[Anonymous]

[MrMichael]

In North Korea the purser would have found himself in the Gulag.

http://news.sky.com/story/1388637/airline-executive-quits-over-first-class-nuts-row

Seriously though, I am guessing them being in the packet was the problem, but to turn a plane back to the gate seems absolutely mind numbingly stupid.

[rferguson]

The VP responsible for the turn back has now stood down from the company and issued a grovelling apology.

Seriously, what is wrong with these people?? Surely a quiet word at the end of the flight about peanut-gate would have sufficed? Jeez.

[SGJNI1961]

Power corrupts, absolute power ……………gives you the right to be a spoilt brat! Or just corrupts, as usual! I pity the crew.

[seasonedtraveller]

Complete idiocy. Is there not some point when most right minded people realise that carrying on this argument is not right at this time….. don’t they think to themselves, perhaps I should stop before this goes too far?
You couldn’t make it up…..

[TheRealBabushka]

Maybe she was having a BAD day. But I sort of know how she feels. Imagine the time when service staff provides you with a cock and bull response when questioned (Imagine being on the phone to the BA call center for example).
Now imagine that you’re the boss of that service staff. Sure she could have dealt with it better but I think perhaps this gives us an insight into the culture of the organisation.

[MrMichael]

Therealbabushka…..I as a manager have bad days, but as a manager I have to ensure I do not blow a stack, I remain calm, keep the severity of the situation in proportion and most importantly, put things right to enhance the brand, not damage it. This shows both very poor managerial skills and none existent emotional intelligence.

It is reported the Pilot agreed with her, that maybe is cultural….or perhaps he just did not want to follow the Purser off the plane.

My view is it is a case of nimbiism where the lady was promoted to a position she neither had the skills nor the intelligence to hold.

[canucklad]

This admirable lady was quite correct, and IMO actually didn’t go far enough. I mean after all you’re not just talking about any old nut here…………

These nuts were caringly raised and nurtured to fruition on the balmy tropical shores of the Big Island in Hawaii. For this chap to disrespect this King Kamehameha of nuts is indeed a crime worthy, (as MrMichael notes) of a long stint in a north of the DMZ Gulag.

Ms Cho Hyun-ah wasn’t just protecting service levels on her beloved KAL, but standing up for democratic, freedom loving people everywhere, who believes in their libertarian right to eat nuts from a bowl!!
In fact, she’s probably realised that the purser was a Pyongyang plant, sent to undermine our very way of life.
So , I salute you Ms Cho……….

BUT— On the other hand, if they were just cheap imported macadamia nuts, mass processed in a factory somewhere n Australia then I’m afraid her actions were just NUT’s , and she should be sent to the Gulag !!!

[LuganoPirate]

Canucklad. A big ;-))

I asked for some nuts as I sit by the pool sipping my G&T and contemplating what to have for lunch. Cashews have arrived, served on a small dish. Very colonial. Perhaps the Mount Nelson should take over the running of KAL!

[MartynSinclair]

Macadamia and Pistachios (shelled) being served on floor 24 here at the Westin, BKK, along with red coloured beverages…

[canucklad]

Well gents…….enjoy your nuts, and to help you enjoy them, I’ve remembered this story….

I was walking down the street with my mate, when he see’s a dog licking his nuts. He says to me , “God, I wish I could do that.
I replied, “Give him a biscuit and he might let you.”

Oh and I’m apparently about to be “weather bombed” so enjoy your warmer clim’s…… : )
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/scotland/

[AMcWhirter]

Interesting report from Associated Press about the background to the Cho family who control Korean Airlines.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/6637f00d063548c8aae67afb9191c48a/nut-rage-spat-latest-stumble-korean-air-family

[canucklad]

Thanks for the link Alex….a good read and It’s a timely reminder that we should all be thankful that our taxes were being spent wisely on ensuring our duck friend’s had a proper roof over their head rather than having to put up with the nepotistic behaviour of South Korea’s ruling classes……

[AnthonyDunn]

Further consequences of the Korean “how to serve a nut” spat…

From the FT dated 10 December 2014

“Korean Air nut rage sparks chaebol backlash”

The daughter of Korean Air’s chairman has resigned from the family-run airline after causing a public uproar by delaying a flight because she was angry at the way she had been served macadamia nuts.

