bad blood 2

I was bound for Manila on Aug. 2, 2008, again on this budget airline. A few days before my departure, I was informed by my friend that this airline moved to the newly-opened terminal, and all flights are to land there, domestic and international. I told my mom to call and check if it really were, because she was fetching me, so I didn't want her to have to go to the wrong terminal. My mother did, and was informed by the airline's customer service that only domestic flights will land in the new airport, and the international flights will use the old airport. When I told my friend about it... she then tells me there was this huge announcement on the airline's website about moving ALL the flights to the new airport. Eventually she called the customer service to ask. Or tried to. She couldn't get through, so she tried to call the sales office. Still not able to get through, she eventually called the old airport itself to confirm, and was told the same thing: domestic at the new airport, international at the old airport.

Aug. 2 comes... and again, I was not to experience flying on the appointed time. Haha... what was I thinking? My ETD was 1:55pm, and I boarded the plane at 4:30pm. Seriously. It's so pathetic even the word pathetic is no longer pathetic enough to describe it.

Once inside the airplane, after a delay of more than 2 hours, the flight attendant announces that we will be landing in the new airport. WHAT THE!!! I wanted to shout and tell them to give me one more minute, so I could call my mom and inform her. Besides I thought, after more than 2 hours of delay, one more minute shouldn't matter right? All the same, I didn't.

The pilot, and attendant, at some parts of the flight kept apologizing for the delay... the reason being they just moved to the new terminal the day before, and everything was chaotic. I repeat myself: Only in the Philippines. I believe, and strongly believe that for something to be newly opened, or newly-operated, whoever is behind that will make sure (101%) that everything will go smoothly on DAY 1. Nevermind what happens afterwards.

We arrive in Manila at 6:20pm. After passing through immigration, I make my way down to await my luggage. I then overhear a Taiwanese passenger asking about the connecting flight and how long it would take for the luggage to come out. Apparently, he has a connecting flight to Cebu on the same carrier, take this, at 7:15pm. It was 6:35pm and the luggage conveyor belt has not even started moving. The passenger approaches a ground staff to ask. I took pity and helped him talk to the girl. Note: this girl has a radio with her. I told the girl that he has a connecting flight at 7:15pm, and if possible, would they hurry up the luggage, or at least bring his luggage out first. The girl goes in to the area where they are unloading the luggage. The belt starts moving now, and the girl comes out. I approach the girl again and ask her if they can assist in releasing this passenger's luggage first. She tells me they can't. It's their policy. WHAT? WHAT? WHAT'S THE POLICY? Am I missing something here? So I ask the girl if she can radio their domestic check-in counter and just inform them that there are connecting passengers. She again tells me she cannot. SHE CANNOT!!! WHAT THE!!! If they cannot everything... then what the heck CAN they do? I tell her the delay was their airline's fault. Were they going to compensate for this passenger in the event that he misses his connecting flight? Somehow I doubt it.

For someone in the service industry, the kind of service they have leaves a lot to be desired. My friends tell me I cannot expect a lot because they are budget... I say, being a budget airline does not justify bad service. They are not the only budget airline in the entire world. And the kind of service the other budget airlines provide puts them to shame.

I also say, I'm not expecting gold-class service from this airline, just don't take us for fools in thinking we'd actually buy the 3-hour-airplane-rest story. No low amount justifies that reason. Ever.

bad blood

Continuing my incidents with that particular budget airline... somehow I'm thinking if I should've taken that trip to Singapore as a sign. I wonder if it's because I fly more often than my other friends, on this airline, that my rate of encountering these delays and service malfunction is higher? Or is it really just bad blood?

On another trip in the same airline, this time bound for Taiwan, I try to prepare myself for another delay, and yet, hoping against hope that we can leave on the appointed time. Unfortunately again... that was not to be the case. The ETD from Manila is 11am. I work my way to the check-in counter at 9:45am, and see before me, literally, a sea of people, in line to check in. At about 10am, we learn that the check-in counter system of this airline crashed. CRASHED! and take note... there were passengers bound for Hong Kong on an even earlier flight than I was, still checking in. Just imagine. They have to MANUALLY check in everyone. I had about 60 people in front of me, bound for Taiwan, not to mention the remaining maybe 30 passengers for Hong Kong.

I look around the airport, at other check in counters... There's EVA on the left, and KOREAN AIR on the right (or was it EMIRATES?)... and all their systems are working well! Only this airline's computer system crashes. Seriously. What's going on here?

Behind me in line was a mother, carrying her 1-year old daughter in her arms, and pushing her trolley cart. The child was getting fussy, and the mom was trying to soothe her, and maybe get her to sleep. After about 30 minutes, I realized I was still exactly where I was in line. The child was finally asleep, but the mom was already tired. At one point, she went up to the counter and asked if she could check-in first, because, after all, she has a 1-year old with her. Whoever was at the counter told the mom "if the other passengers will let you go ahead, I can check you in first." WHAT THE --- Am I missing something here? Or is there something seriously wrong somewhere?

Do these people realize that they are in the service industry? Do they need to be told, and have it hammered in their head that passengers with infants are prioritized? Go to any airport in any part of the world. That's the protocol. Having the computer system crash, and manually checking in about 100 passengers do not friggin' justify that kind of reaction. I wonder what their training taught them, or if they ever had any at all? DUHHH...

At this point, I have only 2 things to say: 1. Only in the Philippines. Seriously. 2. It's really so pathetic I can only look up and sigh, and not even have the energy to get angry.

Why... why... why am I still taking this airline? and subjecting myself to such inhumane treatment? why oh why oh why?

Sigh...

Oh... and for the record, I finished checking in at 11:30am; we left sometime past 12nn, arrived in Taiwan 3 minutes before the ETA. Nothing about it really, except that the pilot even had the courage to announce that they arrived 3 minutes... 3 friggin' minutes before the ETA. Seriously, what do they take us for?