Chinese tourists rob Singapore Airlines of tableware

SINGAPORE: -- In the latest controversy involving Chinese tourists - a group of mainland travelers have upset Singapore Airlines staff by refusing to hand over 30 sets of stainless steel tableware during a recent flight, Chinese media reported.

It was only after repeated warnings from a tour guide that these passengers agreed to hand them back to flight attendants.

The Chinese passengers were on a tour of Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. While onboard the Singapore Airlines flight, they had intended to keep the stainless steel knives and forks provided during a meal, the Qianjiang Evening News reported on Tuesday.

The report cited a tourist guide - but did not say exactly when the incident occurred. It said the tourists were mainly from a small town in Zhejiang province.

The flight attendants told the tourists the stainless steel tableware could not be kept because it was going to be re-used - unlike plastic disposable items. But the tourists refused to hand them over. The tourists explained that relatives who had flown with Singapore Airlines in the past told them they could keep the tableware, the report said.

The astonished flight attendants then asked a Chinese tour guide for help. The affair finally ended when the guide told the tourists they were hurting China’s image abroad. “Stop hurting the reputation of Chinese people,’’ he said.

Full story: http://www.eturbonews.com/37441/chinese-tourists-rob-singapore-airlines-tableware

-- eTN 2013-08-29

Should I send Korean Airlines back the set of stainless steel chopsticks that somehow "fell" into my carry-on years ago ?

I'm guessing airlines lose a set or two on each flight, but 30 sets on one flight is a bit much !

Hopefully next time they wont steal the seats ................ They might have thought it was included in the ticket price.

Meh - several of China's elite have complained publicly about the behaviour of their compatriots overseas - I dont see it as any different to my attitude to Australian yobboes in Bali. Not entirely sure what Singapore Airlines - AFAIK a full-service airline - are doing ferrying Chinese tour groups around : they definitely dont offer budget flights out of Oz. Great airline, but they might have to rethink their pricing if it's attracting that end of the market.

I only took the spoons, Lufthansa, Emirates, Eva Air, Thai Airlines, SAS, Air Berlin, Finnair, it is a nice collection...

I remember a large tour group of subcontinentals arrived in Bangkok, and when they went to check out, the staff found they'd packed, bedding, curtains and everything else they could get their hands on. They claimed they thought it was included in the room rate....

IMO, a poor move by Singapore Airlines.

For $30 worth of flatware, they could have caused quite a ruckus and created some pretty bad will.

Instead, they could have had souvenirs bearing their logo floating around the homes of Chinese travelers, and being shown off to all their friends.

Great advertising and PR opportunity missed, to save about 0.1% of the cost of an airline ticket per head.

In fact, if it's that much of a grab for the Chinese, I'd be advertising the free flatware and buying it by the truckload from .... Chinese factories.

Hopefully next time they wont steal the seats ................ They might have thought it was included in the ticket price.

I could accept the bit about the 'ticket price' if you were referring to TG which is bloody expensive for the service they provide.

It is very hard to hurt the image of Chinese people.

They are the top level predators on the planet, eating tigers, sharks and rhinos. People are mere factors of cheap production.

Anyone who has anything to do with them will attest to this.

Stealing cutlery off a plane is absolutely expected behaviour.

I think they should just charge them SGD10 more before boarding

Here come the PRC.

It is very hard to hurt the image of Chinese people.

They are the top level predators on the planet, eating tigers, sharks and rhinos. People are mere factors of cheap production.

Anyone who has anything to do with them will attest to this.

Stealing cutlery off a plane is absolutely expected behaviour.

I think they should just charge them SGD10 more before boarding

Your description makes them sound like locusts...

Mao did a great job in raising a generation of uneducated people. It will take some time until we do not see Chinese spitting in the airport.

come on ! every one steal some kind of items from airlines or hotels no only Chines , the only criticism I have about Chines is , they come across very rude and arrogant.

Well thats it for the airline then. Bankrupt now i suppose

come on ! every one steal some kind of items from airlines or hotels no only Chines , the only criticism I have about Chines is , they come across very rude and arrogant.

