SAYING NO

Passengers while boarding are not concerned about the constraints of airlines but they expect a better service, clean aircraft (internal and external).good looking interior and smiling face of the crew who must be caring at the entry into the cabin, during the flight and at the time of deplaning. However, expectations of passengers start getting turned into displeasure while entering into the airport lounges itself when he met our counter manager. He literally shouts to passengers and gives an impression as if he only handles all the nation’s travellers (Market share only 15%) and carries the airline’s burden on his shoulder.
None of the above requirement is being met by our airlines though we spent hefty amount on all account.
We all are accustomed of saying No in the very first opportunity of our job. This starts from the first stage of booking a ticket.
*A passenger intended to go by our flight, approaches booking counter. Person seating behind the counter is not eager to ask him/entertain him. Instead he will ask; yes tell me what is there? Passenger seeking anything will be first denied by him. Slowly and slowly he will come into the mode of helping him. It is not that he has sold a ticket but it is a winning situation for our passenger who got a ticket of Air India. What a relief.
*On the day of departure, he tries to call our call centre but of no use. Even if someone picks up the call, he will confuse the caller of domestic or international by his answers. Passengers start scratching their head. No SMS or telephonic call will follow about his flight status unlike private airlines. But it is credit to our passengers, he reaches airport.
*At the airport, it is a self help. His all dreams of being helped by a good looking young girl got shattered as most of the staff recruited in line with Jet or Kingfisher for the purpose are not as young, good looking and helping as of other airlines. It may be some flaw in their recruitment (not to discuss) at this stage.
*May I help you desk-usually person on duty will be moving around every where in the lounge except his own cabin. It seems saying help me searching my cabin.
*Back in the Aircraft-Cabin in-charge is worried how many passengers are there in J-class and Y-class? She keeps on asking this question every one irrespective of commercial guy. If J-class has more occupants, she goes into depression and forget to greet our passengers at the boarding point, pretend to busy counting the catering in the fwd and rear galley. She worried as she could not save for herself and for her colleague in such situation.
*Mystery of missing passenger-When every thing goes as per schedule, our commercial guy will still be searching the last one missing passenger. The flight often gets delayed due the reason of missing pax.No one is there to take some corrective measure as accoutability is yet to be fixed on this account.
*In flight-While serving, their way of asking about the choices of Veg or Non-veg is like scolding the passengers. If some one has pushed the Call button in Y-class she will not respond.
*Landing-Passengers got confused when they found our cabin crew started dragging their bags in flight towards galley 10mts prior to landing. Not to elaborate as reason known to all of us but passengers get astonished what are they doing? This happens only in Air India.
*Behind the curtain-Maintenance crew struggle for the whole night organising men, spares, a/c equipment and tools etc to do the maintenance work. No initiative was taken for years to improve the working condition by procuring sufficient tools, jack etc to minimize waste of man hours. But the job is still done as we can not dare to say No. Once said; results in long EXILE, Suspension and Termination.
*Three helpless guys (Engineer, Technician and Helper) at departure point of the aircraft witness the drama everyday since years. They are silent spectator. Once the A/C taxied out, we are there to say “Good Bye” to Captain and hundreds of passengers, wishing them a happy journey.
We too move slowly and slowly towards our office, head down, deep into the thoughts of what went wrong? Are we too old to fly (79 years of flying since 1932)? Where do we lack? Is not it a wonder that still we survive in Indian Sky? etc etc….until a phone call of our officer break our thought process in the same old fashion voice “Tumhara Jahaj gaya? Now you have been allotted flight AI-xxx.
Our direction changes towards a new bay, different A/C, a different set of people but all the above said series of process remain same.
Every day is a new day.Rising sun brings all the positive energy along and we too are waiting for a new report. May the report of Dharmadhikari in November bring a new hope to us?