What is wrong with the crew at Continental Airlines?
I have travelled over 100K miles last year with Continental airlines, mostly to India. Because of that I am a Platinum member. It is a direct flight to India and I find it real convenient.
However, I have never felt that my business has been appreciated by this airline. If I had been in any other part of the world that kind of loyalty with the airline would have got me special treatment. But not with Continental. Don't get me wrong, I have access to their president's lounge and their other programs like the occasional upgrade, their elite access line etc. However, once on the plane I am used to being treated like cattle by the crew. I am scared to touch the attendant button because it only gets a glowering attendant wondering how dare I do that. I would rather get up and go to the back of the plane to get myself that water or coffee. If I take that extra minute to decide veg or non-veg or if I was sleeping when the cart went by and I feel hungry a little later, or if I want a coffee (when it is not the time for me to have coffee!!) I am scared what the reaction might be. Approaching the attendant at any time is the toughest thing on the plane to do. Last year on one of my trips to India when I asked for water after my turn to get the drink was over, the stewardess ignored me till I had to repeat it three times. At that point I was told that I was yelling and she walked over to the intercom and said something about a disruptive passenger. Oh, I complained once I was on the ground and had the basic rights of a human being again and I did get a mail of apology from the airline and 2500 miles credit to make up for it!!! I really think there is something wrong somewhere.
When I look at Continental's 'Customer first' policy on their site it reads a follows
"Our goal is to make every flight a safe and pleasant experience for our customers. These commitments are specifically designed to reduce the possibility that we might not reach that objective every time you fly with us and will allow us to deal promptly with any service failure. We are implementing and reinforcing company-wide training programs and systems enhancements to confirm that Continental employees are meeting these commitments, and we are measuring how well we perform."
So obviously the management has its heart at the right place. Then, what is the problem?
I have mulled this over the last year and 8 trips that I took to India, it is my belief that the crew hates flying to India and hates the kind of people that they have to serve on the flight. How else can you explain the glowering and irritated behavior from the moment you step on the plane. I have never felt welcome getting on the flight. I landed yesterday back from Delhi and the entire plane was complaining about the attendants and their behavior. Why don't they care? Why is Continental Airline not recognizing this as a serious problem? They should know that I will move my business to some other airline the moment I can find a direct flight to India. I am praying and hoping that Jet Airways from India can get a direct flight between Newark and Delhi. Oh! what service I get on that airline or for that matter Singapore Airlines. It is the most amazing experience being on these airlines. I have a few suggestions for Continental,
1. Poll the crew and identify what's bothering them
2. Select crew that wants to fly that sector
3. Singapore airlines had started including Indian origin crew members to India to culturally sensitize the other crew members and it does work.
I am happy to be their consultant in fixing this. Because I beileve it just needs orientation for the crew and an understanding of the crew's concerns.
I hope someone from the continental management reads this and fixes the problem. Because the last thing I want is some one from the public relations giving me a credit of another 2500 miles for the appreciation of my articulation of the problem at Continental!!
Labels: crew at continental airlines, india sector, newark to delhi
posted by Unknown @ 4:49 AM
5 Comments
5 Comments:
I totally agree with your comments. I made few trips to India last year and noticed the exact same behavior from the crew members. Most of the crew members were older people and very irritable. I recall an incident when there was a particular dish that was missing in my dinner plate and it took me three times before they responded and at the end of it the crew just told me that there was none left. So, I asked them how come its not left when it is part of my meal, they responded by saying 'I told you there is none left - what do you want me to do'. That was the most disgusting/horrible experience I have had with a crew member ever. Since then I have decided not to travel Continental and also pass on my experiences to others so they are aware.
I have had similar experience on my continental flight to India. In my last flight I hated the part wherein they dropped a food bag so that if you get hungry during the flight you shouldn't bother them, just eat and go back to sleep. I can understand if the crew get's tired after say 8 hours of flight and start getting cranky. On this flight you start experiencing their nasty behaviour even before the plane takes off.
I agree about the attitude of their airline crew. I also prefer this airline only because they have direct flight from Newark to Delhi & Mumbai, also flight timing works perfect. However it makes a long journey very uncomfortable when you don't have the right airline crew.
After reading these experiences, I don't want my family to travel with Continental (even though they have direct flight to Delhi). I hope crew improves the customer service.
Thanks for putting your experience out on a proper forum, Deep. Too often, we tend to put up with unjust and hostile behavior, due to our attitude of letting it be. And it's indeed high time we put our foot down on what is wrong, hostile, and totally unprofessional and unacceptable.
I haven't flied Continental till now, and thank goodness for getting to know these real experiences, I would not even want to, in future. In fact, why only me, I am sure, anyone would happily opt for a longer but pleasant and comfortable (importantly: atleast genuinely made to feel comfortable) journey through any other flight instead of a howsoever short or direct flight where the shorter duration might still seem like an eternity, where you'd constantly be made to feel unwelcome and unwanted.
Nice to see you channeling your completely justified anger and disappointment constructively by putting this up on your blog.
I am sure any reader who reads the first-hand accounts narrated by you and others in this Comments section would now instantly know about exactly which airline to DEFINITELY NOT opt for.
I will also spread the word to all my friends and acquaintances about this current state of affairs at Continental, so that unless we actually get to know of a conscious effort, a change of heart or a changed attitude from them, no one boards their flight.
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