Disconcerting flight delays (1)
This year, I had the opportunity to travel on seven return flights with low cost carriers. However, my wife decided that we should travel with Air Malta; something we lived to regret as it marred the beginning of our holiday as we missed our onward connection.
Flight KM146 to Manchester on June 22 was the third Air Malta delayed flight that afternoon – the two hour flight to Rome was also delayed by two hours and the flight to Libya was delayed by an hour. Not one of the 14 flights which I travelled on with low cost carriers was delayed and, all of a sudden, the tacky fanfare to announce that we arrived early or on time was also missed.
What is a big shame is that the airline’s CEO, along with his senior management, were not present to apologise and hear what their clients had to say about the airline they were managing and why all the changes they are making will not improve the airline’s image if such delays persist.
One particular couple, who were visiting Malta for their first time, were disappointed as the flight that they arrived on the previous week, KM147, was also delayed for four hours. At least, they were full of praise for Malta and the hotel they stayed in, however, they vowed that they would never fly with Air Malta again.
May I suggest to the minister responsible for this, once “respected”, national airline to insist that the CEO and the senior management leave their desks and go and meet their clients when such frequent flight delays occur so that they can listen and learn what a bad reputation the airline receives. This will help them to find out why no matter how many changes they make to the airline’s operation and irrespective of how much taxpayers’ money is injected into this lame duck, nothing will improve unless they provide a reliable service which competes with their direct competitors.
To cap things off, when our return flight, KM147, arrived at MIA on July 1, the 180 passengers were treated to a final frustration as only one set of steps was provided from which to disembark. This is something else that I have never come across with any other airline, unless the airliner is, of course, serviced by a pier.
Let us stop throwing away good money for if Air Malta’s scheduled service is not improved, no amount of Rissoles served (which included minced bones fragments and string) for dinner will make up for the wasted time.
If the airline truly wants to save money and improve the service, a decent sized cup of coffee or tea and a choice of sandwiches would suffice much better for a three hour flight than the usual bland airline meals offered on short-haul flights.
12 Comments
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Charles Micallef
Jul 10th 2012, 12:48
I regret to note that the context of my contribution which in the main was to highlight the poor operational standards of Air Malta and especially when compared with the LCC operating from Malta and hence competing directly with KM has been twisted by individuals to suit their personal agenda.... so be it, I respect everyone right to freedom of speech, even if some of the comments depicts the mentality of a prep school student!
Lucienne Dimech
Jul 9th 2012, 16:29
Traveling was never for the poor so you either do it well or stay at San pawl.
Peter Murray
Jul 9th 2012, 10:05
Rissoles or similar is the fare served up to us by Air Malta management and how we may describe them,I would suggest.Your suggestions are admirableand apposite but highly subjunctive-as do you think that those fat cats will heed your advice?
Mr Tony Gatt
Jul 9th 2012, 20:09
What I would like is an airline which issues passengers with a sleeping pill timed to match the journey. Now there's a thought!
Franco Farrugia
Jul 10th 2012, 12:58
@ Mr Tony Gatt: Now that's a good one! :-))
Peter Murray
Jul 9th 2012, 10:01
Ryanair currently has a 93% ontime flight record and Easyjet was only marginally less at 89%.What is Air Malta's record in this vital customer service area for a much lesser number of flights one wonders and where is this promulgated?
Franco Farrugia
Jul 9th 2012, 09:43
I was about to empathise with the writer of this letter, because it is certainly not nice to suffer from a flight-delay. But I am sorry, none of this. The very fact that the writer chooses to describe the in-flight meal provided by Air Malta as 'the usual bland airline meal' shows that he is very negative about AM and therefore, I would take this whole letter with a pinch of salt. AM deserves a lot of criticism, it's true. Prices of flights are sky-rocketing but please, do NOT write silly things such as criticising on-board meals!
Charles Micallef
Jul 9th 2012, 12:12
Franco Farrugia,
I wrote that facts and described what I saw and was I meant to eat, I also forgot to mention that although we checked in on line, the person on the "on line" desk went missing for 20 minutes with the lady checking in the Club Class passengers felt sorry for us and checked us in instead.....! If you choose to make a meal out of the Rissoles while ignoring the facts, I wish you bon appetite!!!!!
GL Calleja
Jul 9th 2012, 14:31
Mr Farrugia you must be a frequent traveler or one of those very privileged who rides in Business Class. Try traveling in Economy Class one of these days and you can taste the fabricated airline food like the rest of us do. I prefer it when Air Malta used to serve hobz biz-zejt on board.
Franco Farrugia
Jul 10th 2012, 12:55
@ GL Calleja: Indeed I am a frequent traveler and most often I travel in Economy. And yes, I am quite happy with the food I get. If I am not happy with it, once in a while, I politely decline. But it seems that nowadays we have bashers for everything. 'Have computer, will comment! That's the syndrome.
Charles Micallef
Jul 10th 2012, 15:34
how right is Franco Farrugia, 'Have computer, will comment, he does it often enough!
Franco Farrugia
Jul 10th 2012, 22:48
@ Mr Micallef: There's one difference - I write sense!
Please choose the reason of your report below: