The brief Cayman Compass news story below left out some very important details, I know because I was there, unfortunately!
First let me say that all ended well, and we’ve just returned from a lovely trip to the Caymans, spending a week on Grand Cayman and (almost) a week on Little Cayman at the Little Cayman Beach Resort. The weather was great most of the time with the exception of one bad day that caused a travel delay.
We were scheduled to fly from GC to LC in the early morning on October 26, but it had stormed during the night and there was more heavy rain during the morning – but it ended quickly – at least on Grand Cayman.
I don’t blame Cayman Airways for weather problems, but they are terrible at communicating with passengers. There were no staff at the gate, and they left the scheduled departure time posted for hours without any updates. The passengers had to track down staff to get updates and we were told a variety of stories including “mechanical problems”, “short weather delay”, and one cryptic response of “small plane!”
Eventually they told us that there was a “weather system over Little Cayman" and the flight was delayed but it would be going later that day. We hung around the airport for hours before they announced that our flight (and also a later flight to LC) were cancelled. They put us up in the Margaritaville hotel for the night and that was okay for one night, but I wouldn’t want to spend much time there.
We were all rescheduled for Sunday morning flights. The first flight went directly to LC on the Otter without problems. We were on the second flight out – a turboprop to Brac with an Otter connection to Little Cayman – but it was not an uneventful experience.
After arriving on Brac we were processed through the airport and eventually boarded the Otter for the short flight to LC. Just before boarding they announced that “six bags had randomly been selected for delay and would be placed on a later flight to LC.” The passengers were not overjoyed by this news because most of us had been to LC before and we knew from experience that baggage delays can sometimes escalate.
The Otter took off without problem and we circled LC but the plane had suddenly lost its’ hydraulic system during the flight so the pilot turned back and made an emergency landing on Brac. The co-pilot had to manually pump the system so the pilot could maneuver the plane, and the co-pilot also had to manually pump the brakes to stop the plane. The pilot also did some fancy maneuvering of the flaps to slow the plane down during the landing. The article below says that “the mechanical issue did not create an emergency” so I have to wonder just what they consider to be an emergency?!
I wasn’t supposed to go to Brac at all during this trip, but I went there twice on the same day! So once again we were back in a Cayman airport waiting for information and the tired and frustrated passengers were getting very impatient.
The Cayman Airways Rep announced that “a mechanic would travel over from GC on the next flight to assess the situation and then you will be updated.” A member of our group asked, “Why can’t we just travel to Little Cayman by boat? It’s so close and we still might be able to dive this afternoon!” Others joined the chorus but the Rep insisted that “no contingency plans can be made until after the mechanic arrives and has a chance to assess the situation.”
So, the passengers staged a coup d'état and we took matters into our own hands! One person called Reef Divers on Little Cayman and I called the Clearly Cayman resorts. They told us to get our bags and wait outside the airport. They would send ground transport to take us to the dock at the Cayman Brac Beach Resort and they would send a boat over for us – hurray!
Most of the travelers were going to LCBR but there were a few others including a visitor to Pirates Point and someone for the Southern Cross resort, and they immediately asked for a lift on the Reef Divers boat.
The Cayman Airways Rep wisely realized that she was losing control of the situation, so she decided to go with the flow. She made the smart decision not to wait for the mechanic to arrive to assess the problem. She called Reef Divers and arranged to charter their boat to bring travelers leaving LC that day over to Brac, and take the new arrivals back to LC.
When we reclaimed our luggage, we discovered that our 2 bags were among the 6 bags that had been “randomly selected” for delay – so if our flight had actually made it over to LC we would have arrived without our belongings (once again!)
Vans arrived at the CB airport to take us to the CBBR dock and we hung out there for awhile until the Reef Divers boat arrived from LC. It looked like an Ark that was loaded with passengers and luggage to be transported to the Brac airport. Then we boarded and took the 45-minute boat trip over to Little Cayman – we had finally made it and all our luggage arrived with us, what a relief!
Things were managed quite efficiently. We were quickly booked in at the resort and dive shop, and transport was arranged for those traveling to other resorts. We had made good time and they kept lunch open late for the new arrivals.
The Cayman Compass article below doesn’t even mention Reef Divers, but they were the true heroes of the situation. They even added a special 2-tank afternoon dive trip that day to help the new guests make up for some lost dives.
We learned that Cayman Airways only has 2 Twin Otters and one of them was in the US getting maintenance, so the broken plane was the only plane that could make the flights to LC. Happily, they did manage to fix the hydraulics and they made a late flight over that evening but probably not at 1:30 pm as stated in the article. The airport is very near the resort and we didn't hear or see a plane until late afternoon - and a late arriving guest told us at dinner that they had been waiting for hours and didn't think that they would make it, but they caught the last flight over after the plane was repaired.
Clearly Cayman Resorts were not responsible for any of the problems with weather or flights, but they tried to compensate as much as possible for those of us that had been affected by the delays. I know that a few folks arranged to stay another day without extra charges. We were not able to stay longer (darn!) but they gave us a generous gift certificate to use toward a future trip – so that was great.
