SQNo1 From United Kingdom, joined Sep 2004, 681 posts, RR: 1 Posted (8 years 7 months 2 weeks 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 2265 times:
It was Holidays Uncovered Programme which finished at 21:00 BST. A couple booked two weeks in SXM 190 yards from the runway at the unsupriseingly named Maho Beach hotel. Paid £3000 for two weeks and did'nt realise that aircraft would be flying past their window.
What Idiots!
Alcregular From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 1, posted (8 years 7 months 2 weeks 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 2260 times:
I just posted this in non-av. Im sure it would say it was next to the airport. I can't believe they sent the holiday to Richard Branson and got a full refund. This is ridicoulous.
Visityyj From Canada, joined Jun 2000, 519 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (8 years 7 months 2 weeks 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 2242 times:
Not idiots at all !
If you go to the Maho Beach Casino & Hotel website, you will notice there is a complete lack of any mention of the airport. And all the photos are careful to avoid showing the proximity to the approach/runway. Airplane geeks are a tiny minority (who do know about Maho Beach), and would be the only ones NOT likely upset by planes unexpectedly flying past the bedroom window
Sevenair From United Kingdom, joined Feb 2001, 1728 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (8 years 7 months 2 weeks 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 2227 times:
not at all, i think R.B. shud have refunded them, Virgin did make a mistake on the map, places the airport further away than it was. I totally think Virgin Hols do owe them, ans the fact that they refunded the couple, AND withdrew that hotel from their brochure proves the couple are well entitled to a refund. THe brochure said the airport was 3.6km away (argh-i h8 measurements for distance!) whichi think is a coupel of miles, not a coupld of hundred yrds!!
Capital146 From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2003, 2125 posts, RR: 49 Reply 10, posted (8 years 7 months 2 weeks 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 2156 times:
Saint Martin I understand is the spelling for the French half of the island, the Dutch half of the island being spelt Saint Maarten. Maybe all the Virgin Holidays hotels are now in the French part?
Stealthpilot From India, joined May 2004, 510 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (8 years 7 months 2 weeks 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 2138 times:
SXM is known to all us plane/airport lovers. But to others, well, I can’t say I know too much about museums or other stuff (get my point). So in response SQno1, I don’t think it’s foolish for those guys to have not known the airport was there. But I agree with what you were getting at. For me, you and fellow airliners people it's hard to complain about being to close to a runaway ………. the idea of not liking it is ridiculous. If I got a room with a view I would love it!!!!!
BCAL From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2004, 3384 posts, RR: 18 Reply 12, posted (8 years 7 months 2 weeks 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 2081 times:
Boy, it's only 25 minutes since the programme finished and already there is a thread with 11 replies!
The couple said it was a holiday from hell and only suitable for plane spotters or the hard of hearing! I would just love to go there and be holding on to that fence whilst an 747 or A340 was revving for take off!
Virgin said they no longer send clients to the Mahe Beach Hotel. They must have cancelled the contract but if there are still rooms available and Virgin is committed to paying for them, what chance is there that a.net members can get a discounted holiday?
MOL on SRB's latest attack at BA: "It's like a little Chihuahua barking at a dying Labrador. Nobody cares."
Geoffm From United Kingdom, joined Feb 2004, 2111 posts, RR: 7 Reply 13, posted (8 years 7 months 2 weeks 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 2073 times:
I don't think I've EVER read a brochure that advertises the fact that the hotel is next to an airport. Doesn't make commercial sense. Yes, this couple were walking into something blind, but not necessarily mislead. Depends how they measure distance - distance to the terminal, which I believe is near the far end of the runway - ie couple of miles away?
Mind you, paying £3000 for a holiday is somewhat silly. Three minutes on Expedia found £2400 for a 2-week December break for two at the Maho Beach. Ah, the excessive mark-up costs of travel agents!
Jaspike From United Kingdom, joined Feb 2008, 1 posts, RR: 2 Reply 14, posted (8 years 7 months 2 weeks 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 2065 times:
Hehehehe what fools
They knew they were going to a tiny island, where did they think the planes would land?! They said themselves that they knew there was an airport there.
