1st-class drama: Thai Airways sides with passengers over pilots

By Jintamas Saksornchai, Staff Reporter

 

Thai Airways executives Monday apologize at a news briefing regarding the delay earlier this month of flight TG971, which was held up by a dispute over seating pilots in first class.

 

BANGKOK — Thai Airways on Monday released its findings about a much-debated episode in which a flight from Zurich was delayed hours by a dispute over first-class seats for two traveling pilots.

 

The airline said it found both pilots and Zurich airport ground staff responsible for “not prioritizing the passengers” in the incident aboard TG971, which was kept from taking off until two passengers gave up their first-class seats to the pilots, who were being flown to their next assignment.

 

Full Story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/transpo/2018/10/29/1st-class-drama-thai-airways-sides-with-passengers-over-pilots/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2018-10-29

 

The whole drama could have been avoided simply by  adequately compensating the passengers for their lost  seats.

 

 

came to realize how the breads' buttered

Wonder how it all would of played out, and such policy decisions, if not receiving the negative news attention and so call public outrage....

 

 

27 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

Wonder how it all would of played out, and such policy decisions, if not receiving the negative news attention and so call public outrage....

 

 

Lots of things nowadays seem to be 'trial by social media'

????

wow we just realized the first thing about running a business.

 

terrifying these MORONS run an airline.

While technically "hours" is true, since it was *two* hours, that wording is a tad dramatic, implying several.

 

 

52 minutes ago, watcharacters said:

 

The whole drama could have been avoided simply by  adequately compensating the passengers for their lost  seats.

 

 

Or if the passengers in question had simply accepted the open seats they had been offered-- didn't one news story say there were other open seats in business class?  Or was that more bad reporting?  (The other half of that is, then why didn't the pilots sit there, but oh well.)

No word about how they compensate the passengers.....so they all got a coupon for a free somtam at Swampy..

Typical thainess cant make the connection between paying customers and their wages and supposedly educated 1s aswell. 3rd world country dressed in western cloths

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“I was informed that if I refused to switch my seat with the deadhead pilots, the on-duty pilots wouldn’t take off,” the letter read. “If my wife and I hadn’t given up our seats, the delay would’ve continued. We felt sorry for the other passengers who were also affected.”

 

You paid for Business class and that is all you were entitled to.

 

You should have moved back there, when asked.

Honestly how do they make money? The customer is always right policy went out the window. 

11 minutes ago, Chris Lawrence said:

Honestly how do they make money? The customer is always right policy went out the window. 

Seems as these unfriendly policies are universal.

Corporate dominate existence in which we've invented, and accepted, for ourselves.

Thailand holds a few world records but Thai Airways itself holds a world record in it's own right. Not a very flattering one, but a world record nonetheless. 

In 2017 Thai Airways recorded the worst operating margin of any publicly listed full-service airline in the world. A round of applause for the Chairman, Directors and CEO.

https://airlineweekly.com/turning-thai-consistently-profitable-thai-airways-mess-can-turn-things-around/
 

Come on, THAI needs to get their priorities right! 

The pilots were simply insisting on what was owed to them under their contract. The people at fault were the passengers who considered themselves so important they had to fly first class, even though they'd only paid for business class.

Unless you are some high flying Thai politician or civil servant, why fly Thai at all if there are other alternatives ? The airline is sustained by the state and profitability is not an issue. It is there for the ' looks good ' factor not as a serious option for savvy customers.

 

Recent example. Wanted to fly wife and self to London non stop ( in September just past ) Best quotes from several agents averaged out as this :

 

British Airways ......  25,000 each.

Eva Airways ........  32,000

Thai Airways ....... 35...37,000 

 

Why would you pay more for inferior service unless you are a privalaged Thai getting a heavily discounted or free ticket ?

 

Don't like BA and usually fly EVA but have to say the BA flight was better than EVA and for 2 tickets saved 10,000 baht with a better arrival time at a less crowded terminal on arrival. With hand baggage only were through immigration within 25 minutes of plane touching down.

That blond guy has a better wai than Natalie Glebova.

