Airlines Inform - your guide to airlines all over the world.
Copyright © 2008-2024 www.airlines-inform.com. All rights reserved.
your guide to airlines all over the world
Sky Wings Airlines Discussion
Hi All, I emailed the CAA and have copy and pasted the below reply from them. please read; Thank you for your email. Please be assured that the UK CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) takes its safety obligations very seriously. You outline concerns about the maintenance of this airline. I can assure you that commercial aircraft and airlines operating in Europe are subject to continuous airworthiness oversight, including a full survey once yearly. The aircraft survey is intended to establish the condition and conformity of the particular aircraft and confirm there are no inconsistencies between the aircraft and the documented review of the records and that there are no evident defects that have not been addressed. It will sample various structures/systems and installations together with the associated technical records. An aircraft that does not comply would not be issued with a Airworthiness Review Certificate, and an aircraft cannot fly without this document on board. Although this is a Greek registered aircraft and does not come under our regulatory control, foreign aircraft transiting into the UK can be subject to random checks by the CAA, at the request of the DfT (Department for Transport). We always notify the DfT of any passenger complaints concerning the safety of foreign aircraft. I have attached a link to our Aircraft Survey page for your information.
Reply
Absolutely terrible. 7 hour delay and nobody to tell us what was going on or when we were likely to know when we were flying. I have read that Sky Wings don't even book a slot on the runway as they are too cheap so they over book and can't accommodate everyone. Absolutely appaulling. Never again am I going with this airline. The plane itself was a mess, broken chairs and all sorts. Surely if there is a 'technical difficulty' every week or day the plane isn't safe to use. If it is safe, stop double booking.
Reply
Olympic holidays have now started to remove anybody from their facebook site who askes slightly difficult questions about skywings or their holidays. I wonder why they are not able to deal with questions on that forum that are slightly awkward?
Reply
I you can try an arrange a different flight for you daughter and friends i have every sympathy with you it is such a worry how these have ever been allowed to fly i willl never now my son has been in touch with watchdog
Reply
We have had the same experience a few weeks ago going to Corfu, this company is a total joke. Their planes are death traps, totally unsafe n left us fearing for our lives. We had a 3 hour delay going out & a 9 hour delay coming bk, plus a pit stop in Milan to refuel?? Olympic wouldn't take any responsibility n left us high and dry at Corfu airport with no ideas of what was going on! Olympic should be ashamed n sky wings should be shut down! We have reported them to watch dog & everyone else should do the same. They need to be closed down before there is a fatality!!!!
Reply
we booked with thomas cook and when we came back we told them about are ordeal they just said write a letter and they will pass it on to olympic holidays they were useless not interested and couldnt care less they have had are money and thats all they seem interested in.Skywings are dreadfull not safe and untill there is an acident(i hope ther isnt)no one seems to care the department of transport,the CAA Thomas cook,Olympic and any travel agent who books olympic holidays PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THEM BEFORE THERE IS A DISASTER Monarch gave up with olympic and they resorted to using these cowboys and the aiports are allowing them to fly someboy do something about them
Reply
My daughter and her friends had a 17 hour delay at Birmingham on 31 July - they are in Cyprus at the moment and are dreading flying back, not just because they know there will be a delay, but because they are frightened. My daughter is a good flyer but she said this flight scared her so much it made her cry - she said it's not safe. They booked with Thomas Cook and assumed that this is who they would be flying with, that is until they got to the airport. This was their first holiday abroad and wanted to book with a reputable firm so they went into one of the shops. As far as I am concerned, Thomas Cooks reputation has gone down the pan. No reputable agent would use Cowboy airlines like Sky Wings. I will never book with Thomas Cook again and I will spread the word. I have telephoned the shop to complain and will be going in once the girls return. I can't believe that Sky Wings are allowed to fly. Are the authorities waiting for an accident to happen before they are stopped.
Reply
www.facebook.com/pages/Olympic-holidaysS... PLEASE ALSO POST HERE AS IT IS LINKED TO THE OLYMPIC SITE ON FACEBOOK.