Cho Hyun-ah, vice-president of the national carrier, ordered the aircraft back to the New York terminal as it prepared for take-off for the removal of a flight attendant who had served the nuts in a paper bag rather than a plate….

….The incident caused anger among South Koreans increasingly uncomfortable about the economic and social privileges enjoyed by the founding family members of big chaebol business groups. They often wield undue influence over management of group companies in spite of their small direct shareholdings.

Korean Air had earlier said it was “natural” for the executive responsible for cabin services to inspect operations and point out problems, adding that the chief flight attendant neglected procedure and regulations.

The decision to remove him had been made in consultation with the pilot, it said, and the company would strengthen cabin crew training and customer services.

The airline’s explanation caused further anger, prompting the pilots’ union at the carrier to say: “Ms Cho abused her position as a vice-president in the process of returning the flight. The incident underlines the mindset of the owner family that they can do whatever they want with the company.”

Lawmakers are also calling for an investigation. “Ms Cho’s order of a forceful return could be a threat to passengers’ safety by disabling the pilot,” said Oh Byung-yoon of the Progressive party and a member of the national assembly’s transportation subcommittee.

The transport ministry is investigating Korean Air for possible breaches of aviation safety regulations. Under South Korean aviation regulations, an aircraft preparing for take-off should return to the terminal only if the pilot determines there is an emergency involving the safety of the aircraft or its passengers. The ministry said it would take action against the carrier if it violated any regulations. ENDS

[rferguson]

What I think what this incident also highlights is the parallel between a hierarchy where your position is unquestionable and safety,

I was having a drink in a hotel lobby bar down route a few months ago when a Korean Airlines flight crew arrived. As is to be expected (like JAL) all the crew were very Korean looking with the exception of the Captain who was western. In fact even the conversation between the Captain and his two F/O’s was in english. According to our flight crew this has become ‘the norm’ at the two korean majors. Not because there is any shortage of pilots in Korea. But 100% because they are trying to improve their safety records by breaking the strict ‘do not question me’ ranking in the flight deck which has led to accidents in the past totally accredited to pilot error – the most recent being the SFO incident with Asiana.

In my most recent recurrent safety course, the focus of our Crew Resource Management (CRM) day was reviewing the cabin crew actions in the Asiana SFO incident based on information from the Air Safety report. From our perspective, it was worlds apart from what we would do in an ‘incident’. The aircraft was in pieces on the runway. Yet, none of the cabin crew dared ‘initiate’ the evacuation. One of the cabin crew where the aircraft had almost been cut off first called the senior purser to ask permission to evacuate.. The Senior Purser then called the First Officer to ask permission! Thank goodness the aircraft had pretty much ran out of fuel and a fire did not start. Had that aircraft burst into flames god knows how many people would have lost their lives due to the crew feeling unable to use their own judgement to deem the situation as ‘catostrophic’ – which is the term used for european and most western airlines for a situation where the cabin crew can immediately initiate an evacuation without first waiting for the command from the flight deck.

Push back is a safety critical phase of flight for obvious reasons. The priority is on placing the doors in the correct mode, securing the cabin and galleys properly, briefing the passengers on the emergency procedures and being 100% focused on observing and listening for anything ‘not quite right’ so you can pass it on to the pilots if necessary. I can’t imagine every flight the added pressure of the possibility of losing my job or being thrown off the aircraft because I served nuts incorrectly.

This isn’t to belittle the fact that attention to detail for service is important. Of course it is. Of course the crew member concerned should have been spoken to at some point during the flight about not serving the nuts correctly. But making an aircraft in a critical stage of flight taxi back to the gate in order to offload the senior purser is just ridiculous – and would put immense pressure on the remaining crew for the rest of the flight.

Korean Airlines should have immediately released a statement saying the case was being investigated. Instead what it did was release a statement defending the chairmans daughter saying her actions were ‘reasonable’. Imagine the message that sends to the employees of the airline. Not to mention the rest of the owners management and family.

Thankfully, this story made it to the wider media and action was taken. I would bet a fiver on no action being taken against the manager concerned had this event not being told around the world by the media.

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