it was heading to Edinburgh, not Dusseldorf.
"At no time has the safety of passengers been compromised. We flew the passengers on the flight with number BA3271 to Düsseldorf after the involuntary stopover in Edinburgh," it said.
Sophie Cooke, a 24-year-old management consultant, travels from London To Dusseldorf each week for work.
She said when the pilot first made the announcement that the plane was about to land in Edinburgh everyone assumed it was a joke. She asked the cabin crew if they were serious.
The pilot then asked passengers to raise their hands if they wanted to go to Dusseldorf."
I'd have stuck my hand up and said I quite fancy Mexico for a few weeks mate if you're taking votes...
Since we're on the BA subject, did anyone watch their BBC docu 'A Day In The Life of...' a few years back. They came across very poorly. Treatment of cabin staff in training was very condescending and draining and they showed how completely out of touch they are with regular or infrequent fliers outside of the 2%, which they tried to pretend at the start of the docu was who they wanted to move away from - "we want to get more in line with passengers who use easyjet etc" - but in the end it just became about how important their business class to China moving into the new decade was.