Other North & South America Frequent Flyer Programs - TAM: Downgraded & FA drops a hot meal on me

Generally I've been pretty happy with TAM the half dozen or so times I've flown them, but I had a not good experience with them this past Monday evening (10.10.11) on JJ 8028 from GRU to SCL. Due to a change of aircraft to an A320 without Classe Executiva, the whole business cabin was downgraded to economy. I was a revenue passenger and so was given compensation (around R$2000) in the form of a voucher for future TAM travel that lasts a year. This was a business trip, so I'll have the company travel agent look into whether that's legit (since I'm not a very regular TAM flyer I'm not sure if I'll use them again within a year and would prefer a refund to my credit card), but my question to fellow FT'rs is whether that combined with the fact that the lead FA (Chefe da cabina I think they're called) dropped a hot dinner on me on that downgraded flight would justify a bit more comp (or perhaps an upgrade to 1st on my next trip to Sao Paulo from JFK?). In my usual travel clothes (jeans/tee/sweater), I would not have cared, but this time I was in a new suit. Being splattered with chicken in red sauce and potatoes didn't do it any good. To top it off, the FA was not apologetic and didn't even offer me a napkin to wipe myself off until I asked - he just seemed really annoyed. Isn't the first response supposed to be "I'm so sorry sir" ? It wasn't in this case. It's kinda funny in retrospect, but after 3hours of TAM's awful VIP lounge in GRU during the lay-over on the way back to JFK, I got cranky and decided to post this.
Thoughts ?

Oh its a he not a she, dropped in on your laps and did not even bother to wipe it off or pretend to wipe it off . I would have made a scene, thats because you prob could not spk Portuguese.

My first thought is "an airline serves a hot meal on a 3 hour flight in the Y cabin?" :p

Accidents happen. The airline should pay to clean the clothing.

My first thought is "an airline serves a hot meal on a 3 hour flight in the Y cabin?" :p

Accidents happen. The airline should pay to clean the clothing.


Most airlines in the world provide meals except lousy N.American ones that do not.

Sorry to hear about the incident you suffered aboard TAM's aircraft.

First, I am truly glad TAM tried to correctly sort out the downgrade; Sometimes they just do not know the procedures, so you were lucky on this one. You could have simply been downgraded and been asked to seek compensation.

Second, the aftermath of the incident aboard seems the rule, that is, accidents happen and pax are to endure them. End of story.

If you want any compensation I would seek proper legal venues; I am unsure whether a complaint to TAM or even having seeked someone to assist you at SCL would have caused any different outcome.

Good luck.

Most airlines in the world provide meals except lousy N.American ones that do not.

Because "lousy" American citizens refuse to pay enough to cover the cost of meals in their fares!:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

You are entitled to a refund of the difference between J and Y fare refunded immediately to original form of payment. Then, on top of that, if JJ wishes to offer a future flight credit, so be it...but...initially fare difference must be refunded. If they do not, dispute the complete charge with your c/c company...you did not receive the product you paid for.

I have been given an immediate cash payment on AC when a FA spilled something on me...they gave me a voucher which I converted to cash upon arrival with their Station Manager, once on arrival in SFO, another time in HKG.
A letter to JJ's General Counsel with a claim for damages will sort this matter out.

2,000 BRL = US$1,140.....are you sure?

That seems far too high an amount to me. We were downgraded to Y on a GRU-EZE flight once (the last sector of a LHR-GRU-EZE ticket) and got US$200 each in vouchers. We took them to the TAM office in Buenos Aires and exchanged them for cash instead.

The spillage although poorly handled is not worth pursuing a complaint over. TAM take months to reply to complaints.

IMHO the voucher is nice but of course worth nothing to you unless you are planning to fly JJ in the near future. The fare difference between the full Y and C is only $500.

LATAM may be just aroind the corner so you might be able to use your voucher on LAN or even American Airlines (through a code share with LAN).

But for me cash on my pocket now is more valuable than a fatter voucher for the future...

Don't bother... They've spilt red wine on me in Business Class and did nothing.... Until I told them what to do (get me a pajama suit from First, get a bag, wipe my seat, pat it dry, write an incident report and give me a copy so I could, possibly,claim compensation) until then, they just hung out exclaiming in Portuguese, not atypical in Brazil where few want to take leadership or responsibility in critical situations....

TAM has good service when things are fine but, like many other things in the country, everything falls apart when things go wrong due to lack of leadership and initiative. The management of the airline are amateurs, more interested in fashion shows and the like than in getting the basics right. I pray I never have an onboard emergency on a long haul with that bunch of fashion victim flight attendants and captains who spend an inordinate amount of time jabbering with flight attendants in the galley being responsible for my safety...

The management of the airline are amateurs, more interested in fashion shows and the like than in getting the basics right. I pray I never have an onboard emergency on a long haul with that bunch of fashion victim flight attendants and captains who spend an inordinate amount of time jabbering with flight attendants in the galley being responsible for my safety...

Rather unfair I would say.

Rather unfair I would say.
I suggest you read some of the posts in this segment ref low-grade emergencies that have happened on TAM. And the reaction of personnel flying, especially CC. I don't mean to tar all personnel with the same brush but on all IRR TAM needs to deal with corporate complacency.

I suggest you read some of the posts in this segment ref low-grade emergencies that have happened on TAM. And the reaction of personnel flying, especially CC. I don't mean to tar all personnel with the same brush but on all IRR TAM needs to deal with corporate complacency.

Let's hope the merger with LAN irons out any problems. They can learn lots from each other.

Let's hope the merger with LAN irons out any problems. They can learn lots from each other.

Quite so! Lets hope they dont just both descend to some least common denominator...

I simply cannot understand why service industries in this otherwise people friendly continent are so poor Its not just airlines...hotels, banks, etc as well... I Bank with HSBC in Brazil, India, the USA and the UK and the Brazil operation is stupefyingly somnolent and incompetent.. I just cannot understand! Again TAM CC and ground staff are some of the friendliest and nicest in the world but they have no systems back up and clearly insuffficient training in IRROPS and priorities.
Its clearly not the staff -- its poor management capabilities, right up to the very top, but I find it truly baffling as to why this deficiency should
exist. Such feedback as I get from management as an HSBC Premier Customer and a TAM Vermelho seems to be 80 per cent about fashionista events and other irrelevances.. It rare to get anything in the mail on product improvement etc

Well indeed.

I see it here in Argentina as well and it drives me mad. I suspect there are several reasons for it. A lack of competition, using old working practices, over staffing and biggest of all....unions having far too much of a say.

It'll take years before anything changes.

Thanks to all for the responsive posts. TAM did eventually refund the difference (and yes it was over USD$1200 - so I definitely felt fairly treated), but it took some senior people at my company's travel agent getting repeatedly involved to make that happen. All the comments about TAM's great staff being poorly managed/organized were borne out imo; their people are almost always super friendly and try to be helpful, but their systems and processes need improvement, particularly when anything out of the ordinary happens.
I'm going with them again JFK to SCL (via GRU) next month - wish me luck :p

Thanks to all for the responsive posts. TAM did eventually refund the difference (and yes it was over USD$1200 - so I definitely felt fairly treated), but it took some senior people at my company's travel agent getting repeatedly involved to make that happen. All the comments about TAM's great staff being poorly managed/organized were borne out imo; their people are almost always super friendly and try to be helpful, but their systems and processes need improvement, particularly when anything out of the ordinary happens.
I'm going with them again JFK to SCL (via GRU) next month - wish me luck :p

Great that you or your travel department got everything sorted out!