Inefficient and unruly behaviour of the ground and Cabin crew staff of Air India!
India’s national carrier #AirIndia’s slogan is ‘#AirIndiaTrulyIndian’. Being an utter nationalist I, Mr #RonnieRodrigues, MD of an Indian company #CineBuster Pvt Ltd, decided to travel by the national carrier Air India, to London along with the family and staff members by paying around Rs 120000/- pp. Total of 10 adults and 4 children were booked on Air India flight no AI 131 (7.10am) for the departure to London on 23rd December 2021. All of us reached 4 hours before the departure for checking in. At the checking counter, the staff started insisting on children’s #RTPCR test reports. We were put under panic as it would have delayed all 14 of us reaching London. Later we understood that he thought that we were flying to Baharain. Even the Covid-declaration form was not collected at the counter. All checked in without an apology from the concerned staff. During Covid times no proper precautions are taken by the ground staff by not allotting 14 passengers who obviously are in a bio-bubble.
After completing all other formalities we boarded the plane. We were surprised that most of us were allotted scattered seats. In fact a 6 year old child was allotted a seat away from his parents. How can a child sit away from his parents? The ground staff should have ensured this and by not doing this it amounts to inhuman, inefficient behaviour. As the plane was getting full, and after closure of the doors where there wasn’t a possibility of other passenger doing in, couple of our members sat together on empty seats to avoid contact with other passengers. We, at Cine Buster, have been in a bio bubble and the the ground staff should have ensured to make all of us sit together for our as well as other’s safety. But, alas, this did not happen. Moreover those two people were forced to sit in the middle seats with the strangers. The cabin crew staff cited covid reasons. If there is an infected passenger on board, isn’t the entire flight is at risk? And it is presumed that all passengers were allowed to board only after checking their RTPCR reports being negative.
Of course everybody, including us, are aware of the pandemic situation, but the unruly staff was adamant and stubborn and arrogant at the same time. On questioning about why can’t a passenger sit on an empty chair, she cited it as a company rule and arrogantly said that our person may infect other passenger. Point here is, aren’t everybody despite negative RTPCR report is allowed to travel? One of cabin crew staffs even threatened to to off load us for unruly behaviour. It was ghastly on her part to have done that to a bonafide passenger for questioning about blocking of the seats by the cabin crew members.
The cabin crew staff had blocked the last three rows by placing pillows and other stuff. Later it was found that they wanted to sleep on those chairs and that’s why they were fighting with the passengers not to occupy those sits. The cabin crew staff was found snoring away on ‘those’ seats after serving food etc. Moreover the passengers are forced to keep, in case of storage unavailability, luggage below the seats, but the cabin crew had kept the stuff on the empty seats which they wanted for themselves. The cabin crew tried to inconvenience passengers for their convenience.
They should understand that in the service industry arrogant and adamant behaviour is no-no and the passengers pay hefty sums (in our case around 120000/- pp) to travel and because of this they get their salaries. #DGCA should look into the unruly behaviour of the ground as well as cabin crew staff of Air India (flight AI 131).