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?