I also heard that when the boat trip was arranged, LCBR staff were quickly dispatched to knock on doors and track down guests to tell them of the flight delays and offer assistance to those planning to leave LC that day.
Unfortunately, Cayman Airways took one more shot at us during our trip home! LCBR asks visitors to consider packing one or two bags in advance and sending them over to GC the afternoon before your departure date. We have done this in the past and our bags were usually waiting for us when we arrived on Grand Cayman. It is a convenient system and it helps to ensure that all your bags will be available to travel home with you.
But when we arrived at GCM last Saturday morning, one of our bags was there waiting but the gear bag was missing. At first we couldn't find anyone to help us, but we finally tracked down a CA supervisor. We searched for the bag together until we eventually found it locked in room under a load of other bags. Our bag was correctly tagged, and the supervisor had no idea why it had been diverted – oh well, we did find it and we had plenty of connection time before our flight home.
Despite these travel setbacks we had a wonderful trip! I love the improvements at the GCM airport and at the Little Cayman Beach Resort – and the resort food was fantastic. The islands were beautiful, the people were friendly, and we had no issues with sargassum weed on either island.
We did all of our Little Cayman dives on Bloody Bay Wall and Jackson’s Bight and the reefs were gorgeous! The visibility and clarity were great, the reefs were healthy, and the sea life was varied and abundant. All in all, it was a fantastic (and interesting) trip and I can’t wait to go back!
https://www.caymancompass.com/2019/10/29/stranded-airline-passengers-take-to-the-sea/
Stranded airline passengers take to the sea
Cayman Airways pressed boats into service when a mechanical issue grounded its sister island service.
By Mark Muckenfuss -
October 29, 2019
Mechanical problems caused the pilot of a Cayman Airways Twin Otter aircraft to abort the flight from Cayman Brac to Little Cayman on Sunday morning, temporarily stranding travellers from the Sister Islands.
Officials with the airline said the mechanical issue did not create an emergency, but the pilot chose to turn back to the Brac rather than complete the flight.
Some passengers awaiting the plane on Little Cayman were shuttled to Cayman Brac by boat and were able to return to Grand Cayman from there. Passengers in the Brac affected by the service outage travelled to Little Cayman by boat as well, but the boats did not have the capacity to accommodate everyone.
By early afternoon, the plane was airborne again. It arrived in Little Cayman about 1:30pm to transport the remaining passengers.
Officials said the flight schedule returned to normal on Monday.
First let me say that all ended well, and we’ve just returned from a lovely trip to the Caymans, spending a week on Grand Cayman and (almost) a week on Little Cayman at the Little Cayman Beach Resort. The weather was great most of the time with the exception of one bad day that caused a travel delay.
We were scheduled to fly from GC to LC in the early morning on October 26, but it had stormed during the night and there was more heavy rain during the morning – but it ended quickly – at least on Grand Cayman.
I don’t blame Cayman Airways for weather problems, but they are terrible at communicating with passengers. There were no staff at the gate, and they left the scheduled departure time posted for hours without any updates. The passengers had to track down staff to get updates and we were told a variety of stories including “mechanical problems”, “short weather delay”, and one cryptic response of “small plane!”
Eventually they told us that there was a “weather system over Little Cayman" and the flight was delayed but it would be going later that day. We hung around the airport for hours before they announced that our flight (and also a later flight to LC) were cancelled. They put us up in the Margaritaville hotel for the night and that was okay for one night, but I wouldn’t want to spend much time there.
We were all rescheduled for Sunday morning flights. The first flight went directly to LC on the Otter without problems. We were on the second flight out – a turboprop to Brac with an Otter connection to Little Cayman – but it was not an uneventful experience.
After arriving on Brac we were processed through the airport and eventually boarded the Otter for the short flight to LC. Just before boarding they announced that “six bags had randomly been selected for delay and would be placed on a later flight to LC.” The passengers were not overjoyed by this news because most of us had been to LC before and we knew from experience that baggage delays can sometimes escalate.
The Otter took off without problem and we circled LC but the plane had suddenly lost its’ hydraulic system during the flight so the pilot turned back and made an emergency landing on Brac. The co-pilot had to manually pump the system so the pilot could maneuver the plane, and the co-pilot also had to manually pump the brakes to stop the plane. The pilot also did some fancy maneuvering of the flaps to slow the plane down during the landing. The article below says that “the mechanical issue did not create an emergency” so I have to wonder just what they consider to be an emergency?!
I wasn’t supposed to go to Brac at all during this trip, but I went there twice on the same day! So once again we were back in a Cayman airport waiting for information and the tired and frustrated passengers were getting very impatient.
The Cayman Airways Rep announced that “a mechanic would travel over from GC on the next flight to assess the situation and then you will be updated.” A member of our group asked, “Why can’t we just travel to Little Cayman by boat? It’s so close and we still might be able to dive this afternoon!” Others joined the chorus but the Rep insisted that “no contingency plans can be made until after the mechanic arrives and has a chance to assess the situation.”