Reply
I hope you get a full refund its the least they can do you should get some compensation i travelled to corfu with them a few weeks back i have phoned and wriitten but they havent even got the decency to reply the rep new there was a delay when we got picked up from the hotel but when we asked they said there was no delay that they new of,but when we were getting of the coach he told us there was one they cant even tell you the truth,we ended up having a six and a half hour delay we were given one small can of pop when we finally got on the plane from hell when we took off we were told we were going to have to refuel in milan it was a nighmare
Reply
While booking one week (23/07/2011 – 30/07/2011) holiday to Cyprus for 2 people, the wish to additionally purchase a mini cruise fr om Cyprus to Israel, Bethlehem and Egypt that Olympic Holidays advertises on the website, was expressed. The Olympic Holiday representative has recommended that for convenience these trips are organised once in Cyprus with the Olympic Holiday representative at the Hotel. Once arrived in Cyprus and inquired to the Olympic Holidays representative for Polycarpia Hotel - Martin - with regards to the mini cruises to Israel, Bethlehem and Egypt, we were informed that these cruises have not been operational for 2 years. Additionally, other local travel companies have expressed the same concern. It is apparent that Olympic Holidays knowingly provided misleading advertising and information (www.olympicholidays.com/information/mini... that resulted in the hindrance of the enjoyment of the holiday which intended to be a celebration of birthdays. The purchase of a day trip to Israel (by air) has additionally sapped into the holiday budged by 700 Euros and a trip to Egypt was not possible due to seat unavailability. Flight GSW 6011 was scheduled to depart from Birmingham, UK on Saturday 23/07/2011 at 9:00AM. While checking in we were informed of a two hour delay. After the two hours have lapsed, the Birmingham Airport flight schedule screens displayed continuously ‘5 minutes’ delay. After aprox 30 minutes another 1 hour and 40 minutes delay were displayed. When enquired for information we were told that the airplane has landed in Italy due to technical faults. Once embarked in the aircraft we were appalled by the conditions on board. The interior was unhygienic, most passenger trays attached to the chairs were missing or in an unusable state, dirty or covered in dried-up liquids, and the pockets supposedly holding magazines were barely holding on, flight safety cards were not available. As in concordance with EU legislation Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 February 2004 establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights, and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 295/91 which stipulates: In the event of long delays (two hours or more, depending on the distance of the flight), passengers must in every case be offered free meals and refreshments plus two free telephone calls, telex or fax messages, or e-mails; The Olympic Holidays and Sky Wings have not adhered to the legislation, and have not offered or provided any refreshments or meals as a result of the approximated 4.5 hours delay on 23/07/2011. Additionally, due to the flight delays we have lost a day of holiday, arriving at the hotel after 23:00. This has also resulted in us missing the evening meal for which we have not received any vouchers back. Our luggage was damaged during the flight to Larnaca, Cyprus which required replacement from our holiday budget. Accommodation Polycarpia Hotel, Protaras Once arrived in Cyprus we were transferred to the holiday resort Protaras, Polycarpia Hotel. Once again we were shocked by the condition. Having paid for and had expected a 4 star hotel. The room looked as if it was never cleaned, with dirt on the floor, bed sheets were not changed, the bathroom had mould on the walls, the shower curtain was a dirty and turned yellow from overuse, and the sockets had exposed wires. Return to the UK: Olympic Holidays - Flight SkyWings GSW 6012 Flight GSW 6012 from Larnaca, Cyprus to Birmingham, UK was canceled at aprox. 20:30 on 30/07/2011 due to major technical issues. This flight was scheduled to depart from Larnaca at 17:00 local time, with an additional delay of aprox. 30 minutes before passengers embarked on the aircraft. Once passengers were aboard the flight GSW 6012 we were requested to wait for over 3.5 hours while engineers on board were trying to fix the problem. No food or drinks were offered, the airline SkyWings claiming that Olympic Holidays have not provided the necessary provisions. The flight was given the go-ahead after approximately 3 hours wait and fuel replenishment took place. Passengers were requested to remain seated in the aircraft with their seat belts unstrapped. Shortly after, the flight captain made the announcement that the previous error fixed by the engineers has not actually been fixed and the flight was canceled for the day. Passengers have reported sensing the smell of fuel in the cabin. 160 holiday makers were transported by coach to Hilton Hotel in Nicosia (a 45 minutes drive) wh ere we remained overnight. On 31/07/2011 Olympic Holiday representatives Sam and Naomi broke into tears on several occasions while attempting to contain the * crowds. Olympic Holiday manager James has refused to meet and speak to the passengers regarding the ongoing issues claiming he is busy and most passengers were refusing to use the SkyWings Airflight Company to return to Birmingham, UK. With much delay and persuasion, Olympic Holiday manager James has accepted to attend a meeting with passengers of GSW 6012. We were lobbying for hours waiting for the Olympic Holidays Management representative to make its presence. At aprox. 