Thai Airways sues over passenger’s flight diversion criticism

[webfact]

Thai Airways has taken legal action against a passenger who criticised the airline’s decision to divert a Bangkok-Melbourne flight to Sydney due to adverse weather conditions. The airline asserts that the crew followed international safety and security standards and seeks to protect its reputation and that of its personnel.

 

Thai Airways has addressed the uproar caused by a passenger’s complaints about a captain’s decision to change a flight’s landing destination from Melbourne to Sydney. Yesterday (February 1), the airline announced it was pursuing legal steps to defend its rights and those of its employees affected by the incident on flight TG 465 on January 28. The airline reiterated its adherence to safety and security standards and emphasized the significance of not misleading the public.

 

The passenger’s post, which criticised the pilot’s actions on the January 28, flight from Bangkok to Melbourne and led to an alternate landing in Sydney due to weather at Melbourne Airport, has sparked widespread discussion. Many have voiced support for Thai Airways’ decision to take legal action against the passenger, praising the airline for setting a positive precedent in a society increasingly filled with disrespect, reported KhaoSod.

 

One comment read, “It’s justified and a thank you to Thai Airways for setting a good example for society. Insulting and slandering are not honest criticism. Remember this, or better yet, tattoo it on your forehead so you see it every time you look in the mirror!”

 

by Nattapong Westwood

TOP FILE PHOTO: A Thai Airways Boeing 777-300ER plane takes off from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport February 23, 2015. REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom/File Photo/File Photo

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2024-02-02

 

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[bbko]

A airline company taking legal action over a customer complaint? Wow, I would like to see the wording of the critique, but...

The passenger later deleted the original post and issued an apology after learning more about the complexities of aviation operations and the specific weather conditions that led to the captain’s decision. They expressed regret for the hastily written message and planned to apologise personally to the captain and Thai Airways management upon returning to Thailand

[quake]

Doo Doo is going to hit the fan now. 

 

[steven100]

So the offending passenger previously withdrew the message and comments on social media and apologized.

Now the Thai's want to sue the offender for posting the criticism.

 

hmm.....    so removing / deleting the comments was not good enough for the Thai's. 

 

 

[proton]

Another reason not to book with them, talk about fragile egos.

[bbko]

1 minute ago, proton said:

Another reason not to book with them, talk about fragile egos.

So you won't book with them cause they are taking legal action and then talk about fragile egos? Oh the irony 😆

[peter zwart]

Typical Thai reaction. They really can't handle anything. Easily offended in their ego at the slightest thing. If they had a bit more upstairs (brains), they would have dealt with this in a mature way. And if you have a good communication department, you can build a lot of goodwill in a case like this. But not in this immature manner.

[sirineou]

Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

If the had not diverted , there would had been complains why they did not. 

If they were following standard procedure, then  the passenger’s post was defamation that could damage the airlines reputation and result in loss of revenue. 

The airline was right to take legal action, if I was the CEO I would have done the same, and I suspect that if this was your company you would have done the same also. 

 

 

[ezzra]

Well the ministry of Finance own more than 50% of Thai airways and any decisions made would be a government

one wouldn't It?...

[Nordic summer]

It was very disrespectful of this passenger to publicly voice his opinion, given that he/she/they most certainly don't have a clue as to what it takes to plan and execute such a flight in a responsible manner.

Myself having had the privilege of being a passenger of Thai Airlines, is left with a bad taste in my mouth just reading about it

 

Some(westerners) will say the airline displays an"fragile ego" by instigating this lawsuit, but please take a moment to compare the service and attention that you receive while traveling with Thai Airlines to ANY European company.

 

They work very hard to provide a pleasant experience for their passengers and I am sure they are very proud of their prowess, so it should come as no surprise that this company got upset about this passenger's outburst.

[bamnutsak]

This is a good way to get society to self-censor.

 

46 minutes ago, webfact said:

praising the airline for setting a positive precedent in a society increasingly filled with disrespect

 

48 minutes ago, webfact said:

One comment read, “It’s justified and a thank you to Thai Airways for setting a good example for society. Insulting and slandering are not honest criticism. Remember this, or better yet, tattoo it on your forehead so you see it every time you look in the mirror!”

 

 

 

Veering back to pre-1932 in baby steps.

