Sunwing Airlines customer shocked by inflight spark response

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Months ago, I received a letter from a Sunwing Airlines customer who shared her frightening experience in which she witnessed a flight attendant creating sparks inflight by manipulating an emergency light in an effort to entertain her fellow crew members with a high-flying pyrotechnics display. The passenger wrote a letter to Sunwing describing this and the overall shocking behavior of this company representative.

Here is the response this customer received months after the incident:

Thank you for your letter regarding your recent experience with Sunwing Airlines. Our customers’ satisfaction is of our highest concern and we sincerely appreciate your taking the time to provide us with your feedback.

We are concerned to read of your disappointment and frustration with the treatment you received by our In Flight crew members. Our intention is to provide our passengers with the high level of service that we endeavor to introduce to the industry. We have sent a copy of your letter to our Director of In‐Flight Services to ensure that this type of behavior is addressed and to enforce that our valued passengers are to always be treated with the highest regards. We assure you this type of behavior is not the customer service standards that we aim for and normally provide. We appreciate all the feedback that we have received and will continue to implement many changes to ensure that we meet your expectations in the packages and services that we provide. We sincerely regret the situation described adversely affected your travel experience.

In closing, it is the dedicated aim of all of us at Sunwing Airlines to offer our clients the best possible service in every aspect of their travel. We sincerely regret any displeasure you may have experienced and we look forward to the opportunity of serving you again in the near future under more favourable circumstances.

Sincerely,
Customer Service Coordinator

Well, I am a bit disappointed with this response. This is not about a spilled cup of coffee, it is about safety being compromised. Considering the situation, wouldn't it have been smart to offer the customer some sort of compensation to not only as a gesture of goodwill, but to also bring the customer back to Sunwing? This situation could have turned much worse and the customer could have contacted Transport Canada rather than the airline itself; firing off an all-out investigation.

Delta Airlines Flight Nightmare: No Light, No Sound! Plenty of Misery

Dear Sky Steward:

My flight on Delta Airlines from Cincinnati to Paris was undoubtedly the worst flight I have ever been on. I understand that the airline industry is suffering, but I think it is unnecessary to subject customers to tattered and torn interiors such as the one that I experienced on this 767-200 aircraft that had seen better days long ago but has been left to become nothing but a flying hot mess. I was somehow willing to accept that, but once we took off it got much worse. As I opened my book to read, all of the reading lights went off. My seatmate, who was watching the movie, had to join me for an impromptu game of charades when out of nowhere, the entertainment system shut down as well.

The flight attendants, who did their best, told us that this problem had been written up before and unfortunately happened again on our flight. Since we had no reading lights, and a passenger revolt was brewing, the crew turned the lights to bright and we had to fly on an overnight flight with bright lights in our faces and no complimentary eye shades (I normally do not need them when the lights are dim). I felt like I was in an interrogation room!

I wrote to Delta about this experience and have heard nothing. Am I being a whiner? What should I do?

Signed,

Sore in Seattle

Dear Sore in Seattle,

The Sky Steward says you are not a whiner. He is hearing more and more of these types of complaints and feels your pain. Recently, he himself had to fly on an aircraft with the first class lavatory and one additional coach lavatory out of service. All passengers were required to use only 2 lavatories on a full 757. There is no excuse for it, but he does know why this is happening.

The airlines are trying to do more with less. They want less planes to fly more routes and therefore unless an engine is falling off of the plane, it flies and everything else such as reading lights and lavatories can wait. He sees this as a general management flaw that occurs when accountants run airlines and not people who have a passion for making customers happy.

Hopefully Delta will respond and offer some sort of compensation (you should at least be offered a generous supply of frequent flier miles). If you do not hear from them soon, write them again. Write to The Sky Steward again if you do not hear from them and he will turn up the heat!

Do Female Travelers Receive Equal Treatment? AirTran Passenger Complaint

Do you have a travel experience, good or not so good, that you would like to share with The Sky Steward? Write him now!

"I have been receiving many comments from women that feel they are being treated differently from men traveling on the same flight, in the same cabin, maybe even in the same row.

On the Dear Sky Steward Internet Talk Show, I spoke to an Air Tran passenger that claims she experienced this unequal treatment. But that's not all she experienced. The flight attendant on her flight could use a good 'Customer Experience Coaching' ".



Here is another comment regarding onboard gender bias:

• "This is one of my biggest gripes, I really dislike the gender bias shown by FA. I am holding my coat in my lap in an aisle seat and FA reaches across to take the window gentleman's coat to hang up. We both look at FA, then she begrudgingly takes my coat. I just want the service offered to others!"

What About Crew Jetiquette?

Dear Sky Steward,

There are so many posts on your blog about things that passengers

do to annoy other passengers. I want to make mention of the fact that I have experienced crew members that happen to be a little low on "Jetiquette". Am I the only one?

Signed,

Perplexed in Pittsburgh

Dear Perplexed,

The Sky Steward thanks you for asking. He does hear from airline passengers quite often regarding crew conduct. Here are some things that passengers have mentioned regarding flight crews:

• Flight attendants need to be available after the meal service in order to take care of follow on requests by passengers. Customers have said they feel uncomfortable having to ring t he call button in order to request another beverage since it is usually accompanied by a dirty look.

• Customers like to be treated like the special people that they are. All it takes is some eye contact and use of their name if possible.

• Passengers notice when "certain" other customers receive more attention. The Sky Steward has received information that 'hot' customers are receiving a higher level of service even though they've paid the same price for their ticket as the passengers the crew does not find as attractive (he only reports what he hears)

• Discreet flight attendant conversation also gets high marks from passengers. They do not enjoy listening to flight crew bashing their employer or complaining about their jobs. They also like the voice level from the galley to be low enough that they cannot hear it at their seats.

• Making announcements that are too loud and with a disciplinary tone are high on the list of airline annoyances. Overzealous electronic device policing is seen as unnecessary.

• Customers appreciate it when flight crew avoids using safety and security as an excuse for things that obviously have nothing to do with safety or security. For example, when a passengers wants to stretch their legs for a minute and they're asked to take their seat due to safety even when the seat belt sign is off.

The Sky Steward will share more passenger feedback with you in the near future. Stay tuned for a new, redesigned Dear Sky Steward Blog later this month!

Buh Bye? Not even!

Dear Sky Steward: I just flew from JFK to LAX and was flabbergasted when I left the plane and not one crew-member said thank you, goodbye, or anything. They just chatted amongst themselves. Is this proper jetiquette? Signed, Ignored

Dear Ignored: The only thing proper about this situation is your level of irritation. The Sky Steward is having to bite his tongue right now to keep from saying something distasteful to express his dismay. He feels that a cheerful greeting and a sincere farewell are something that should never go the way of caviar. In fact, he requests that you send him the airline, flight number, date, and city pairs so he can take this up with the airline himself! Write him at gailen@skysteward.com