13:15 a meeting was held. The Management representative James has informed us that there is no real news or departure schedule. We were informed that the replacement for the broken airplane part will fly in to Larnaca at 15:00 and work will be carried out to make the aircraft operational, a possible but uncertain departure was scheduled for 18:00 on 31/07/2011. A second meeting was held by the Olympic Holidays, Management representative James stating an update will be given by 17:30. At 17:30 the update received was: a 15 minutes wait for an email confirmation the airplane is safe to use. We were informed that if the response is positive to rush to our rooms and collect our luggage, rush to coaches and check in. At 18:00 we were told the coaches will pick everyone at 18:30. Passengers were still waiting for a pickup by the coaches 19:00. We have landed in the UK at 00:55. After luggage collection and border control we have left the airport at aprox 01:45, collected by friends with an early morning schedule hindering their resting time. I remain angered by how Olympic Holiday has handled the issue and question the professionalism of the team. Our holiday with Olympic Holidays and Sky Wings will forever remain a bitter memory. In concordance with the Denied-Boarding Compensation System, Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 February 2004 establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights, and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 295/91 which stipulates: In the event of flight cancellation or denied boarding, the passengers concerned have the right to: • reimbursement of the cost of the ticket within seven days or a return flight to the first point of departure or re-routing to their final destination; • care (refreshments, meals, hotel accommodation, transport between the airport and place of accommodation, two free telephone calls, telex or fax messages, or e-mails); • compensation totalling: - EUR 250 for all flights of 1500 kilometres or less; - EUR 400 for all intra-Community flights of more than 1500 kilometres, and for all other flights between 1500 and 3500 kilometres; - EUR 600 for all other flights. Delays • in the event of long delays (two hours or more, depending on the distance of the flight), passengers must in every case be offered free meals and refreshments plus two free telephone calls, telex or fax messages, or e-mails; • if the time of departure is deferred until the next day, passengers must also be offered hotel accommodation and transport between the airport and the place of accommodation; • when the delay is five hours or longer, passengers may opt for reimbursement of the full cost of the ticket together with, when relevant, a return flight to the first point of departure. We were not given the free telephone calls, telex or fax messages, or emails, and were requested to pay 6 Euros for internet usage per hour at the hotel we were transferred overnight between 30/07/2011 and 31/07/2011. We expect a full refund for the holiday nightmare.
Reply
my son and his girlfriend olso contacted watchdog i hope they investigate this awful company lets hope more people do the same
Reply
I have just sent my concerns to Watchdog and would suggest if anybody feels strongly enough about what has happened to them that they do the same.
Reply
spoke to the department of transport today they agree that there have been issues with skywings and that the CAA have loooked into some safety issues but they dont consider them bad enough to stop them flying Broken chairs they said are a safety issue but it was up the airline to check them and any broken ones should not be used,even though the trays are broken or non existant they dont have a problem as a safety issue with this (if you were thrown forward and hit you head on the broken clips you would to some damage to yourself) I said these are very old planes and was told old planes can be safe (not sure about the safe with skywings) Spoke to olympic there not interested there reply was send them a letter and they will forward it onto there aviation dept (thats a joke) the travel agents i booked with seems unaware and uninterested in my feedback about skywings (they just want to sell they didnt even want to contact olympic to check that they have recieved complaints even when i told them olympic had confirmed that they had recieved complaints) olympic have a contract with skywings for the summer and it doesnt look like they are going to change there airline Iwould never book an olympic holiday again or have anything to do with skywings i just wish somebody would do something about them
Reply
I was one of the fortunate (or unfortunate) ones who waited to fly back on the Sky Wings flight which eventually left Lanarca July 31st 2011 at 10.30 pm. This was after a thirty hour delay during which time a spare part was flown in from Greece and presumably fitted by a local taxi driver in his spare time. As the plane left the ground there were loud cheers and a round of applause from the now very depleted group of passengers, but our morale was boosted by the announcement from the only smiling cabin crew member (he obviously knew what was coming) that we were to receive a complimentary sandwich and drink. with heady anticipation I lowered my food tray only ( yes I had one this trip) to be thrown a cheese bap, encased in 3 layers of cling film and a small carton of fruit juice. It looked like the plane had not been cleaned out from previous attempts to fly as "in flight magazine" pages were glued together with god knows what and sick bags containing chewing gum still occupied the seat pockets. If you are planning to book an holiday to Greece or the Greek islands, ensure that you book with a company that do not use Sky Wings. as I understand Glen Miller flew with Sky Wings and we all know what happened to him
Reply
Hi getting really worried now I fly to Rhodes on the 13th August for daughters wedding will be traveling with daughters as a mother what do I do
Reply
Supposed to be on Sky Wings from Larnaca - flight due to depart at 17:00 hours on Saturday 30th July - actually departed on Sunday 31st July at 22:30 hours. I refused to get back on this horrendous plane - I paid the extra 125.00 euros and flew with Thomson on a later flight - they even gave us a meal after hearing our horror story. There were seat trays on the seats, there were seat pockets which housed the safety card - all missing from Sky Wings. Refreshments and food was available and the cabin crew were friendly, smiling and happy to assist. Plane arrived earlier than scheduled. I'm due to fly back to Cyprus with Olympic at the end of this month - I am trying to get an alternative flight!