 

[Nordic summer]

1 minute ago, Pouatchee said:

 

thais are such dangerous frickin' babies when it comes to criticism. say something they dont like and get first class ticket to the courts

Please keep in mind that Thais go through a lot of preparations to provide a good and professional experience. When this is not appreciated they obviously feel hurt.

It's a cultural thing.

[soi3eddie]

5 minutes ago, sirineou said:

If they were following standard procedure, then  the passenger’s post was defamation that could damage the airlines reputation and result in loss of revenue. 

 

The THAI Airways PR department is making a mess of this. As a business, this is no way to react to customer critiscism. A simple statement on procedures and need for safety would have been plenty. Instead, they let it blow up like this threaten to sue a customer for making criticism (since retracted and apolgised for). Not a great way to treat customers. If the management have this attitude then how can that affect the attitudes of customer facing staff such as cabin crew and ground staff in the performance of their duties to the customers. Doesn't look good.

 

[impulse]

A poorly considered (and retracted) customer review would have been water under the bridge in a few nanoseconds in interweb time.

 

Suing your customers will reverberate for eons.

 

Edit:  And not in a good way.

 

[bamnutsak]

10 minutes ago, soi3eddie said:

 

The THAI Airways PR department is making a mess of this. As a business, this is no way to react to customer critiscism. A simple statement on procedures and need for safety would have been plenty. Instead, they let it blow up like this threaten to sue a customer for making criticism (since retracted and apolgised for). Not a great way to treat customers. If the management have this attitude then how can that affect the attitudes of customer facing staff such as cabin crew and ground staff in the performance of their duties to the customers. Doesn't look good.

 

 

 

Spot on. Simple public relations which should be the core competency of a service-oriented business.

 

And reach out to the customer, who it appears is a TG FF, and explain the details. Apologize for the delay/diversion, offer a diversion certificate (probably already done) and ask for their understanding of the details. And ask them to post a follow-up. WIn-Win-Win.

 

 

Threatening to sue a customer should never be an option.

 

People say stupid things every day, just look at this board. You don't see everyone threatening so sue each other.

 

 

I think that the escalation and poor response to this incident was exacerbated by the Pilot/Captain's huge Facebook following/page.

 

https://www.facebook.com/p/กัปตันไฟซอล-บิน-กิน-เที่ยว-Captain-Faisal-100044277511744/

 

 

 

[Pouatchee]

8 minutes ago, Nordic summer said:

Please keep in mind that Thais go through a lot of preparations to provide a good and professional experience. When this is not appreciated they obviously feel hurt.

It's a cultural thing.

 

i dont know what to do about your comment.  laugh, disagree, be bewildered... give you a confused emoji... 555

seriously... do you feel your comment is spot on?

[Nordic summer]

3 minutes ago, Pouatchee said:

 

i dont know what to do about your comment.  laugh, disagree, be bewildered... give you a confused emoji... 555

seriously... do you feel your comment is spot on?

Yes actually for the most part, but for sure Thailand is a diverse country. My experience comes from the more quiet corners of Thailand ,and not places like say Pattaya or Bkk.

 

Edit: However my post was aimed at the topic of that airline.

[Nordic summer]

14 minutes ago, soi3eddie said:

 

The THAI Airways PR department is making a mess of this. 

 

I must admit this thought crossed my mind also.

[Dcheech]

29 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

1 hour ago, webfact said:

One comment read, “It’s justified and a thank you to Thai Airways for setting a good example for society. Insulting and slandering are not honest criticism. Remember this, or better yet, tattoo it on your forehead so you see it every time you look in the mirror!”

 

 

 

Sounds like a "Thai Netizen" quote,  and what would you really expect from them?

 

They a re trying to get more people to fly with them? Last flight was a Rome RT in 2014. After that trip NO MORE. After this lawsuit that is a DEFINITE NO for another couple years before I even look at you again. So much for getting this passenger back.

By the way,  Thai airways,  what discipline did you met out for that pilot who punched a stewardess because she would not go get him a meal, was trying to do her job?!  Nothing?!! Did she have to wai him for getting a fist in the face too? How about the company guys (pilots?)  who would not give up their seats for passengers when you did not book properly? Did they not delay the flight?  See, we potential customers remember that pucky, and how you let it fly, just like we will remember this. That means no Bangkok Airways too! 

