| 25 Jul 2010 |
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What ails Saudia
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Saudi Arabian AirlinesSaudi Arabian Airlines
has blamed its 2008 loss of almost SR1.8 billion on its passengers.It says that too many of them did not cancel their bookings when they decided not to travel on a particular flight.
This will not do. Other airlines do not have the same problem -- and it is ridiculous to suggest that somehow SaudiaSaudia passengers are different to those traveling on other airlines. It is the system that is at fault, not the passengers -- and to make such a pathetic excuse for the loss rather than changing what is an inefficient and arcane system smacks of commercial incompetence and is no advertisement for a company planning to privatize itself.
Regular SaudiaSaudia passengers are only too well aware of the problem. Trying to get a seat on a flight can be one of the more stressful experiences of life in the Kingdom. In fact, it can be a nightmare.
How often have passengers been informed, when they tried to book a flight online or phoned their travel agent, or SaudiaSaudia
itself (if they were lucky enough to get through), that the flight was full. Yet if they went to the airport -- which is what most travel agents advise them to do when flights are apparently full -- there were seats available. Worse, when they got on the aircraft, it turned out to be half empty. It is all too common an experience for the SaudiaSaudia traveler.That is only part of the problem. For those who head out to the airport because they know that there will probably be a space on the flight, getting the prized seat confirmation and boarding card can make a rugby scrum look sedate and organized in comparison. At the counters, frustrated passengers crowd round, demanding attention. In Jeddah and Riyadh, there are supposed to be ticketing systems operating on a first-come, first-served basis but there are always those who inexplicably manage to jump the system. All too often those who shout the loudest get the seats.
And what about the passengers who find that their reservations are suddenly no longer confirmed or that they are now on a later flight? Then there are those with confirmed business- or first-class reservations who, when they check in, are told that they have been downgraded because business or first class is full or because the aircraft has been changed and there is not enough business or first class seats. How many other airlines in the world regularly downgrade passengers? As for getting a refund in those circumstances, that is another problem.
It is hardly surprising that SaudiaSaudia staff at times seem exasperated if not downright uncooperative in such situations. It is not their fault. They are working with a system that is fundamentally flawed -- one that actively perpetuates the problems because it encourages passengers to multi-book seats. They do not know if they will get on a flight so they hold several tickets and use them to make multiple reservations. For a businessman or someone who has to travel regularly, it is cheap at the price. The penalty for a no-show is minimal.
SaudiaSaudia needs to radically restructure its booking system. Passengers who do not turn up and who have not canceled their flights at least 24 hours in advance and who do not have valid reasons for nonappearance should lose their tickets. Many airlines now operate on those lines. It is fair commercial practice. If people book hotel rooms and do not turn up, they still have to pay unless they have canceled beforehand -- and these days cancellation usually has to be 72 hours in advance. Likewise, in most countries if someone buys a cinema or theater ticket and does not turn up, the ticket is lost. They are not allowed into the next show. Why should airline reservations be any different? A contract is a contract.
Bemoaning the fact that customers are not keeping to the contract is not going to change their behavior. Hitting them in the pocket will. That is the only financially sane option for SaudiaSaudia.
© Arab News 2010
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Community Comments (1)
To blame your passengers for your problems is the ultimate in copping out. Passengers in one way or the other cause problems but they are the ones that generate the cash that pays wages and bills and ultimately provide the profit.
The problem of no shows was a big problem in the 80s. One easy solution was call the passengers 48 hours prior to their travel date and ask them if they intend to travel. Nowadays, airlines will not hold an unpaid reservations. Passengers are given a cut off date to pay and hold the reservation or lose it.
So, please Saudia look elsewhere for what ails you.
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