Reply
Hi does anyone know the email address of the CAA so that i can email them my concerns about Skywings before i travel on the 1st Oct. The more people contact them the better.
Reply
Flew with this sham of an airline back in June. They were just awful then and have made absolutely no improvement--in fact it appears they have got even worse. They are currently around one day and two flights behind schedule. As most others have said-BAN them now before somebody is killed.
Reply
olympic you should be ashamed of yourselves.why dont you take a flight with this so called airline send you CEO on a flight dont make excuses monarch wanted nothing to do wiith you so you got this shower in just to make a profit SHAME ON YOU monarch are reputable company i have flown with them many times i would never book a holiday with them why is nobody doing anything about them
Reply
Iwill be getting in touch with the CAA about the safety issues and Birmingham airport for allowing such a company to put peoples saftey at risk does nobody ever check these plans,it isnt rocket science to see these plans should not flying DO NOT FLY WITH THEM THEY ARE NOT SAFE Iwas on the zante flight it was a nightmare if they are under investigation why have the CAA not shut them down and why is Birmingham aiport letting them fly does there have to be an accident before someone will realise SKYWING ARE A DEATH TRAP
Reply
Have emailed the CAA today regarding the safety issues with SKYWINGS - eveyone should as they need to be shut down!!! infoservices@caa.co.uk
Reply
terrible plane just held together with tape staff didnt know what doing not enough meals allocated never use again worst airline i have ever used
Reply
Talked to the department of transport today about SkyWings it would seem that they are under investigation by the CAA for their cabin safety. Have a look at the reviews on trip advisor. If you have time i strongly suggest that you try to change your flight even if it costs a little more. My girlfriend and I have been so concerned about flying with them that we have cancelled even though we will loose all our money. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
Reply
Hi. Reading all the reviews on skywings airline, i sent an email to Olympic customer services telling them what i had read. They replied back saying that admittedly the airline did have lots of delays earlier on in the season but that all had been greatly improved since!!!!. seems Olympic are still lying to us. My partner and i are due to fly out on 1st Oct to Cyprus, my 50th birthday. Looks like it may be my last..............
Reply
was meant to fly with monarch but changed at last minute. flew fr om birmingham to Zante, the flight out was fine, seats conditions weren't the best but crew were good served all through flight. crew tried there best, but no tables on seats, pockets on seats ripped. but that nothing compared to the flight back, we got told that we would have to stop for fuel in milan, but before we reached milan, the plane was making a clunking noise on the way to the runway, none of the cabin crew knew what was happening but finally the pilot revealed that we would be stopping. The landing in milan was the worst i have ever experienced, the pilot had a long enough approach to hit the runway, he then smacked the ground, no one expected a landing like it, then the oxygen mask dropped from the one row. told the crew but they dint care, after 40 minutes in milan we took off, and once again that oxygen mask fell down, and the chair broke on take off, rocked back and forth. finally we made it to Birmingham then once AGAIN the oxygen fell this time and once they got to a parking bay they brought some tape out and tapped it up, probably be flying again within a couple of hours we were about 2 hours late arriving at birmingham. only just made it alive. Olympic them selves wh ere helpful but should never have used skywings to fly people that just came out a five star hotel, will never fly them again...
