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Taken June 2001 from Mexico City to Sydney via Vancouver

What a journey, read on, it makes for an interesting read!!

We were delayed in MEX for 21 hour with wing slat mechanical delay. We finally boarded and taxied to the runway, take off roll began smoothly, about 230 seconds into the roll, engine 4 on the right wing caught fire. A small amount of smoke entered the cabin and the aircraft came to a grinding hault. We were left on the plane on AN ACTIVE VERY BUSY MEX RUNWAY for over 15 minutes, the cabin crew disarmed the doors, and opened door 4 overwing to release the smoke!!! HELLO, do you see anything wrong with this?

We taxied back to the terminal after the fire was extinguished and returned to the gate. We were delayed approx 48 hours and were put into the Nikko Narita hotel.

JAL's MEX ground staff were appalling. They called each passenger's room at around 3am and advised that the bus would be leaving for the terminal at 5:45am. We had to be ready.

The scene at MEX airport was of total chaos. Staff were unable to assist the volume of passengers at the terminal.

Eventually people were re-routed onto other airlines, without passengers being given the choice!!! NOT ME, I argued and was eventually put onto my choice of AA to Dallas and LAX, connecting to QF to SYD. AA was excellent, had new MD80 and 757 with the more room in coach concept and Qantas gave myself and partner the ONLY spare 4 seats each on the aircraft. The trip home turned out to be great!!!

The moral, cheap tickets don't always work out the best option!!!