Paying heavily for courtesy gone awry Story by MWENDE MWINZI /Talking Point Publication Date: 6/26/2005
Her guest menu differs from Thailands but only in its details. Fly into Hawaii and you will be greeted by beautiful women with sweetly scented lays. Arrive in Punta Cana, a Dominican Republic beach resort area and you will be greeted by the same warmth beautiful women, some handsome dancers and a photo opportunity that marks the beginning of a memorable time. Two fairly simple, inexpensive ways to create a lasting good impression, right? One would think so but arrive in Nairobi and your experience will be shockingly different particularly if you are a visa bearer first greeted by an unbearably long and slow winding line. Though we export flowers, none adorn the airport and though we have great dancers, none entertain not even in the day. The Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is cold, aesthetically boring, culturally inept and it lacks simplicities such as piped music and adequate seating. Yet we dont seem concerned at least not on an urgent basis because as some see it, Kenya continues to ride high on soaring tourist numbers. Why fix it if it aint broke? But we should fix it if only for one reason further damaging this first impression is the unacceptably high rate at which airline carriers are delaying luggage almost without apology or concern for individual itineraries. Having lost my luggage over six times including my last four trips, I speak from experience and with frustration. And I am not alone. There are many whose feet have worn these shoes and who out of principle will no longer fly this notorious airline carrier a carrier inefficient and disdainful of its African route despite its profitability. Wonder who I am referring to? A visit to the airport for a look at the carousels and long faces will answer that in no time. British Airways, it is reported, loses about 18 bags per 1,000 and it pays customers an average of about $100 per lost piece of luggage. Little amount considering a simple pair of jeans costs half of that but what about compensation for luggage delayed or items damaged and does one have to fight for compensation or does the airline of its own volition reimburse such claims? Therein lies the trick the decision on who gets the full amount or who deserves a compensatory perk. Once cocky enough to believe in its invincibility , British Airways is now rethinking things and its profit margin something slipping in the emergence of stiffer competition and dips in the airlines popularity. Challenged by an almost 60 per cent increase in fuel prices and further hurt by a baggage disaster that saw 11,000 bags lost following a strike last year, the airline is finally reacting by considering the adoption of the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system. The technology hopes to circumvent baggage loss due to sticker bar code damage or misreading by inserting chips rather than bar code labels on luggage which occasionally come unattached in transit. But will the airline, which hopes to save an estimated $732 million from RFID recover lost customers? As an airplane stewardess rinsed out a used glass and poured me tap (not bottled) water last week, I couldnt help but wonder, do airline staff not realise that it is us, their passengers, that pay their salaries and that we have options? "Oh I am sorry but this bottled water is for the Cabin Crew," she informed me when I challenged her. Ah such is life when riding in a coach! Sometimes. My connecting flight on Kenya Airways offered me a different experience. In what many would consider a refreshing approach to service, the airline took off without delay, offered a good meal, reasonable entertainment service and had very friendly and courteous staff. No rinsing out of dirty glasses here. No stressed out passengers. No "I am sorry but we have no more vegetarian". It is no coincidence that Kenya Airways profitability is as high as it is. Owing not just to cost-cutting but also to an increase in passengers, the airlines equity over doubled its previous years profitability returning 37.4 per cent from 16.5 per cent. Its profit margin boasted 9.2 per cent compared to British Airways 3.2 per cent. Its revenues increased by 36 per cent to Sh42.2 billion in the fiscal year ended March 31. Having decided that I am no longer cargo, I am taking matters into my own hands by paying patronage to only those who benefit us through employment and philanthropic means among others. There is something nice about flying into Africa with an African accent coming from the cockpit and theres something pleasurable about being served by staff that understand what "service crew" means. Better yet, there is something right very right about being treated like a first class citizen without having a First Class ticket. It is called dignity and quite coincidentally, it is available on The Pride of Africa. _______________________________________________ Ugandanet mailing list [email protected] http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
