Originally Posted by tangoll (Post 26811795)

I was invited and will be attending a lunch sponsored by Bus Traveller Asia Magazine and MH this coming Friday (24 June), in Hong Kong Tsim Sha Tsui. Anybody else going? Not sure what purpose of gathering is, maybe a small focus group type thing. Anybody else here going? What's main topic?

If not HK or MH, have anyone else attended similar gatherings organized by airlines? And if so, what were some of the topics raised for discussion?

Edit Added: I've found out the topic is "MH: How to be world class airline and stay there." Or something along that line. All input and suggestions welcome, especially the not so obvious suggestions.

Originally Posted by Anton33 (Post 26816659)

Kind of curious about the gathering. I hope you don't mind to share it a little bit.

Originally Posted by tangoll (Post 26827684)

We had the lunch with MH (Regional Mgr from HK, plus Sr Exec from MH), Bus Traveller Asia (Editor plus Deputy Editor), and about 12 invitees (one lady, others men). Most seemed in business except sitting next to me was a Vice Principal at an English school in Hong Kong. I'm retired. One other person said he noted this post thread; maybe he can add some other comments.

The Deputy Editor was taking copious notes and said an article will be published in one of next few issues of magazine.

Just general discussion on topic "What it takes to be best in class and stay there." The Editor did a good job in summarizing that what's needed are the following: Modern fleet, adequate network and scheduling, pricing, customer service and quality of cabin crew, good online web access. But these factors apply to every airline that wants to excell, but need to do better than competitors. So challenge for MH is to define and highlight the special things that MH can do which no other airline can duplicate, such as special Malay food like satay, laksa, nasi lemak, Malay hospitality, so that when a pax boards the flight, the pax gets the feeling he/she is enveloped by Malaysian hospitality.

That's what I got out of the lunch, plus a small metal cast model of an A380.

The MH HK Regional Manager also told me that many special fares will be rolled out in the next week or so. Should be available on the MH website.

Originally Posted by carrotjuice (Post 26601966)

In the past month, I did a series of mileage runs on MH comprising of 12 segments in J, a combination of shorthauls in 737s and medium hauls in 330s - and can't help noticing the only thing consistent about its service is how inconsistent it is across the board:

Menu: On some flights the menu is already in the slot, on other flights the menu was not given out and the stewardess just comes around and shoves the only copy in existence to each passenger to select

Choice of main meal: On some flights, the crew goes around asking MH platinums what they would like as their main meal, followed by OW emeralds - thus making a slightly obvious zig zag across the cabin, leaving the person seated next to someone who had just been asked a little puzzled why (s)he had been left out in yhe process. On other flights meal choices were taken sequentially by row - even that isn't consistent, sometimes the process starts from the first row, someyimes from the back, and if there are two aisles it's equally random whether the left or right aisle goes first.

Never had this problem before. They generally go row by row asking. This is based on flying on MH for the past 25 years. What you described has only ever happened to me once in business.

AVOD: Some flights the entertainment system is already switched on the moment you enter and it is switched off after landing announcements. On other flights the crew would only switch it on only when airborne and religiously switch it off shortly before the plane lands.

Agree. This happens frequently. I don't understand why the entertainment system can't be on BEFORE passengers board and why passengers can't be left alone till after they disembark for the crew to gather the headsets. This does rile me up. Half the time, you waste 25 minutes waiting after boarding for push back, taxing, take off and then for the aircraft to pass 10,000 before they then eventually get around to passing out the headsets. It's mind boggling (for economy). For business, if it happens on landing, I ask why are you collecting headsets? The plane has not landed yet. And they leave me alone./

Headsets: Again some flights have them already available at the seat the moment you enter, while on other flights they are only distributed once the plane is airborne.

Agreed.

Meals: This is a peeve typically for the short hauls. Some meals are served still with the metal foil on the main meal, others are dutifully removed by the crew for slightly more appealing presentation.

For economy or business?

Is it so hard for the MH training department to strive for a consistent level of service?

Originally Posted by carrotjuice (Post 27403374)

My recent MH flights have still shown inconsistency in service. On KUL-ICN when I asked for headsets before takeoff the chief stewardess (dressed in red kebaya) simply refused to give it to me... saying it's now "company policy" to hand them out only after take off because they want customers to listen to the announcements.

I said, but the announcements ARE audible through the headsets! Also what use is switching on the AVOD from boarding but not hand out headsets?