1. We have emailed about your response to the Minster Mr Praful Patel. We havn't got any reply. We have also written on the following email provided on AI website - ialcshq@nda.vsnl.net.in . Let us see if anyone responds to this huge body of complaints.
2. This bolg is now being talked about among the Air India staff. Some of them have anonymously written to us as well. We provide them this space for their response. The main complaints against Air India are:
1. Flight information is often incorrect, incoherent and even confusing.
2. The behaviour of both the ground staff and crew is often impolite.
3. Flight delays are a regular problem.
4. When things go wrong the senior staff hides away and no one comes forward to help the passengers.
5. These problems are not new and have dogged the airline for many years and yet senior management, including ministers, have done little to solve them.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Air India's response
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10 comments:
You will not believe what we face at Air India. Almost every passenger thinks 'ye to ghar ki airline hai' and you have freedom to do what you want. Most of them are hugely excess luggaged and use all sorts of trick recommendations, threats, abuse and bribes. Believe me if we don't draw a line our aircraft will always, always, always be overweight and in breach of regulations. A slight hickup passenger get abusive and the kind of abuse we get you can hardly imagine. Every second passanger is the cousin of a cabinet secretary or a brother-in-law of a minister and tries to first pressurise and then threaten us. At this end we are so harrassed that some of us end up being total nervous wrecks. Our managers dont't listen to us and customers regularly abuse us. A slight mistake we are removed, shifted and transferred. Believ me we too are normal human beings, with families and children and we fear God too. But we live and work in an Indian Co and in Indian environement and Air India's story is no different and cannot be different.
Well, you are responsible for this. By you, I mean YOU as an employee.You want to improve, you can. Very simple. No compromise what so ever. If there is pressure, resign with a written statement, may be an FIR to the police with a COPY to the Chief Justice of India, Supreme Commander of Indian Armed Forces and at least 10 national news papers. But be sure , keep proof of all, and if possible send a copy of them to the News agencies. As employees, you need to, first be on the right path, then you can ask others to follow you. Don't worry,theres lot of job in the market. But at the same time you have to be decent in approach in every aspect , as the industry is service industry. You are not doing charity and also not there to fight with passengers. BTW, just to let you know , recently(a couple of weeks back) my wife and child did fly from Mumbai to New York on EC. When I met her just outside the JFK, my first question to her was " How was the Journey?" She replied back, "Better than SQ and Cathay Pacific, with big smile on face. Yes, there was a delay of 2 hours but ok, 'cos one of the Crew had an Accident while on way to work." Hope he/she is fine now and our best wishes for the well being of him/her.
For once, I will empathise with the Air India employees. In fact I am quite appalled to see mid-level and junior staff been targeted for passengers ire. As any NRI should know, the quality of service (including the politeness that even ill-behaved passengers demand) largely depends on the HR policies and training provided by the company. Air India's leadership is the same unaccountable babus that we see in all public offices in India. I wish NRIs used their clout to take Air India out of the stranglehold of bureaucrats and given to professionals who are remunerated for results, not seniority.
The caricature of a typical Air India passenger presented here is so true. If they found Air India staff impolite, then the passenger's behavior can only be described as uncouth. While the junior staff have little leverage to change service quality, what excuse does the passengers have for their behavior. I am not championing for the staff. Yes, the staff can smile a little more, be a little more excited about their work. But between them and the passengers, I find the passengers behavior worse. The very same passenger will grovel and beg in front of senior officers. They will be deferential when they deal with staff from foreign airlines.
Let us look at the core objective of CPAII. I really believe that if public offices and public servants are made accountable for their deeds, we will see a dramatic improvement. Air India is in fact quite low on my priority. I want the bloggers to take time and find out how incompetent and unaccountable civil servants cause pain, suffering, deprivation and even death. If flight delays and ill-tempered Air India staff can outrage us, then the victims of bad governance has sufficient reason to be militant. We are seeing that already.
Any one who thinks that Air India staff is "bothered" by the passangers needs to remember that it is the passangers that pay their salary. I am sure that all airlines have rude staff but Air India is in a class by itself. I have to say that I have heard good things about NYC- Mumbai direct flight. I really wonder why that is the case.
Then again once on Kuvait air the staff asked my to buy duty free alcohol for them. I obliged but insisted that they take care of me on the flight and they did (1080's).
It is sad to read such comments and the first person that needs to be punished or penalized should be the Union Minister of Aviation, then the executive and then the managers for neglecting the professionalism.
Secondly, the passengers need to understand that buying a ticket doesnt mean that you are buying the airline or its staff. So be courteus, show respect to the staff and you will then get respected.
Enough said, bottom line is Air India sucks in many ways, so I am urging that the Union Minister and the top executive team better clean up your act and justify the big fat salaries that you are taking home.
I travelled only once, and will never travel or think of travelling on Air India, for one simple reason... There is no professionalism with the organization.
I am an ex employee of Air India and I served as a pilot with them for many years.One of Air India´s pilots had decided to blow the whistle a year or so ago and was suspended, had his pay denied to him and had his services terminated a year later,based on the findings of a kangaroo enquiry committee instituted by the chairman V Thulasidas just to curb such activity in future.I urge you all to read my blog on the appalling air safety standards in India - compounded by vested interests in the Government and the rot that has has set into the whole system.
Please visit
http://indianairsafety.blogspot.com/
As a recent Business Class Passenger for Air India from Newark to Delhi via Bombay, I would definitely rank Air India's food and drinks great. TV sets very old not properly working. I usually travel in Singaporean, British, EVA and Continental Airlines. The service in Aircraft is very good, not on the ground. Air India has to improve lounges especially in Delhi and Mumbai Airports. The lounges are small, toilets stink, no paper towels and more importantly showers do not work. I had complained to Air India via email almost three weeks ago, I never heard from them or no email response. Some of the AI ground staff must be sent for training because they have attitude problems. They never think that passengers are important for their business.
This is great info to know.
Damn, pretty nice info. Where will I get your RSS?
Mary Swift
personal protection products
I am a frequent flyer of Air India and liked it's quality and services mostly. this government airlines is biggest and luxurious in their services.
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