Now I can understand why Singapore Airlines is no longer the world's best airline.
I do not travel as often as I would like to, but each time that I do, more often than not, I would encounter something that would upset me or my fellow travellers.
The latest is my upcoming trip to Phuket. I had booked online four economy-class tickets earlier this month. This included paying for our seat selections, a marketing strategy that obviously is profit-oriented but cleverly promoted as one of service.
Having settled the hassle of maneuvering through the still unfriendly website, I thought I could relax and just look forward to the holiday.
Unfortunately, it was not to be. Last Saturday, as I was checking my email, out popped a bunch of messages from the airline informing us of a change in flight schedules and operating aircraft, together with seat allocations that were arbitrarily done, never mind the fact that we had paid for our selections.
Of course, the airline promised to refund the seat selection fee, but that was not the issue I had problem with.
My unhappiness was that the airline had conveniently given us alternative seats that were way back in the new aircraft. Why couldn't it have assigned seats in a similar location? After all, I had taken the trouble to book early and surely deserved the right to have equivalent seats.
It was obvious that the airline didn't bother considering our right because when I called the hotline to complain (vigorously, I might add), more acceptable seats were offered. The question is, why couldn't this have been done in the first place?
Was this because it was dealing with 'cattle-class' customers who could easily be ignored, or maybe pacified by simply refunding their seat selection fee?
Such high-handedness, I must say, leaves a very sour taste in the mouth.
As a customer, I can accept unexpected changes and disruptions in flight schedules and the attendant consequences. But when they happen, is it too much to expect a little bit more consideration, even for the cattle class?
I believe the airline knows the hassle one has to go through trying to get in touch with its customer service officers whenever such a disruption occurs. And one cannot help but feel that it makes a deliberate effort to avoid speaking to its customers.
As a Singaporean, I have been proud to see our airline flying high for so many years. However, it is sad to note that with intense competition from the Middle Eastern airlines, it is struggling to maintain, what it used to boast about, the "service that other airlines talk about".
My feeling is that complacency has started to set in. However, my biggest fear is that it has somewhat lost its way while it was up there in the stratosphere -- and there is no longer Lee Kuan Yew around to bring it down to earth.