Reply
We flew with Skywings by chance last summer - we were supposed to be flying with Monarch but the plane had broken down so they sent us a Skywings plane instead (and this after being delayed for 12 hours in Manchester). And yes it was tatty, filthy and most of the crew didn't speak English - but we did get there in one piece and after the delay we'd had I thi nk we all put it down as an experience, preferably not to be repeated!
Reply
I flew on this airline fr om Heraklion to Birmingham on July 20th and it was the most horrific experience I have ever endured on a plane, and I am a relatively frequent flier. Firstly, the flight was delayed and we were told that our flight would leave at 7:00am instead of 2:10am, but upon arrival to the airport, our printed tickets said 5:10am which caused confusion. To add to this, our flight was absent from the departures board so we ended up queuing up for the wrong flight and only discovered our mistake because of a tannoy announcement that said our flight was boarding. When we got on the flight, we discovered that many seats were broken and did not remain stable in the upright position. The tables were unusable, and held to the seats with tape to prevent them from falling down and the plane was dirty. The staff were unhelpful and could not be understood when giving the safety talk. As our luggage was loaded on, we could feel the plane moving which I have never experienced before and gave the impression of the plane being relatively unsubstantial. As we were flying at night, cabin lights were turned off for our take-off, but it seemed as though there was a problem with the electrics as the lights repeatedly turned themselves on and off as we departed the airport. In addition to this, there was dreadful turbulence, which was not the fault of the airline, but the plane often felt as though it were falling out of the sky and a few of my friends were nervous fliers who remained in a state of panic for the duration of the flight. I have never been more relieved to see England as we prepared to land, but the mediocrity of the flight continued right up until we had our feet firmly on the ground. Firstly, the landing was far from smooth, and it felt almost as though the pilot had left it too long to brake and had to slam on his emergency brakes at the last minute so that we stopped before the end of the runway. Then, after being delayed originally, we had to sit on the horrible plane for another half an hour while the coach transfer to the airport decided whether or not it was actually going to bother picking us up. I will never fly with skywings again as I have never experienced a flight wh ere I have actually felt like we were not going to reach our destination. I frequently thought that the plane was going to crash into the sea and overall it was a horrendous experience. It is a complete mystery as to why Olympic Holidays did not use their own airline, which I am sure was much more satisfactory.
Reply
After reading a lot of the complaints on this site I have found they are all from the same flight and holiday i was on! 15th July we were heading out to corfu for a holiday,and returning on 23rd july. i dont think i even NEED to file a complaint since everyone can read below to find they are all complaining about the same flight! it also disgusts me to find complaints about other flights, so it isnt like it was just a one off! i heard there were engine failures on the flight out after we had arrived home safely, i am shocked and scared to know that we were flying on such a death trap! how on earth the company still run i have no idea, delaying flights for that amount of time and claiming to 'stop in milan for refuelling due to heat in greece'... what a load of rubbish! stopping in italy for 2 hours to refuel was such an obvious lie! after a fantastic holiday, sky wings did its upmost best to ruin our journey home. never again will i book with sky wings OR olympic, since olympic were useless in helping with the matter. why pick us up from our hotels when knowing the flight was 4 hours delayed? why on EARTH let us fly with a bunch of non-english speaking, ignorant staff who don't care for our safety? with not even a free meal on board (after being kept up for 24 hours with no offer of free breakfast for the inconvenience...) i am VERY VERY DISGUSTED. i am not one to complain to companies as i know how hard it is to run a business and try to please everyone. but this airline is the definition of an utter joke. next time, i will fly with thomson or thomas cook without a doubt. hopefully it wont be long before sky wings is OUT OF THE SKY.
