TAM's miserable service in business class and in general
Jun 29, 2011, 6:50 am
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,091
The airline is one of the few Star players with regular redemption availability between Europe and Brasil, so I don't complain too much. But I certainly wouldn't be happy if I were paying cash for the service.
Jul 18, 2011, 2:29 pm
#19
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Delhi
Programs: Emirates gold *alliance silver jet airways platinum tridentprivilege gold.
Posts: 1,818
Another nightmare TAM flight
Just back BSB-GRU_CDG-GRU_BSB. Intl sectors in Business Class
Nightmare scenario of IRROPS unfolds!
Flight late out . But the UA lounge is open thanks to new SQ flight at 0120, so I dont at least have to suffer the TAM slum-lounge with the Kafkaesque live piano.
Flight late back GPU mismanagement by Captain, leading to extra time needed to power up, missed slot 80 min delay
Here comes the crunch:
Woken up in the middle of the night with a bottle of red wine on my lap and red wine across my clothes Spilled by flight attendant serving someone across the aisle. Called the Chief Purser she took 20 mins to appear. Asked what she p'lanned to do to help she stares at me, clueless and helpless. I take the initiative and request that she:
(1) go and get me some First Class pyjamas and a bag to put my wine stained clothes in
(2) Fill out an incident on board report get me to sign it give me a copy
(3) Send a message to Brasilia that they will need to pay for my drycleaning or, if my clothes are ruined, for a replacement
She then does what I ask... in later conversation discover she has no training in what to do when there is a customer inciident on board. Not Tudo Bem, in my case, unfortunately.
Reason for spillage: Fashion victim TAM procedures dictate that all beverages are taken in bottle to seat and poured at seat in Premium Cabins. Oh, for Gods Sake! In the middle of the night, TATL!
On arrival further 20 minute delay in opening doors due to ground incompetence
Now in danger of missing connexion... Request TAM ground to inform GRU-BSB gate that i am on my way and have no bags, and to not close doors They refuse claiming that they have no means to do this...in their hub, if you please.
I ignore them and proceeed to gate Usual confusion there but present myself...they dawdle as usual then say..flight closed and no further baggage will be loaded. (ive already told everyone countless times I have no checked baggage and its on my PIL anyway) ... I SCREAM and STAMP my feet and behave in a most un Brasilian way... magically a bus materialises and I am put on it and taken to the flight. Doors still wide open... and are so, 15 mins post my boarding the aircraft
On arrival at Brasilia no one knows what to do re my compensation Its a matter of principle so I wait for them to start using their natural intelligence which TAM seems to have snuffed out quite effectively Finally after much mutual telephone consulting including a call to Sao Paulo they agree to reimburse my Bank account on presentation of receipt...necessitating a trip back to airport -- apparently their systems dont allow them to deposit R$50 in my account which would have covered the drycleaning!
I am so fed up with this airline.... What a curse it is to be forced to travel on it. How embarrassing to be a Vermelho (*gold) on an airline I now throroughly dislike and fear... TAM is an important reason why I look forward to the end of my assignment in Brazil!
For those who know what i am talkign about, TAM certainly makes General De Gaulle's point!
Nightmare scenario of IRROPS unfolds!
Flight late out . But the UA lounge is open thanks to new SQ flight at 0120, so I dont at least have to suffer the TAM slum-lounge with the Kafkaesque live piano.
Flight late back GPU mismanagement by Captain, leading to extra time needed to power up, missed slot 80 min delay
Here comes the crunch:
Woken up in the middle of the night with a bottle of red wine on my lap and red wine across my clothes Spilled by flight attendant serving someone across the aisle. Called the Chief Purser she took 20 mins to appear. Asked what she p'lanned to do to help she stares at me, clueless and helpless. I take the initiative and request that she:
(1) go and get me some First Class pyjamas and a bag to put my wine stained clothes in
(2) Fill out an incident on board report get me to sign it give me a copy
(3) Send a message to Brasilia that they will need to pay for my drycleaning or, if my clothes are ruined, for a replacement
She then does what I ask... in later conversation discover she has no training in what to do when there is a customer inciident on board. Not Tudo Bem, in my case, unfortunately.
Reason for spillage: Fashion victim TAM procedures dictate that all beverages are taken in bottle to seat and poured at seat in Premium Cabins. Oh, for Gods Sake! In the middle of the night, TATL!
On arrival further 20 minute delay in opening doors due to ground incompetence
Now in danger of missing connexion... Request TAM ground to inform GRU-BSB gate that i am on my way and have no bags, and to not close doors They refuse claiming that they have no means to do this...in their hub, if you please.
