Airlines behaving badly just can't help themselves
Airlines just can't seem to get it right. Theirs is the most competitive industry on earth, with the highest proportion of customers willing to cross the road and change brands to get a better deal, but airlines have one of the worst industry records for mistreating the people they need to make a living.
A week ago, Jetstar created one of its most brand damaging incidents when 250 passengers on a flight from Bangkok to Melbourne were stuck on a plane at Bangkok airport for more than three hours while a faulty hydraulic pump was replaced.
An airline staff member or contract representative it wasn't made clear which made the call not to return to the terminal to disembark passengers while the pump was repaired.
In this case, Jetstar had a valid reason: it was worried that the crew would exceed its 14 hour duty limit and as it turned out came within an hour or so of having to cancel the flight until the next day.
Passengers spent more than three hours on the plane on the tarmac without air conditioning and some passengers said crew were slow to recognise the main thing passengers wanted was water.
But most galling is the fact that the first thing that goes missing when an airline schedule is disrupted is the truth. All airlines not just Jetstar are apparently incapable of promptly telling their customers in simple language exactly what's going on.
This is Customer Service 101 as far as ordinary punters are concerned please treat me with respect but instead the universal airline customer service manual says: "Do NOT tell anyone anything for any reason and, if a customer finds out what you won't tell them,[url=http://www.nikeairhuarache.co.uk/]black huaraches[/url], deny it; please try to ensure you alienate as many people as possible, who, along with all their colleagues, friends and relatives,[url=http://www.prom-weddingdresses@#$%&/]summer dresses[/url], vow never to use your company again".
Jetstar reportedly offered economy passengers caught in the Bangkok delay a penny pinching $50 voucher an act of contempt that probably cost the airline hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost business and goodwill,[url=http://www.doudoune-canadagoosepascher.fr/]@#$%& @#$%&[/url].
The only consolation? Jetstar is positively saintly compared with the up yours culture of the airline industry in the US.
According to US Transportation Department data,[url=http://www.hermes-sac.fr/]sac hermes[/url], about 200,000 US domestic passengers have been stuck on more than 3000 planes for three hours or more waiting to take off or taxi to a gate since January 2007.
And, in Europe, reports of passengers stranded without explanation or compensation by the region's biggest low cost carrier, Ryanair,[url=http://www.polo-ralphlauren-pascher.fr/]polo @#$%& @#$%&[/url], are legion.
Have you ever flown an airline that told you the truth when things went awry? What are the best and the worst carriers for customer service? Should Australia follow calls in America for an airline passengers bill of rights to put limits, for example,[url=http://www.@#$%&-free-running@#$%&/]free runner 2[/url], on the time passengers can be held aboard a stationary aircraft?
Earlier this year, on a Virgin Blue flight between Perth and Broome, we were about 30 mins from starting our descent into Broome when we suddenly did a complete 180 u turn. Sure enough, a minute later, the captain came on and said that there was a malfunction with a non critical system and we needed to return to Perth.
It was clear that we could have gone on to Broome, but the captain explained that the plane would be stranded there. There was a general feeling of slight annoyance, but most people got over it soon enough, especially when cabin staff came around and explained we would all be given full credit for that flight.
Luckily, there was another flight up that afternoon, so we were rechecked on that flight at no charge, and my husband and I placed in Virgin's premium seating at the front. The credit meant that a couple of months later we could head to Melbourne for the Grand Prix with one way almost free!
I was always indifferent to Virgin, but that episode with quick and honest explanations and customer kindness was refreshing and endearing. Qantas, Jet Star, et al sit up and take note.
QANTAS is by the far the worse for customer service. They are rude and dismissive to all but white business men. If you are a mother of young children, if you are young, ethnic or a woman, don't fly Qantas unless you want rude service. Don't worry about waiting on the tarmac for hours cos of some fault,[url=http://www.longchampbags.me.uk/]longchamp uk[/url], or waiting for another flight cos they have conveniently cancelled one that isn't going to make them money. They are all warranted reasons to ''communicate'' to your customers and make sure all is ok. But Qantas doesn't need an ''event'' to be rude, they are just poor at customer service and rude all the time. Jetstar follows suit.
After purchasing full fare Qantas business class tickets to Indonesia and being code shared on Jetstar in January, I will never fly with them again. violations its ridiculous, placing us all in immediate danger. One of the drunken off duty crew was left for landing, asleep, head in a sick bag, chair reclined and no seat belt! The outcome after 3 complaint letters, a $50 voucher to be used when booking our next trip with Jetstar!As if!
Personally, I would rather be kept in the dark if the delay is due to a technical fault. I am a somewhat nervous flier,[url=http://www.oakleysunglasses.in.net/]really cheap oakley sunglasses[/url], and I don't really want, nor need, to know exactly what the problem is, in case this sets my imagination spiralling out of control.
Comments that suggest that staff relish giving bad service are completely ridiculous. You are paranoid. Maybe they appear to be enjoying giving you bad news, because you are being a whingeing git. Things go wrong. Learn to cope with it, or get a pilots' licence.
On an American Airlines flight from Vancouver to Houston,[url=http://www.louisvuittonpursesbag.net/]cheap louis @#$%&[/url], via Dallas Fort Worth. Plane leaving Dallas backed up from the air bridge to stop about 10m out. Pilot came over the address system told us he had had to reboot the plane as they had a warning light on a starter solenoid on one of the motors.
The reboot failed we had to disembark.
22 hours later, after 3 cancelled flight 2 airlines later, amongst numerous other stuff ups with the last shuttle bus of the night taking us to the wrong motel, jack knifing semi on turnpikes, wrong room keys, etc. I finally got to Houston.
Friend I was staying with in Houston could have drivien up to Dallas picked me up in less time. Same distance as Sydney to Canberra.
At least we were told the reason for the initial problem reasons.
It seems that Jetstar not telling the truth is not limited to international flights. Last Friday week my wife and I were booked on a flight to Coolangatta. After a long delay we were told that due to a reconfigured aircraft we had to move from row 2 to the back of the aircraft. Since when did row 2 cease to exist on any aircraft? And then the staff had the nerve to criticise my wife's behavior when she sought a better seat. If they had said to us that they wanted the seat for a wheelchair passenger, what we saw, then we would have happily moved.
I agree with Empress Jo about Virgin,[url=http://www.p90x-workout.us@#$%&/]p90x schedule[/url]. My wife and I were waiting to go from Brisbane to Sydney when the flight taking us arrived late from Sydney. Then there was a chemical hazard alert as someone had not declared they were transporting formaldahide in their luggage and it had leaked. The flight was cancelled.
Virgin explained the whole problem then called for volunteers to go later; compensated those that did volunteer and rebooked us on the next flight.
The passengers were very understanding and helpful when the problem was explained. All I can say is well done Virgin.

[url=http://forums.wolfpackhq@#$%&/read.php?1,6229]sac lancel @#$%& 64 Schofield Parade Keppel Sands Qld 4702[/url]

[url=http://www.juegosetnicos@#$%&.ar/spip.php?article119&lang=es/]@#$%& jackets 4 Weatherly Close Nelson Bay NSW 2315[/url]

[url=http://deminternets@#$%&/elina/picture.php?/692/category/16/start-1010&comments_order=DESC#comments]true religion wholesale 525 bags of heroin after a[/url]

[url=http://bbs.9outdoor@#$%&/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=5964316]@#$%& soldes 5 Billion Pounds Of Plastic And Wood[/url]

[url=http://uchem.berkeley.edu/forum/read.php?21,1494837]ugg flip flops Airlines Forecast A Sunnier Summer[/url]