Despite more and more people traveling by air, we see airlines filing for bankruptcy and struggling to remain profitable. Though it is often blamed on taxes and higher fuel costs, but in reality its success depends on how fixed/legacy costs and assets are being managed.
Source: http://freakonomics.com/2011/06/24/why-do-airlines-always-lose-money-hint-its-not-due-to-taxes-or-fuel-costs
With a few exceptions, why do government run airlines often have poor service uniformly across the world? Is it because they operate on a low cost model: pay less to employees and as a result poor service? Or is it because they are not professionally run?
My recent travel on a transatlantic Air France flight made me ask this question again. Having traveled Air France before, I had booked myself on Delta, but I never knew these two had a code sharing agreement in place, until a few weeks ahead of the journey when I called them to check on the baggage restrictions and pre-select my meal plan.
It is a world known fact the French lack service ethics and etiquettes, and after having lived in Paris for over two years, I should know this better than many others on that day's flight. While living in Paris, I had my own set of plumbers, carpenters and lock-smiths of Indian origin (from Pondicherry) who showed flexibility and professionalism.
A few surprises
My earlier check-in experiences with Jet Airways and Air France code sharing flights was poor. But this time, when I tried to check-in 24 hours before the journey on Delta Airlines site, I was promptly redirected to Air France site. I was surprised how seamless it was moving from the website of a private airline to a government run airline. Is it the only seamless travel on this journey?
On the day of the journey, airlines normally send a reminder message on the flight timings and update if there are any delays. Surprisingly, I never got a reminder message despite leaving my mobile number with the airline. When I got to the airport 3.5 hours before, I was in for another surprise: self check-in at the counter. Passengers had lined up behind a dozen kiosks trying to try their luck like in the Casinos. Looking at the line and how they struggled to get do the self check-in, I appreciated myself for being early.
I followed the procedure on the touch screen kiosk to the best of my ability, but some steps were ambiguous. It wasn't clear if I had to scan my visa or just the front page of the passport, and when I called the ground staff for help, she conveniently skipped that step like a student who skipped questions during exams because of unpreparedness. Later that evening, I discovered where this could possibly raise the alarm bell.
I still had 150 mins when I got to the gate, and the 2E terminal at Charles de Gaulle looked swanky. I had arrived much ahead of others and there was no competition for the seats near the boarding gate. I pulled out my iPad and tried to connect to the Airport Free-wifi and was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that connectivity was unlimited, despite slightly slow browsing speed.
I managed to kill 120 mins toggling between The Hindu, Times of India and NYTimes. In between I requested my neighbor to watch my bag and made a trip to the nearest cafe to get a fresh salad and a cup of yogurt. Did I have a premonition that the airline meal was going to be pathetic? But aren't the French connoisseurs of food and Michelin stars chefs?
Are they new to their job?
Let me not jump ahead,start with boarding. Usually gates remain unmanned until 30 mins before boarding, and that was also the case today. I was expecting the half-dozen educated and trained staff at the boarding gate to give clear instructions on where to queue up for business and economy class. But they seemed to be in a holiday mood more than passengers.
Blame it on anxious passengers or their in-built self-discipline, they began to queue up in the absence of any instructions and the plasmas continued to lie: l'embarquement 18:30 hours. And they continued to show the same even at 18.45. Seeing many responsible passengers approach the staff, they had no option but to make an announcement about the delay in boarding, which kept moving every 10 mins by 15mins.
I can understand delays, but how about professionally handling passengers by giving clear instructions and keeping them relaxed and well-informed. At one point, a portion of the vertically standing queue turned into a horizontal queue. Minus flith, the airport pretty much looked like train station in an developing country.
Is Samsung targeting an Apple loyalist?
Soon the noise levels in the airport buried the instructions given over the PA system and boarding became more confusing. While I have seen airlines like government run airlines like Emirates, do seat based boarding and giving preference to infants and elderly, Air France only seemed to care about those with their special card.
I had queued up in one corner of the gate where they suddenly placed the Economy Class board. But my euphoria didn't last for long when the machine failed to read the barcode on my boarding pass. And when the staff manually entered my reservation number, I had another surprise waiting for me? Did I get upgraded?
He proudly announced that I was being randomly selected to be screened by the security personnel at the gate. This is the second time I was screened during my journey the U.S. Why was I singled out? They security personnel at the gate repeatedly asked me if I had an iPad, iPhone and a camera. Was Samsung targeting Apple loyalists?
I confirmed the first two and defined the third, but he insisted to search me and my carry-on. He frisked me, asked to remove my shoes and then made me empty my bag. By then I had lost my patience, but nevertheless decided to stay clam after seeing 3 other names in the screening lottery list. Looking at how annoyed I was, the security personnel thanked me a few times and wished me Bon voyage. Did they target me because the ground staff failed to scan my visa page or was it the reason stated by the security personnel: iPad, iPhone and camera?
Happiness is ephemeral
I entered the flight to find most seats already taken, but to my surprise the overhead cabin was partially empty. Don't know how Air France managed get pack rats travel light. The flight was already delayed by over 30 mins and the while waiting for our turn to take-off I flipped through to channels to look at the choice of movies. Though I didn't expect a great collection, but I spotted a few good ones: Big Eyes, PK, Shaun et Muton, etc. But again my happiness was short lived.
When I switched from French to English, the screen went blank and I had to request the cabin crew to resuscitate. In about 20 minutes the screen came back to life and I felt relived to start my moivethon with Shaun et Muton. Hardly 15 minutes into the movie, I was automatically moved to another movie without not having made the choice. I tried a few time to get back to movie I was watching, but eventually I gave up and started to read the International edition of New York Times. Shortly after, the purser made an announcement about technical issue with the entertainment system.
Proving the French cliche
The French are believed to be best chefs and connoisseurs of food, will their meal testify the same?
An hour had passed and my only solace on this journey was a hot dinner. The crew passed around the menu card, but since I had asked for a special meal it wasn't listed on the card. While many others knew what they were going to get, but I was definitely in more surprises.
There was also another reason why I was eagerly looking forward to the meal, I had ordered the meal after waiting on the phone for 12.5 minutes. And when it arrived, I had an instant facial constipation from looking at the size of the meal and soon the quality was going to be a bigger disappointment.
The Indian meal had a salad with lettuce, sweet corn and tomato without dressing, a mildly hot vegetarian meal with two uncooked naans (2cm diameter) and a cold piece of unappetizing elastic bread. The only palatable portion of the meal was the desert: slices of apples, orange and pineapple. And I looked at what my neighbor received, and it was in no way even appetizing to look. Risotto de Champinion aux mushrooms, pasta salad, rubbery bread, chalk-like cheese and a desert proved the French cliche.
The only solace I get from this trip is the airline miles and the only message for you is "never travel by Air France". From quality of ground staff, frowning cabin crew, poor meal, to in-flight entertainment everything was sub-standard wanting me to ask if the French were competing for the World's Worst Airline title? May be it is high time that state run airlines are closed to end poor service and loses or run in a professional manner to remain popular and profitable.
No comments:
Post a Comment