Getting a response from Malaysia Airlines

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Viewing 5 posts - 16 through 20 (of 20 total)

  • rferguson
    Participant

    Thanks for the update Tom.

    I just flew six sectors with MH, all in Business Class. Looking back, I really feel conflicted about how I feel about MH and whether I would book them over another airline again. I used to fly them quite regularly but the seats just became so outdated that I switched mainly to CX who were only a couple hundred pounds more expensive on the route I would fly.

    MH went through a truly awful time and each time I fly with them I think how all the crew would have definitely lost friends in those two accidents (it isn’t a huge airline).

    So this latest trip with their new onboard products and seats I booked MH again. Whilst I generally found the on board experience to be great – nice seats, great crews, decent food – there is something about the company that just isn’t right. They seem to have a real issue with communicating with their customers. A couple examples:

    1) the lounge. I know i’m going over old news again but as most who have read this thread will know the largest of the business class lounges and only first class lounge at their home base were closed from Oct last year and due to re-open 27 Jan. That didn’t happen. Completely understandable, delays happen all the time with these kind of things. So MH would issue a press release to the travel media or an update on their website? Nope. Three days before the original re-opening any reference online to the 27 Jan opening date was just removed. No apology, no explanation. A revised opening date was finally published for 20Feb at 05:00. The travel media notified. Website updated. I pass through KUL on the 20th excited to check out the new lounge – it’s still a construction site. So…you’d think there would be a sign put up outside apologising for the mess up…an explanation perhaps? The same on the website? Nope. Once again, heads in the sand. No apology. No explanation. Any reference online to 20Feb deleted.

    2) I had a similar experience with a delayed flight out of DEL. It was not an insignificant delay (around 2.5hrs). This particular flight is operated by a longhaul wide bodied A330. The aircraft was obviously inbound from KUL. The revised departure time by MH was set at 00:30. Yet a quick look online at the arrival time of the inbound flight – 23:48. Although I work in the airline industry i’m sure someone that has never set foot on a jet would understand it is nigh on impossible to get 200 passengers amd all their bags off, have the plane cleaned and catered, and then put another 200 passengers and their bags on in the space of 42 minutes. And as expected the flight left around 45 minutes later than the re-scheduled time. But here’s what I found the most odd thing – the crew did not acknowledge the delay at all. None of them. Not by the Captain in any of his announcements. Not by the cabin crew in any of theirs. No apology, no explanation at all. Just like the lounge situation ‘pretend it didn’t happen’.

    It’s a real pity that MH just cannot seem to get a grasp of these very BASIC principles as their onboard product and their pricing is generally very good. But the most modern seats aside, the best food aside, the most luxurious lounges aside. They simply do not seem to be able to give customers one of the most valuable things you can have during travel – timely updates and explanations. These small things go so so far and cost nothing at all.


    CathayLoyalist2
    Participant

    Another example.

    My daughter flew back to Singapore from KUL late on Sunday evening.

    Delayed 40 minutes due to late arrival of operating aircraft, that happens. Landed in Singapore, taxied to the gate then she sat on the plane for 20 minutes with no explanation for the delay in leaving the aircraft. When they did disembark no apology from either cabin crew or flight deck.

    We all accept these things happen but zero communication exacerbates frustration. The real issue is not there was no communication but they do not see they need to communicate. If that is a cultural thing how does that play out in maintenance and other safety areas.


    K1ngston
    Participant

    I think this is a local issue more than anything and in isolation can be tolerated, but I agree there just seems to be a malaise with the staff that no new equipment or seats can overcome!

    I am looking forward to speaking with Adrian when he can and see what he suggests, and again I appreciate his willingness to speak


    JKL
    Participant

    Pleased to report that the Satellite lounge at KL is now open, and is rather nice I think. In the First (Platinum) section the layout remains much the same other than the washrooms have been moved forwards and are now at the top of the steps before the main lounge area, more or less opposite the dining room, rather than being right at the back of the lounge (a welcome change, I think). Furnishings and carpets are new, and have a cosy feel. The ‘slumberette’ rooms are gone, replaced with a more open plan rest/snooze area with a handful of daybed/couches. A couple of negatives – the aircon is still set to Arctic so the lounge is absolutely freezing, and there are now only three shower/toilet units (down from six). Oddly there’s an additional oversized toilet cubicle which doesn’t have a shower even though there’s room for one – presumably it’s meant as a wheelchair-friendly toilet, yet it lacks any of the bars and handles etc usually needed for accessibility. An example of classic Malaysia Airlines lack of attention to detail, I suppose. On which subject, they still don’t seem to get that if you’re going to put a washbasin inside the cubicle, it would be really helpful also to have a hand dryer or paper towels or even proper towels in there too. To be fair though, they are at least remaining true to national culture – “If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing 90%, no need to actually finish it” 😉

    I had a quick look in the Business section on my way out – again the layout is largely the same, from memory, although it feels a lot more open now (perhaps down to the new furnishings and colour scheme) while at the same time having the feeling of various discreet areas, so although large, it didn’t feel too overwhelming. Looks like the washrooms at the back have been redone and made much bigger, albeit only four shower units, I was told – I didn’t go in, but hopefully they’re at least of the same quality as those in the First area, which would be a massive improvement on what was there before.

    Overall, aside from a couple of niggles, a nice refurb.

Viewing 5 posts - 16 through 20 (of 20 total)
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