I've heard that the winter-overs whose flights from McMurdo were delayed (and subsequent flight dates on commercial airlines) -- and who went through RPSC travel for their ticket, not the Christchurch travel agency -- were required to pay for the fees required to change the dates for their tickets back to their AODs. Does anyone know if they're going to get reimbursed? After all, our contracts do say that RPSC will get us to and from Antarctica. If they're making contractors pay for ticket changes when those changes are caused by issues related to the job site (i.e. weather or mechanical issues), then it seems like more dastardly shucking of their responsibilitis towards the contractors.
The other travel gem from the Ice is the story of a FNG being chosen to be a "go to" person during the travels from Denver to Christchurch - a contact person for people who might have questions at the airports or at other times en route. (This new service to deploying personnel was offered at a Denver orientation, and volunteers for the duties received a first class upgrade in exchange for their time and efforts.) RPSC Travel picked a FNG?!?!? Why would you pick a FNG to assist people traveling south when there are so many who have been south before??? It serves RPSC Travel right that the FNG got too shit-faced to catch all of their flights and was completely useless in the position. It sucks for the other people who were flying with that person, but it really highlights the stupidity of some of RPSC Headquarter's decisions.
