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You just can’t buy service…
Just sitting at Singapore Airport, after the hour’s flight from Ho Chi Minh City.
The flight home is proving to be harder than expected.
My mother’s leg, which is now swollen and bruised both at the knee and ankle (In fact you can’t really tell much difference in width most of the way down and her toes are kind of sticking out from this little round foot), she is limping heavily and when you go up and everything expands, things only get worse.
We thought life would be ok, given dad’s Gold Elite Star Alliance rating. Either we could negotiate an exit row, or he could use airpoints or dollars to upgrade her to business class.
It appears not so.
Despite years of traveling almost monthly and their combined status, there has been absolutely no help. The first person told us the plane here was full, there was nothing we could do and to sort out the long leg from Singapore… We then boarded the plane to find it almost empty and rows of seats available.
We arrived here to find that you have to book upgrades DAYS in advance – even if business class isn’t full and you have the airpoints or dollars to do it.
What I find almost amusing is that airlines have a tendency to make it clear that they are not offering service because they LIKE you, it’s because you give them a LOT of money with your decision to fly with them regularly. What we are now finding, is that even money doesn’t really buy you the service. In fact, if you ASK to fund the upgrade, they still don’t deem you worthy (even if you are struggling to walk).
Luckily, my mother is not one to cry about it (in fact she is yet to shed a tear, despite her fairly substantial injuries). But I wonder what would happen if someone as high maintenance as ME was in that position? I suppose luxurious air travel was the gap Emirates intended to fill when they came on the market.
Hello, my name is Natalie, I have a business called 
October 27th, 2008 at 2:28 am
That Sucks sucks sucks. I hope the flights back were not too painful regardless.
October 27th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
I think that is why the airline industry is going bust. I would drop a friendly email to them about the experience.
I hope the airlines you were flying with were not Singapore Airlines, because they are known to provide impeccable service.
Whatever airlines it was, they should have provided you a free upgrade regardless of the money/points, because of the discomfort your mom was in. Customer comfort should have come first.
Anyway I hope your mom recovers well. :)
October 28th, 2008 at 9:36 am
Ah
the vagaries of air travel
Too late now I’m sure, but a request while in flight for an oxygen mask, as she felt decidedly ill, would have had your mother whisked into business or 1st class faster than a virgin’s first.
With every ‘game’ it is important to establish the rules, then you can work out how to win. 1st rule of airlines – the person at check-in has NO authority to do anything the computer doesn’t tell them, ONLY the station Manager has any authority there. However, the Cabin Service Director is second only to God (the Captain) once the aircraft is disconnected from the ground :-).
Now you’re back, how long are you getting to relax, recover, recuperate and regret coming back before ‘going’ to ‘work’?
Happy daze
October 29th, 2008 at 10:41 am
Yeah, maybe I will!
Turns out mums leg is broken. The doctors (quite rightly) think she is insane. They have put her leg in a brace so she can no longer walk on it or move much at all.
Luckily we made it home in largely one piece! :)