Sorry Forgot to mention the Russians

Ahh what was the topic, girl in small top, or maybe the top is big, but it looks small.

on topic, they even take the dodgy food packs that taste bad fresh. Can not imagine what they taste like later.

Must admit I have been a momento collector in the past, everyone does it when first travelling.

I only took the spoons, Lufthansa, Emirates, Eva Air, Thai Airlines, SAS, Air Berlin, Finnair, it is a nice collection...

Better hang on to the stainless tableware that you nicked from Thai Airways, as it might soon be a collectors' item. As of a few weeks back, they have downgraded to all plastic forks, spoons and knives in economy. Yes, more cheapness from Thai Airways, but when you consider than they also use aluminium foil containers for your meal, plastic forks and spoons are almost better than stainless on aluminium.

This kind of behaviour whereby tourists milk everything and anything on an air flight is from the dark ages of flying (well the 1970's at least).

Not a grain of rice left after meals.

Must be an opportunity here for the riceberg monitors.

The Chinese Plague strikes again.

I only took the spoons, Lufthansa, Emirates, Eva Air, Thai Airlines, SAS, Air Berlin, Finnair, it is a nice collection...

Would that be 7 spoonsfull or 7 spoonfulls ??

come on ! every one steal some kind of items from airlines or hotels no only Chines , the only criticism I have about Chines is , they come across very rude and arrogant.

No, not everyone...I don't.

I remember a large tour group of subcontinentals arrived in Bangkok, and when they went to check out, the staff found they'd packed, bedding, curtains and everything else they could get their hands on. They claimed they thought it was included in the room rate....

OOOOOOOohhhhhh Ada, suppose ya told Sissy, Bert would have been in the pub.

i used to take the little white stir spoons from McDonalds but they thought I was using them to sniff......So they banned them worldwide. I am not Chinese.

A classic TV thread - giving the (overrepresented) bigots and xenophobes another opportunity to display both their ignorance, and their prejudices.

In this case, Chinese in the firing line, rather than Thais.

God give us strength.

ps not to forget the sexists of course.

Thanks to the OP.

Meh - several of China's elite have complained publicly about the behaviour of their compatriots overseas - I dont see it as any different to my attitude to Australian yobboes in Bali. Not entirely sure what Singapore Airlines - AFAIK a full-service airline - are doing ferrying Chinese tour groups around : they definitely dont offer budget flights out of Oz. Great airline, but they might have to rethink their pricing if it's attracting that end of the market.

I made a point of copying and pasting your comment but not reading it because it began with "meh".............................

Better hang on to the stainless tableware that you nicked from Thai Airways, as it might soon be a collectors' item. As of a few weeks back, they have downgraded to all plastic forks, spoons and knives in economy. Yes, more cheapness from Thai Airways, but when you consider than they also use aluminium foil containers for your meal, plastic forks and spoons are almost better than stainless on aluminium.

@ bubba - not sure what class you were seated in but I flew back from Australia just last week, on Tuesday, in cattle class, and I had beautiful stainless steel cutlery to eat with.

Perhaps they are being a bit selective with their "fighting gear"....................

An off topic post about a hotel in Chiang Mai has been removed as well as alll the replies.

Inflammatory posts have been removed.

Posts containing derogatory slurs have also been removed.

As a resident of a city (Vancouver) that has seen it's fair share of Chinese tourists and immigrants in several waves, I have to say it has gone from good to bad to worse. Twenty years or more they sent their best and brightest to get educated, now they send their most ignorant to misbehave and leave a very bad impression indeed.

I wouldn't be so concerned if there weren't over a billion of them and if so many didn't have such a false sense of superiority.

The stealing of cutlery by a bunch of ignorant farmers is small potatoes compared to incidents like the defacing of ancient carvings in Egypt and the open flouting of traffic laws by the new generation of spoiled rich brats.

Google "chinese tourist egypt" and "rich chinese speeding vancouver"

At least it was only cutlery.

I remember 10 or more years ago when Saudi airlines kept losing life vests. The locals were taking them to use as swimming aids in the red sea.