WTS
Aug 10, 09, 10:33 pm
After having spent some time in Istanbul the last leg of the journey was to be completed. The problems and discomfort of TK51 TYO-IST was already forgotten. More looking forward to returning home.
Well... the departure from Istanbul was delayed. Spending time in the lounge, I went several times to the recpetionists to ask for information about our flight, as nothing was announced on the monitors. They answered all the time that it would be delayed but it was not announced yet, and that boarding had not started. Just imagine the feeling, when our flight suddenly popped up at the last line on the monitor, showing "Last call". We grabbed our luggage and ran to the gate, a considerable distance from the lounge. The gate was already closed when we came, and possibly it was because we were flying business class they opened it for us, maybe not. We will never know. Anyhow, we were not the only ones coming at the last moment to the departure, so were actually all business class passengers - I assume all had waited in the lounge, just as we were.
The service on board this flight was actually even worse than the one Tokyo-Istanbul. First of all, obviously the purser decided that all attendants should devote to Y-cl cabin. After having been served the hot meal, there was simply no attendant available in C-cl. We were not offered coffee after our meal. The trays were not removed - we just sat there waiting while we saw attendants running back and forth through the C-cl cabin from the front galley with coca-cola bottles, sprite bottles and whatever it might be to fill up serving trolleys in the y-cl cabin.
A while later passengers from the Y-cl cabin started to "invade" the C-cl cabin to use the front lavatory. Y-cl passengers were standing in the aisle waiting for their turn (there were only 3 rows of C-cl). The calm and comfortable C-cl journey which most of us had looked forward to changed to a totally chaotic C-cl cabin. Many passengers, including me, complained to the purser, without any success. When I asked why we hadn't been served coffee, the purser just replied "Well... I thought you didn't want any"... She did not reply my second question "Wouldn't it be better to ask me if I wanted coffee instead of assuming that I didn't want to have???". The fact is, that there was no attendant available to serve anything in C-cl.
We also complained the purser allowing Y-cl passengers to walk around in the C-cl cabin and using the front lavatory. Occassionally the purser asked the y-cl passengers to go back and use the aft lavatories, but as many times she did not react at all.
The situation got really out of line when one of the passengers having been adviced the aft lavatory came back into the C-cl cabin and shouted at the passengers that they should mind their own business and not pretend they are kings just because they are travelling in business class. Further shouting that business class passsengers did not own the aircraft and that she had full right to do whatever she wanted on board. The purser did not react. She opened the curtain to the front galley and looked out. First when several of us actually very distintly asked the purser to interact she did. After this incident several passengers complained to the purser, however without any noticeable effect more than that the curtain dividing C-cl from Y-cl from that on was left open, giving y-cl passengers full access to c-cl cabin.
The curtain division was left open also after landing, and no attendant standing there to let the C-cl passengers disembark before letting Y-cl passengers move forward (which is the standard procedure onboard). As the aircraft was delayed (I do appreaciate that many passengers wanted to get off as quickly as possible), Y-cl passengers actually more or less violently forced themselves forwared, making it almost impossible for the C-cl passengers to collect their carry-on baggage and leave the aircraft. The purser still doing nothing more than smiling with a face telling "I don't care whether you are flying C-cl or Y-cl... I am just here because I have to.... be happy you reached your destination".
I am flying around 200 000 miles per year, and I have flewn with many airline companies. However, I have never experienced such unprofessional behaviour and ignorant cabin crew as on these two flights described in these postings. There is a reason why we choose to pay about 8 to 10 times more for a business class ticket than an economy class ticket, most of the times because I actually need to work during the journey. That would have been completely impossible on these two flights. It is shocking that the purser did choose not to interact at all to re-establish a deasant order in the cabin, in fact the purser allowed y-cl passengers to abuse c-cl passengers.
I think TK must re-consider whether they should offer a C-cl cabin at all. Maybe their customer approach and cabin crew training is more suitable for an all economy class cabin.
WTS
Well... the departure from Istanbul was delayed. Spending time in the lounge, I went several times to the recpetionists to ask for information about our flight, as nothing was announced on the monitors. They answered all the time that it would be delayed but it was not announced yet, and that boarding had not started. Just imagine the feeling, when our flight suddenly popped up at the last line on the monitor, showing "Last call". We grabbed our luggage and ran to the gate, a considerable distance from the lounge. The gate was already closed when we came, and possibly it was because we were flying business class they opened it for us, maybe not. We will never know. Anyhow, we were not the only ones coming at the last moment to the departure, so were actually all business class passengers - I assume all had waited in the lounge, just as we were.
The service on board this flight was actually even worse than the one Tokyo-Istanbul. First of all, obviously the purser decided that all attendants should devote to Y-cl cabin. After having been served the hot meal, there was simply no attendant available in C-cl. We were not offered coffee after our meal. The trays were not removed - we just sat there waiting while we saw attendants running back and forth through the C-cl cabin from the front galley with coca-cola bottles, sprite bottles and whatever it might be to fill up serving trolleys in the y-cl cabin.
A while later passengers from the Y-cl cabin started to "invade" the C-cl cabin to use the front lavatory. Y-cl passengers were standing in the aisle waiting for their turn (there were only 3 rows of C-cl). The calm and comfortable C-cl journey which most of us had looked forward to changed to a totally chaotic C-cl cabin. Many passengers, including me, complained to the purser, without any success. When I asked why we hadn't been served coffee, the purser just replied "Well... I thought you didn't want any"... She did not reply my second question "Wouldn't it be better to ask me if I wanted coffee instead of assuming that I didn't want to have???". The fact is, that there was no attendant available to serve anything in C-cl.
We also complained the purser allowing Y-cl passengers to walk around in the C-cl cabin and using the front lavatory. Occassionally the purser asked the y-cl passengers to go back and use the aft lavatories, but as many times she did not react at all.
The situation got really out of line when one of the passengers having been adviced the aft lavatory came back into the C-cl cabin and shouted at the passengers that they should mind their own business and not pretend they are kings just because they are travelling in business class. Further shouting that business class passsengers did not own the aircraft and that she had full right to do whatever she wanted on board. The purser did not react. She opened the curtain to the front galley and looked out. First when several of us actually very distintly asked the purser to interact she did. After this incident several passengers complained to the purser, however without any noticeable effect more than that the curtain dividing C-cl from Y-cl from that on was left open, giving y-cl passengers full access to c-cl cabin.
The curtain division was left open also after landing, and no attendant standing there to let the C-cl passengers disembark before letting Y-cl passengers move forward (which is the standard procedure onboard). As the aircraft was delayed (I do appreaciate that many passengers wanted to get off as quickly as possible), Y-cl passengers actually more or less violently forced themselves forwared, making it almost impossible for the C-cl passengers to collect their carry-on baggage and leave the aircraft. The purser still doing nothing more than smiling with a face telling "I don't care whether you are flying C-cl or Y-cl... I am just here because I have to.... be happy you reached your destination".
I am flying around 200 000 miles per year, and I have flewn with many airline companies. However, I have never experienced such unprofessional behaviour and ignorant cabin crew as on these two flights described in these postings. There is a reason why we choose to pay about 8 to 10 times more for a business class ticket than an economy class ticket, most of the times because I actually need to work during the journey. That would have been completely impossible on these two flights. It is shocking that the purser did choose not to interact at all to re-establish a deasant order in the cabin, in fact the purser allowed y-cl passengers to abuse c-cl passengers.
I think TK must re-consider whether they should offer a C-cl cabin at all. Maybe their customer approach and cabin crew training is more suitable for an all economy class cabin.
WTS