Lj From Netherlands, joined Nov 1999, 4149 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (8 years 7 months 2 weeks 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 2035 times:
Saint Martin I understand is the spelling for the French half of the island, the Dutch half of the island being spelt Saint Maarten. Maybe all the Virgin Holidays hotels are now in the French part?
In Dutch the island is called "Sint Maarten" or "St. Maarten". SXM is located in the Dutch part of the island
LY744 From Canada, joined Feb 2001, 5536 posts, RR: 11 Reply 17, posted (8 years 7 months 2 weeks 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 1957 times:
"They knew they were going to a tiny island, where did they think the planes would land?!"
That would require quite a bit more common sense than the average person possesses. Let's face it, you wouldn't have thought of that if you weren't an aviation enthusiast already familiar with SXM.
FLY2LIM From United States of America, joined May 2004, 1183 posts, RR: 11 Reply 18, posted (8 years 7 months 2 weeks 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 1934 times:
I sometimes wonder if it isn't the "dumb tourists" who are smarter than some of the posters on a.net. A person from England buys a holiday to the Caribbean and the LAST thing they think about is the possibility of having wide bodied jets landing next to their exotic hotel. I have researched SXM extensively (we want to go there next) and the Maho Beach Hotel's website and brochures say nothing about the location next to the runway. If you look at the map, you see that the airport is on the other side of the beach, but no one can tell what distance that is and, I think, people would assume that a hotel would not be next to a beach. So come on, give these people a break.
Since "the customer is always right", they are entitled to a refund. Besides, SRB is too smart to get bad publicity for a situation like this.
FLY2LIM
JGPH1A From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 20, posted (8 years 7 months 2 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 1670 times:
Oh please - typical Brit holiday makers, always whinging about something. Like its SO many planes - they get what 3 or 4 widebodies per day in SXM, if that - plus some jets from the US, and the odd puddle jumper that these days make virtually no noise at all. If I was SRB I'd have told them to FRO.
Flyboy36y From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 3039 posts, RR: 8 Reply 21, posted (8 years 7 months 2 weeks 11 hours ago) and read 1584 times:
Maybe the US we sue a lot not because we have more people who bitch about things frivolously, but becase we have less executives willing to cave into them.
Geoffm From United Kingdom, joined Feb 2004, 2111 posts, RR: 7 Reply 22, posted (8 years 7 months 2 weeks 11 hours ago) and read 1532 times:
Actually, Brits sue more per person than in the US (apparently). Could be to do with the huge rash of "no win no fee" ads we've had over the last few years. What they don't tell you is the huge insurance fee you have to hand over before they consider your case, which in many cases is more than the money actually received from any compensation. Luckily I'm not one of the many who has been caught out by this scam.
BCAL From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2004, 3384 posts, RR: 18 Reply 24, posted (8 years 7 months 2 weeks 10 hours ago) and read 1473 times:
If I remember correctly, the woman tourist did say that the "transfer time" from the airport to the hotel was stated in the Virgin brochure at 5 minutes. Surely that alone would mean that the hotel is within the vicinity of the airport so noise could be expected. Where exactly did they expect to be within 5 minutes from leaving the airport? A quiet paradise where the only noise would be the birds chirping in the trees?
The trouble with many Brit tourists is that they rely too much on brochures and other people, hence the popularity in "tour packages".
MOL on SRB's latest attack at BA: "It's like a little Chihuahua barking at a dying Labrador. Nobody cares."
25 Horus: lol...I watched the programme too. I was like 'WHAT ARE YOU COMPLAINING ABOUT YOU SILLY WOMAN....YOU'RE IN AVIATION HEAVEN!!!!!' Seriously though, loo
26 Iowaman: SXM/TNCM Arrivals Today: San Juan, PR 354 02:50 PM Arrived San Juan, PR 356 07:54 PM Scheduled Paris Air France 488 09:55 AM Landed San Juan, PR Ameri
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