Reply
broken chairs (when we told to put are chairs upright many of them wouldnt move they were broken so ther was no chance )The tables that were supposed to drop down didnt because there wasnt any even the catches that would have held the trays in place were miissing some of the seat belts didnt fasten up technical fault after technical fault i understand why people were saying ther prayers when they got on this plane the turbulance was like nithing i have ever experienced and the landing eas dreadfull i thought we were going to crash the noise and the thud when it finally hit the ground will haunt me forever if you had a fear of flying before this trip you would definately never fly again i have my reservations and wont be in a hurry to fly again shame on all of the travel agents,and airports and olympic that allow this companyto be in buissness at all
Reply
I will never book with olympic holidays again i booked through thomas cook but they seem unaware of who they are sending there clients with so i will give them a miss next time to,they think they can change there customers flights with no knowledge of who these companies are (not impressed at all call this customer service they are only interested in sales),Idont think a flight from birmingham has arrived or departed on tiime,I know greece is on the verge of going bankcrupt but using skywings to cut costs and putting peoples lives i danger is not on,just because we are young people looking for a cheap holiday travel agents think they can sell us anything SHAME ON YOU ALL are money is as good as anybody elses but when things go wrong you dont want to know I SUGGEST YOU TAKE A FLIGHT WITH THESE COWBOYS BEFORE YOU SELL ANYONE ELSE A FLIGHT WITH THEM i value my life
Reply
This company should not have a licence to fly there planes are dangerous they cannot do a flight without a technical problem they are ancient and should have been scrapped years ago they are a disaster waiting to happen PLEASE LISTEN TO PEOPLE BEFORE YOU BUY A TICKET FROM THIS COMPANY YOU ARE RISKING YOU LIFE FLYING WITH THEM when will somebody do something about them THEY SHOULD CARRY A HEALTH WARNING THAT YOU RISK YOU LIFE FLYING WITH THEM
Reply
Where do I start??? Arriving at Birmingham Airport on friday 15th July for our 1 week holiday in Corfu, we where met with the fact that our flight was possibly an hour to an hour and half delayed. This turned out to be a 3 hour delay. Instead of flying out at 22.35 we finally left @ 01.35. We boarded the plane and the staff where rude & unhelpful. The seats where broken and rocked backwards and forwards, there where no trays in the seats and sharp metal pieces left sticking out. Some of the seats had even been taped together! My mum said she would look out for delays on our return journey. Sitting at the hotel awaiting our coach transfer back to the airport on friday 23rd July I recieved a call fr om my mum advising the plane that was due to take us back fr om Corfu hadnt even landed @ birmingham airport and wasnt due in there until 01.30. After working out time differences we knew fr om there that the flight was going to be delayed by 3 hours +. Our coach arrived 40 minutes late & upon speaking to the Olympic rep, he said he knew nothing about delays. We arrived at Corfu airport and hour and half later, to be informed by the same rep (who apparently knew nothing) that our flight was delayed by 4 hours!!!! Not impressed!! We asked why the delay was so long and if they would provide us with food vouchers etc and the only reposnse anyone got was "Its nothing to do with Olympic, you'll have to check with skywings!!!" how are u meant to do this when the ppl dont even speak english?? We checked in our bags around 02.30 ( 2 hours before we where due to fly) and at 08.15 we wihere still sitting around the airport. We finally boarded the so called airplane at 08.40 again, staff fairly rude and knew nothing, dirty, no trays on seats, sharp peices sticking out, but been sooooo tired after been up 24 hours all I wanted to do was sleep. The Captain then come over the tannoy to announce that we wh ere having to fly from corfu to milan to refuel?? Apparently beacuse it was so hot in greece they couldnt fill the plane to full capacity?? What happens to flights that are taking off in the middle of the day in that case?? The words * & Sh*t spring to mind. We landed in Milan for a so called half an hour stop to refuel and we wh ere there for 2 hours!!! I could hear something mechanical going on, definatly not refuling!! We got offered 1 complimentary drink on the plane the whole way home, anything else we had to pay for. Im sorry but 1 small cup of pepsi doesnt cover the delays and treatment recieved from this company. I have never expirienced turbulance like I have on these flights, It felt like the plane was struggling to cope (which after reading the reviews on engineer faliure, now sends shivers through my spine!) The landings wh ere hoffic in both milan and birmingham, the pilot slammed the plane down and slammed the air flaps on that hard I had to brace myself on the chair in front! It was scary!! We finally landed back in Birmingham @ 12.00 lunch time, 6 & a half hours after we should of been back. To add insult to injury the steward said he hoped to see everyone again soon, you can imagine the response he got!! A word of warning to anyone who is considering either A) booking a holiday through Olympic who use skywings or B) using skywings as a flight only company.... DONT BOTHER!!! This is a mickey mouse company and it will wreck your holiday. SKYWINGS SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN and big complaints are going to be made to everyone possible to try and make sure this is done!!