I ignore them and proceeed to gate Usual confusion there but present myself...they dawdle as usual then say..flight closed and no further baggage will be loaded. (ive already told everyone countless times I have no checked baggage and its on my PIL anyway) ... I SCREAM and STAMP my feet and behave in a most un Brasilian way... magically a bus materialises and I am put on it and taken to the flight. Doors still wide open... and are so, 15 mins post my boarding the aircraft
On arrival at Brasilia no one knows what to do re my compensation Its a matter of principle so I wait for them to start using their natural intelligence which TAM seems to have snuffed out quite effectively Finally after much mutual telephone consulting including a call to Sao Paulo they agree to reimburse my Bank account on presentation of receipt...necessitating a trip back to airport -- apparently their systems dont allow them to deposit R$50 in my account which would have covered the drycleaning!
I am so fed up with this airline.... What a curse it is to be forced to travel on it. How embarrassing to be a Vermelho (*gold) on an airline I now throroughly dislike and fear... TAM is an important reason why I look forward to the end of my assignment in Brazil!
For those who know what i am talkign about, TAM certainly makes General De Gaulle's point!
Jul 18, 2011, 5:35 pm
#20
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: GRU
Programs: *A Gold, OW Sapphire, SPG Gold, HH Diamond, Accor Plat
Posts: 3,367
Sad for you... but can't say to be a surprise on TAM...
Not so long ago it has been reported on a MIA-GRU flight in their final approach to GRU, captain had cockpit indications that there might be a major disruption in one of the engines, thus cabin was asked to be prepared for emergency landing and according to procedures, as a precaution only.
One female crew member started crying and moaning, other female crew members followed and started disrupting passengers who were unware of the real reasons why cabin was being prepared for an emergency landing and unaware whether some real major incident was indeed about to happen.
What ought to be a simple precaution became a real havoc inside a crowded wide body.
Thus, I am not at all surprised the purser on your flight had no clues on what to do in your case - they do fail on much more elementary situations.
Not so long ago it has been reported on a MIA-GRU flight in their final approach to GRU, captain had cockpit indications that there might be a major disruption in one of the engines, thus cabin was asked to be prepared for emergency landing and according to procedures, as a precaution only.
One female crew member started crying and moaning, other female crew members followed and started disrupting passengers who were unware of the real reasons why cabin was being prepared for an emergency landing and unaware whether some real major incident was indeed about to happen.
What ought to be a simple precaution became a real havoc inside a crowded wide body.
Thus, I am not at all surprised the purser on your flight had no clues on what to do in your case - they do fail on much more elementary situations.
Jul 19, 2011, 6:28 am
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: YYZ
Programs: A3&O6 Gold,IC AMB & HH Diamond
Posts: 14,135
Sad
For those flying from GRU to Europe or Asia should be glad that SQ has come to their rescue. TAM is going down the same route as VARIG did.........sad really.
Jul 19, 2011, 9:14 am
#22
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Delhi
Programs: Emirates gold *alliance silver jet airways platinum tridentprivilege gold.
Posts: 1,818
Sad for you... but can't say to be a surprise on TAM...
Not so long ago it has been reported on a MIA-GRU flight in their final approach to GRU, captain had cockpit indications that there might be a major disruption in one of the engines, thus cabin was asked to be prepared for emergency landing and according to procedures, as a precaution only.
One female crew member started crying and moaning, other female crew members followed and started disrupting passengers who were unware of the real reasons why cabin was being prepared for an emergency landing and unaware whether some real major incident was indeed about to happen.
What ought to be a simple precaution became a real havoc inside a crowded wide body.
GOod HEavnes! Scary!!!!
Thus, I am not at all surprised the purser on your flight had no clues on what to do in your case - they do fail on much more elementary situations.
Not so long ago it has been reported on a MIA-GRU flight in their final approach to GRU, captain had cockpit indications that there might be a major disruption in one of the engines, thus cabin was asked to be prepared for emergency landing and according to procedures, as a precaution only.
One female crew member started crying and moaning, other female crew members followed and started disrupting passengers who were unware of the real reasons why cabin was being prepared for an emergency landing and unaware whether some real major incident was indeed about to happen.
What ought to be a simple precaution became a real havoc inside a crowded wide body.
GOod HEavnes! Scary!!!!
Thus, I am not at all surprised the purser on your flight had no clues on what to do in your case - they do fail on much more elementary situations.
Jul 19, 2011, 9:31 am
#23
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: US expat somewhere south of Valpo, Chilezuela
Programs: On the way to lowly LATAM Gold, AA, MiClub Lider
Posts: 853
Four years ago, I flew TAM three days after their big fiery disaster on the ground in Sao Paulo. Very memorable the delays, fear, customers angrily shouting at the attendants inside the plane and the hysterical passenger whimpering loudly at every bit of turbulence on the way into Rio.
Yeah, joining forces with another customer service failure (on the ground), better known as LAN, will definitely be to our advantage.
Yeah, joining forces with another customer service failure (on the ground), better known as LAN, will definitely be to our advantage.