When you go to a restaurant, the welcome, the service and the taste of the coffee at the end of the meal contribute greatly to the temptation to return and to recommend the restaurant to friends. The image of a restaurant and the loyalty of its clientele are largely based on the notion of service and respect.

I would like to illustrate how the stupid behaviour of a staff member on an Air Malta plane could cause a faithful customer to choose another airline.

On March 12, travelling on flight KM0466, I was allocated seat 13A, just behind the exit row. The boarding took place suitably on time, the plane was practically full and I shared my row with a couple returning from a stay in Malta. The whole of row 12 was only occupied by one person on either side.

Just before take-off, we learned that for technical reasons we had to change planes.  On boarding the new plane, I spontaneously sat in the vacant seat 12A in front of my allocated seat, thus freeing some space for the couple and imagining that it did not infringe any regulations.

A crew member dislodged me, explained that these exit seats incurred a surcharge and asked me to take my seat back in the less comfortable row, forgetting perhaps the inconvenience of a late arrival. No discussion was possible with this crew member. All the passengers around me were very surprised at such anti-commercial behaviour.

I hope that such an attitude was the result of a personal initiative of this crew member and not an official directive from Air Malta. Otherwise the airline runs the risk of becoming smaller and smaller by losing faithful customers. Air Malta needs to improve the customer care relationship skills of its staff members.

In the same way as a bad coffee after a good meal, disrespectful behaviour by staff leaves a bad taste after a good stay in Malta. Malta does not deserve this.