Reply
we also returned from corfu today and we totally agree with the comment jorney rom hell!!!. after reading other comments it appears to be the norm for skywings with delays unhelpfull staff dirty planes and stopping of to re fuel. i have never had such a terrible experience and we would never fly with sky wings again. even the sound of the plane sounded dreadfull it was a tramatic experience.
Reply
Just returned today from Corfu, journey from hell! We had already had a three hour delay on the flight out from Birmingham on 16/07. Today we arrived at the airport to be informed by the Olympic staff that we were going to have a 4 hour delay!!!. The reason we were told was yet another technical problem (the same one we had on the way out to Corfu) On the plane, no lap trays, torn seat coverings, broken chairs - they were not secure, someone used the toilet and said it was loose! We then had to refuel in Milan - another one & half delay. Cabin crew today were nice, tried their best in very difficult circumstances, they seemed embarrased by the lack of standards. Flight out to Corfu was very different, cabin crew (blonde one) were very rude, abrupt. They had to tape a broken lap tray ready for landing. No air con. Never ever going to fly with them again!
Reply
We have just returned fr om a week in Skiathos and 2 flights from hell aboard the mickey mouse airline 'SKYWINGS' Both flights outbound and inbound were delayed due to 'faults with the aircraft' and staff not turning up for flights. After a 2 hour delay from BHX we boarded a plane that had most definately seen better days, to find the lovely asian interior from 1970's, along with broken tables held in place with surgical tape, seats with 'dangerous do not use' signs on them, seats that rocked back and forward and a crew that didnt know what the hell they were doing!!!! The staff were unhappy and telling us how awful the whole company was and what a sham they were running!!! It didnt fill us with any confidence to know that a mechanical fitter was onboard with us throughout the flight either!! The only 2 people who were worth mentioning were Melanie and Simon who spoke english and were running the show. The Greek crew didnt have a clue about anything and hardly spoke a word and just looked miserable. Plane sounded odd at at take off and even worse when we landed. We found out later that evening that the passengers going back on our plane were left sitting at Skiathos airport well into the night delayed after both engines failed on landing.....nice to know that when we had been on it for 4 hours!!!! Lnding ws awful, pilot obviously likes to slam the plane down onto the runway and we had the same experiences on the way back when landing in Thessaloniki and then had the landing from hell in BHX wh ere we thought we were all going to die. People praying, crying, hanging ont loved ones as the plane was flung about finally bouncing down the runway at horrific speed, thinking we were never going to stop. Overall the worst flights I have ever ever had to experience, feeling that everyone onboards lives were in danger the whole time. How dare we be put through such disgusting, terrifying ordeals at the hands of this awful airline. We even tried to get alternative flights to BHX but all the UK charter flights had gone and nothing else until Tuesday, so we tried gettng flights to Athens via Olympus and then Easyjet/BA to UK but everything was full. Shame on Olympic for using them instead of their old carrier Monarch. Our holiday was fabulous, the only bad thing was the fear of getting back onto the plane after a 4 hour delay, and being told the plane had yet again experienced technical problems on the way over causing the delay. Will not book with Olympic again unless they get rid of Skywings/Strategic because we value our lives!!!!! Hope Skywings lose their contract in September for eveyones sakes!!!!
Reply
Not necessarily close sky wings just stop the Olympic service from Birmingham it shambolic and dangerous!
Reply
Says it all wen my girlfriend has to say a prayer on the departure from zante with this company! Shut down Sky Wings.
Reply
We flew to Rhodes from Birmingham with Skywings. The good news is that the plane got us there and back safely, albeit extremely uncomfortably. The seats are most uncomfotable. Most of the seat trays are broken. The plane is shabby. Our flight out left on time but we had a 7 hour delay on the way back as the plane had a technical fault on it's way out to us from Bham. after seeing other reviews, it seems that this plane (an a320) goes tech after each flight. I think we were just lucky on our outward bound flight to leave on time. I thought the pilots were friendly (he was Scottish) and once the plan gets going it appears to be safe which is the important thing really!
Reply
I must agree totally with the comments posted below dated 17th July. I must have been on the same flight!!!! The cabin crew were arguing with one another at the door of the plane when we were all gettig on which I think is very un professional. We weren't even told the filight home was delayed by any staff we heard this from other guests at our hotel who's family were waiting to fly out from Birmingham. I wouild definatly not fly again with Sky Wings. At times I really didn't think we would make it home safely.