28 minutes ago, edwardandtubs said:

The pilots were simply insisting on what was owed to them under their contract. The people at fault were the passengers who considered themselves so important they had to fly first class, even though they'd only paid for business class.

Nonsense. The use of points for an upgrade (if that is what it was rather than a last minute freebie) gives the passenger making the upgrade full entitlement to that seat and is not reversible by air crew after the seat is confirmed. The cabin crew should of made an offer and THAI should now make them an offer in retribution.

30 minutes ago, Denim said:

Unless you are some high flying Thai politician or civil servant, why fly Thai at all if there are other alternatives ? The airline is sustained by the state and profitability is not an issue. It is there for the ' looks good ' factor not as a serious option for savvy customers.

Recent example. Wanted to fly wife and self to London non stop ( in September just past ) Best quotes from several agents averaged out as this :

British Airways ......  25,000 each.

Eva Airways ........  32,000

Thai Airways ....... 35...37,000 

Why would you pay more for inferior service unless you are a privalaged Thai getting a heavily discounted or free ticket ?

Don't like BA and usually fly EVA but have to say the BA flight was better than EVA and for 2 tickets saved 10,000 baht with a better arrival time at a less crowded terminal on arrival. With hand baggage only were through immigration within 25 minutes of plane touching down.

The story is about Business and First Class seats, not the Economy seats you book.

Ok very nice waïs thank you. But first, to which "inactive posts" were the spoilt brat pilots transferred to ?

1 hour ago, Cadbury said:

Thailand holds a few world records but Thai Airways itself holds a world record in it's own right. Not a very flattering one, but a world record nonetheless. 

In 2017 Thai Airways recorded the worst operating margin of any publicly listed full-service airline in the world. A round of applause for the Chairman, Directors and CEO.

https://airlineweekly.com/turning-thai-consistently-profitable-thai-airways-mess-can-turn-things-around/
 

 

The article was published in 2015 so did they get that info from soothsayers?

I think we all know what order we fit ,in the Kingdom of Thailand

Arrogant pilots as well! As so many are in LoS


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1 hour ago, SheungWan said:

Nonsense. The use of points for an upgrade (if that is what it was rather than a last minute freebie) gives the passenger making the upgrade full entitlement to that seat and is not reversible by air crew after the seat is confirmed. The cabin crew should of made an offer and THAI should now make them an offer in retribution.

 

You are obviously completely uninformed so shouldn't be accusing others of nonsense. On this flight, all of the business class passengers were upgraded to first class because of a last minute aeroplane change, so yes it was a freebie which none of the precious little darlings wanted to give up.

20 minutes ago, edwardandtubs said:

 

You are obviously completely uninformed so shouldn't be accusing others of nonsense. On this flight, all of the business class passengers were upgraded to first class because of a last minute aeroplane change, so yes it was a freebie which none of the precious little darlings wanted to give up.

I was under the impression that the flight at hand did not even differentiate first and business class in any way, except a curtain in between... Please correct me if I'm wrong.

I am sure the fact that the passenger was a former permanent secretary of the Industry Ministry had no affect on decision making and outcome ????

Honestly how do they make money? The customer is always right policy went out the window. 

T.i.t lol

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3 hours ago, Chris Lawrence said:

Honestly how do they make money? The customer is always right policy went out the window. 

If all businesses applied this policy across the board.  Most would have gone bankrupt within months .

 

Look at insurance premiums to know how well that policy worked for them in the past.

 

 

Hey they said sorry and gave a bow and a wai, what more do you people expect them.

1 hour ago, edwardandtubs said:

 

You are obviously completely uninformed so shouldn't be accusing others of nonsense. On this flight, all of the business class passengers were upgraded to first class because of a last minute aeroplane change, so yes it was a freebie which none of the precious little darlings wanted to give up.

I would be rather surprised that there was sufficient space in First to accommodate all BC passengers from a flight unless it was unusually empty. Also, if there was a selection process, that would be based on FF status, so prioritization would go to those on plat/gold/silver holders who had earned their stripes so to speak.