 

You got your work cut out. Good luck 

 

 

[Korat Kiwi]

Never argue with the driver/pilot/captain of any craft is my opinion. 

 

They have your life in their hands. 

 

Sure we all can get a bit pissed off when our travel plans get diverted, <deleted>e happens.  Sometimes it works out better sometimes it doesn't. 

 

I surely wouldn't have gone to the media to voice my frustrations/complaints.  However he did the right thing by retracting those comments and tendered an apology. 

 

The airline although trying to protect its image, perhaps has gone a bit too far in laying a lawsuit. 

 

I agree with what was said previously, the airline could have tackled this differently and put a positive PR spin with their reaction. 

 

Personally I've never had a bad experience with any Thai airline. 

[steven100]

20 minutes ago, Nordic summer said:

Please keep in mind that Thais go through a lot of preparations to provide a good and professional experience. When this is not appreciated they obviously feel hurt.

It's a cultural thing.

 

this made me splutter my morning coffee all over the desk   !! 

 

good joke ....   thank's.

[steven100]

4 minutes ago, Nordic summer said:

I must admit this thought crossed my mind also.

 

yes Nordic .....   can you imagine how travelers are going to read into this ....

 

a guy complains about the airline ( irrespective of the reason )  ....

then retracts the statement and apologizes ......

then this airline decides they want to sue the guy because he complained.  

 

how will the public see this ..... ?    certainly not in a positive way that's for sure   !

[Nordic summer]

Just now, steven100 said:

 

yes Nordic .....   can you imagine how travelers are going to read into this ....

 

a guy complains about the airline ( irrespective of the reason )  ....

then retracts the statement and apologizes ......

then this airline decides they want to sue the guy because he complained.  

 

how will the public see this ..... ?    certainly not in a positive way that's for sure   !

To be perfectly honest, I think this news item will fly well below the radar of the public.

[steven100]

3 minutes ago, Nordic summer said:

To be perfectly honest, I think this news item will fly well below the radar of the public.

possibly correct ...

 

and I can honestly say .....  the guy is an absolute real idiot for questioning the Captain ...  you never question a pilots decision.  

But the airlines action is very knee-jerk.

 

 

[Fat is a type of crazy]

44 minutes ago, sirineou said:

Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

If the had not diverted , there would had been complains why they did not. 

If they were following standard procedure, then  the passenger’s post was defamation that could damage the airlines reputation and result in loss of revenue. 

The airline was right to take legal action, if I was the CEO I would have done the same, and I suspect that if this was your company you would have done the same also. 

 

 

Wouldn't you think it is seriously over the top to sue over this. If it was a newspaper article in the New York Times then maybe but a comment on some webpost could be fixed up with a direct reply clarifying the issue.

What if you criticise the thai green curry they made for lunch - sue because you say it's too sweet or something. 

[WorriedNoodle]

Word of mouth is an incredibly powerful tool in the travel industry, and travelers often rely on online reviews and social media to make their purchasing decisions. If this airline develops a reputation for silencing criticism through legal threats, it could seriously damage its brand and reputation, which could lead to a significant loss of business.

[stupidfarang]

Where is the post? How can we come to a balance decision with out knowing both sides of the story/post?

[mikebell]

12 minutes ago, Nordic summer said:

To be perfectly honest, I think this news item will fly well below the radar of the public.

Well not on here.  I think it's appalling you are not allowed an opinion without being sued by ANY Thai company for expressing it (if it's negative).  Remember TripAdvisor issuing a caveat after the  Koh Chang debacle?

How would everyone expressing an opinion on AseanNow feel if their contribution was met by a legal summons?

Thailand - the land of suers/sewers.

[bamnutsak]

1 minute ago, mikebell said:

Thailand - the land of suers/sewers.

 

A foundational aspect of the Thai "legal" system, codified in The Law of the Three Seals.

 

People and institutions higher up the pyramid have more power than those below.

 

What's the point of having that power if you're not willing to use it. The threat is enough to keep the masses in line.

 

 

[Georgealbert]

Not the best way to do PR.

 

Just release a factual statement in reply and move on.

 

This just brings it back into the public view and always the chance it gets picked up by international media.