So, the passengers staged a coup d'état and we took matters into our own hands! One person called Reef Divers on Little Cayman and I called the Clearly Cayman resorts. They told us to get our bags and wait outside the airport. They would send ground transport to take us to the dock at the Cayman Brac Beach Resort and they would send a boat over for us – hurray!
Most of the travelers were going to LCBR but there were a few others including a visitor to Pirates Point and someone for the Southern Cross resort, and they immediately asked for a lift on the Reef Divers boat.
The Cayman Airways Rep wisely realized that she was losing control of the situation, so she decided to go with the flow. She made the smart decision not to wait for the mechanic to arrive to assess the problem. She called Reef Divers and arranged to charter their boat to bring travelers leaving LC that day over to Brac, and take the new arrivals back to LC.
When we reclaimed our luggage, we discovered that our 2 bags were among the 6 bags that had been “randomly selected” for delay – so if our flight had actually made it over to LC we would have arrived without our belongings (once again!)
Vans arrived at the CB airport to take us to the CBBR dock and we hung out there for awhile until the Reef Divers boat arrived from LC. It looked like an Ark that was loaded with passengers and luggage to be transported to the Brac airport. Then we boarded and took the 45-minute boat trip over to Little Cayman – we had finally made it and all our luggage arrived with us, what a relief!
Things were managed quite efficiently. We were quickly booked in at the resort and dive shop, and transport was arranged for those traveling to other resorts. We had made good time and they kept lunch open late for the new arrivals.
The Cayman Compass article below doesn’t even mention Reef Divers, but they were the true heroes of the situation. They even added a special 2-tank afternoon dive trip that day to help the new guests make up for some lost dives.
We learned that Cayman Airways only has 2 Twin Otters and one of them was in the US getting maintenance, so the broken plane was the only plane that could make the flights to LC. Happily, they did manage to fix the hydraulics and they made a late flight over that evening but probably not at 1:30 pm as stated in the article. The airport is very near the resort and we didn't hear or see a plane until late afternoon - and a late arriving guest told us at dinner that they had been waiting for hours and didn't think that they would make it, but they caught the last flight over after the plane was repaired.
Clearly Cayman Resorts were not responsible for any of the problems with weather or flights, but they tried to compensate as much as possible for those of us that had been affected by the delays. I know that a few folks arranged to stay another day without extra charges. We were not able to stay longer (darn!) but they gave us a generous gift certificate to use toward a future trip – so that was great.
I also heard that when the boat trip was arranged, LCBR staff were quickly dispatched to knock on doors and track down guests to tell them of the flight delays and offer assistance to those planning to leave LC that day.
Unfortunately, Cayman Airways took one more shot at us during our trip home! LCBR asks visitors to consider packing one or two bags in advance and sending them over to GC the afternoon before your departure date. We have done this in the past and our bags were usually waiting for us when we arrived on Grand Cayman. It is a convenient system and it helps to ensure that all your bags will be available to travel home with you.
But when we arrived at GCM last Saturday morning, one of our bags was there waiting but the gear bag was missing. At first we couldn't find anyone to help us, but we finally tracked down a CA supervisor. We searched for the bag together until we eventually found it locked in room under a load of other bags. Our bag was correctly tagged, and the supervisor had no idea why it had been diverted – oh well, we did find it and we had plenty of connection time before our flight home.
Despite these travel setbacks we had a wonderful trip! I love the improvements at the GCM airport and at the Little Cayman Beach Resort – and the resort food was fantastic. The islands were beautiful, the people were friendly, and we had no issues with sargassum weed on either island.
We did all of our Little Cayman dives on Bloody Bay Wall and Jackson’s Bight and the reefs were gorgeous! The visibility and clarity were great, the reefs were healthy, and the sea life was varied and abundant. All in all, it was a fantastic (and interesting) trip and I can’t wait to go back!
https://www.caymancompass.com/2019/10/29/stranded-airline-passengers-take-to-the-sea/
Stranded airline passengers take to the sea
Cayman Airways pressed boats into service when a mechanical issue grounded its sister island service.
By Mark Muckenfuss -
October 29, 2019
Mechanical problems caused the pilot of a Cayman Airways Twin Otter aircraft to abort the flight from Cayman Brac to Little Cayman on Sunday morning, temporarily stranding travellers from the Sister Islands.
Officials with the airline said the mechanical issue did not create an emergency, but the pilot chose to turn back to the Brac rather than complete the flight.
Some passengers awaiting the plane on Little Cayman were shuttled to Cayman Brac by boat and were able to return to Grand Cayman from there. Passengers in the Brac affected by the service outage travelled to Little Cayman by boat as well, but the boats did not have the capacity to accommodate everyone.
By early afternoon, the plane was airborne again. It arrived in Little Cayman about 1:30pm to transport the remaining passengers.
Officials said the flight schedule returned to normal on Monday.