Reply
Returned from Skiathos yesterday and felt compelled to Google the airline as the flights were the worst I have ever experienced. On the outward flight many trays were taped up and the crew blamed a football flight. The (dated) graffiti on the trays made it clear that they had been broken for several weeks. Seats would not stay in the upright position and I am sure must breach H&S legislation. The return flight was delayed, we had to refuel at Thessaloniki and the crew said the catering company were responsible for insufficient meals and drinks being available for those who had pre-booked and pre-paid. The rest of our holiday, booked with Olympic, was excellent but I will never travel with them again as long as they are using this service provider.
Reply
It's true! What a joke this airline is. Just got back from zante to Birmingham on 14th July. Flight out was ok but plane was as described just shocking. The fun started on the way home first we had to go via kefalonia to re,fuel for some reason but before that we had to fix the same technical problem it gets on every flight took bout 1h 30min. Landed in kefalonia re,fueled took bout 30min then technical problem occurred again lol what a joke fixed in bout 15min. So a 3hr delay incurred. I would like to mention that the 2 cabin crew in front of plane did not speak to us were extremely ratty and enjoyed eating and doing quiz books. Special mention to the blonde member of the cabin crew, I need her name to get her sacked. Eating, shouting, tanoy messages in Greek and ununanstanable, bargeing people.!!! Seats move back without touching them, lights flicker. Sorry it is true we fly every year and have never experienced anything like it. Never again. Great holiday ruined by quite possibly the worst airline ever. Pilot must want a new job. You will get there safely though wen it eventually gets off the ground. Olympic listen and shame on you. See you when sky wings are gone and get your staff to experience the plane.
Reply
This firm is a cowboy outfit and an accident waiting to happen! Apparently they are being looked into by the relevant authorities. Should be grounded for good!
Reply
Sky wings! Nothing but delays, poorly maintained aircraft and engines that fail yo start! Avoid at all cost!
Reply
We travelled to Crete with sky wings on 14th june. After checking the flight time on the Birmingham airport website (9.30 am) Olympic holidays confirmed it was 7am as per our tickets. When we got to the airport at 4am it was on the board for 9.30 which was the correct departure time, and no-one on our flight had been informed about the change. Therefore we had to spend 5 1/2 hours hanging around. The flight itself was fine, although the plane had certainly seen better days !! Meal trays missing on some seats. Very shabby. On the return flight it was a completely different plane (much bigger) with a Finnish airline. They even gave us a complimentary drink, and it was a super flight. Sky wings and Olympic holidays really need to get their communications sorted out. They had already changed our flight times once after booking which we were not happy about, as the good times were the reason we chose that particular flight !! It would have only taken a phone call or letter to inform all passengers, and save everyone the inconvenience.
Reply
I was on the 29th June 2011 Birmingham flight to Rhodes (departure originally 08:55). On check-in we were told that there might be a slight delay. Departure changed to 10:00; then 12:00. Information from BHX groundstaff was that there was a techical problem with the aircraft which was on the tarmac in Birmigham. Departure then got put to 19:30 but we were told it would definitely go then. At about 18:00 they told us the plane was not repairable (not got the parts) and that another plane was to be sourced. Was put up at airport hotel (fed) and new departure time was now 02:30 the next morning. Finally departed 03:20. Told by Olympus Holidays staff that delay was due to strike in Greece. Do not recommend this airline at all. Feel I have been totally lied to.
Reply
My daughter left home early this morning for a flight to Rhodes 10:30 at night still stuck in Birmingham. This airline is a joke and looks to be in the same state asm the greek economy.
Reply
Flight GSW1012 from Corfu to Birmingham. We returned on the 20th June2011 this flight took approx 5 hours. We had to refuel the plane at Halakidi this was not a problem for us. The problem we had was with the Head steward of the cabin crew. He was very rude to his staff by shouting at them and rude to passenger when they complained about no tray to eat their flight meal on. I complain that my meal was only warm and the reply I got was "It was hot when we started to give them out". I had to share a try as alot of the trays on the seats were broken and his attitude only added insult to injury. When I complained to the Head Steward he went into the Captains cockpit and told him that people were complaining about the refueling and health and safety this was a complete lie. Another thing this so called Head Steward did was people were calling from their seats for assistants and he came along the cabin and switched of their lights without even asking if they wanted anything. I hope you will look into the appalling attitude from the Head Steward.
Reply