Thai Airways Flight Delayed After Pilots Demand First-Class Seats for off-Duty Colleagues
Jackie Reddy October 23, 2018
A recent Thai Airways flight was delayed following a standoff over two first-class seats. The plane’s pilots refused to depart unless off-duty colleagues were given spots in first class. Two passengers vacated their seats during the incident, which caused the carrier’s CEO to publicly apologize.
A recent Bangkok-bound Thai Airways flight from Zurich was delayed for two hours following a standoff over a pair of first class seats, the Bangkok Post reports. According to the outlet, the incident took place on Thai Airways Flight TG971 on October 11th when the plane’s pilots refused to depart unless two off-duty pilots, who were traveling as passengers on the flight, were given first class seats.
The flight was initially scheduled to depart Zurich for Bangkok at 1:30 p.m. local time, but when asked, the outlet reports that all of the flight’s first-class passengers declined to vacate their seats for the off-duty pilots. Eventually, after approximately a two-hour delay, two first-class passengers voluntarily vacated their seats to accommodate the pilots.
According to the outlet, the passengers who gave up their seats have filed a formal grievance with Thai Airways. In their complaint, the outlet reports, the two passengers say that the off-duty staff members should have been given business-class seats.
Sumeth Damrongchaitham, the airline’s CEO, criticized the incident in a Facebook post earlier this month.
Offering his comments on the platform, he was quoted by the Bangkok Post as saying, “I express sorrow and apologize to all passengers affected by the unprofessional action that caused the delay. And I apologize to the passengers who were directly affected by the seat change. I take responsibility for the incident.”
Mr. Damrongchaitham is also reported to have said that the incident negatively impacted the image of Thai Airways.
The flight is said to have arrived into Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) well over an hour behind schedule.
[Photo: Thai Airways]
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What a bunch of ingrates! They are already getting paid for deadheading back to base... and now they want a flatbed on the 12 hr flight too? I'd happily take the crew bunks and swap with the on duty pilots. On the other hand, the ground staff at ZRH could have not issued upgrades until the pilot fiasco was sorted out.
Four pilots who should be in the unemployment line by this afternoon.
How refreshing though for an airline CEO to just admit straight up that they got it wrong. If this had been a US airline the lawyers would have got involved and the airline would have said nothing until they were forced to due to publicity. I hope all the pilots will be reprimanded and the two passengers that Thai gives the two passengers two free First returns anywhere they want to fly.
mickeyjaw : exactly my first thought.
Sounds like behaviour more typical of Air India...