The Kuya Club: February 2009

Spent the weekend in NY recently and flew via American Airlines. If
there is one thing I hate, that's bad service.

The flight back to LHR was extra, extra special because I didn't only
get one bad service, I got 11 of them:

1. Liars - For the return flight I was booked on a connecting flight
via North Carolina. When it was time to board I found out my flight
was delayed. I went to the counter and asked why and the lady said the
departure will be delayed due to bad weather conditions. Five minutes
later it was announced thru the P.A. The flight was delayed because
the plane hasn't arrived yet.

2. Don't care attitude - while one lady (the liar) was trying to find
me another flight, another was giving other passengers the brushing
off attitude. She sent this guy back and forth between two counters!

3. Lack of brains - I found out that I'll miss my connecting flight in
Raleigh-Durham and there was no other flight to london until the
following morning. The only option I have is to get on the next direct
flight to london. But the AA lady said the only place I could to that
is back outside the ticketing office. After walking all the way back
out, the ticketing lady said "they could have issued youthis boarding
pass inside! Why did they tell you to come out?"

4. Airline security - I understand their paranoia ever since the 9/11
incident but going thru security twice in 2.5 hours is too much.

5. More delays - apparently there was some faulty fuse that affects
the instruments. One hour later they found out it was a clogged air
filter. But it is situated in front of the cargo hold and to change it
they needed to take out all the cargo. That's an additional two hour
delay. I've now spent more than eight hours at the airport!

6. More no. 2 - the attendants showed more no care attitude by
spending two hours at the back of the plane chatting. They didn't even
offer peanuts or snacks. Two of them did offer some water to
passengers but the next incident cancels this good deed.

7. Smart ass - while this blonde attendant was pouring drink for
passengers, one passenger asked what was wrong with the plane. The
blonde flight attendant said "if I knew that I wouldn't be a flight
attendant! I'll be an financial investor"...WTF??

8. PA interruptions - everytime they use the PA, they video screen
pauses and it interrupts the movie. The problem here is the normal
staff-to-staff comms us happening over the public PA and it's causing
more interruptions than it is suppose to.

9. Bad entertainment program - not only were there not enough movies
and shows to watch, whoever programmed the system is dumb. I'd be
watching a movie while we wait for take off then after take off the
system resets and says "welcome to American airlines! You can now use
the in flight entertainment system." uhm, helloo! Like I was already
using it!

10. Bad practice - finally we were off and they started serving
drinks. But they are so lazy that they only served the drinks from one
aisle side forcing passengers to reach out and help serve drinks to
other passengers. Not only that, they take your tray even if there is
still food on it.

11. Low quality food - not only quality but presentation is terrible.
It's like those microwave oven meals you get from the supermarket. One
good thing though, they ask if you want drinks many times.

So, I think it is safe to say that I'll be avoiding AA in the future.

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Pogz Unplugged