I’m presently on a overview journey to Oman. In a earlier installment, I talked about my disappointing Oman Air enterprise class flight from Muscat to Frankfurt, which was the polar reverse of my Oman Air enterprise class flight from Milan to Muscat the evening earlier than. What I haven’t addressed intimately but is the service onboard, which was the worst I’ve had in enterprise class in a very long time.
I had a lackluster flight attendant on Oman Air
There was one flight attendant serving me the whole time on the 7hr40min flight from Muscat to Frankfurt. Let me begin by saying that I’m certain she’s a pleasant individual, and he or she wasn’t impolite in any method. Nonetheless, the extent of service she supplied made me yearn for flying a US airline, which is saying one thing. For what it’s price, the cabin was simply over half full, so it’s not just like the crew was overworked and needing to hustle.
On a great day, Oman Air presents nice inflight service. The airline markets its enterprise class product as providing an “unmatched stage of customized consideration.” I’ll let y’all be the choose as as to if that was provided on this flight.
To begin, this flight attendant simply didn’t talk with phrases. For instance, about 10 minutes after takeoff, she got here to my seat holding a paper and pen, and simply stood there me:
“Hello… are you taking meal orders?”
“Sure.”
“Might I’ve the Arabic mezze, please?”
“Sure, one left.”
Okay, then. Subsequent, she introduced me some nuts, after which continued to face there:
“Hello, are you taking drink orders, or…?”
“Sure.”
Good factor I’ve an toddler, so I’m good at determining what individuals are asking for with out speaking. 😉
She would even ask me questions with out talking. For instance, after I was executed with my appetizer, she didn’t ask if I used to be completed with phrases, however quite she made a hand movement to ask if I used to be completed (you understand, like holding your hand up after which transferring it to the facet as when you’re slicing one thing).
It was additionally clear she simply didn’t observe Oman Air’s service process. Whereas minor, right here’s a concrete instance. On each Oman Air enterprise class flight I’ve taken, the crew pours wine and champagne on the seat, first bringing out a glass, then presenting the bottle, after which pouring. She simply introduced the glass out from the galley already stuffed.
Extra considerably, if I didn’t explicitly ask for one thing, it wasn’t provided. Admittedly not all flight attendants have the identical consideration to element and are good at anticipating the wants of passengers, however we’re speaking about quite simple issues. An empty glass? She’d both go away it there or simply take it, with out asking if I needed anything. I additionally needed to particularly ask for cutlery that was wanted for explicit dishes.
Right here’s an instance — when she introduced me dessert, there have been two empty glasses, a soup spoon, and a knife, sitting on my tray. She merely positioned the cheesecake on the desk subsequent to them. Did she ask if I would like something to drink, take away my glasses, or convey me a fork? Nope!
This service stage was fixed all through the flight. It was such a distinction to my flight the evening earlier than, the place the crew was fabulous. They have been proactive with providing drinks, they’d substitute cutlery when wanted, and so they’d talk in methods you’d anticipate in enterprise class, like taking meal orders by asking “have you ever had an opportunity to look over the menu?”
After the meal, the service transitioned from sloppy to non-existent. In equity, the crew responded to name buttons, however they in any other case didn’t test if anybody ever needed something.
Apparently the airline presents a pre-landing snack on demand, however you’d by no means know that, as a result of they by no means talked about the supply of this. This was the sloppiest and most disinterested enterprise class service I’ve had on a protracted haul flight in… I don’t understand how lengthy.
Let me after all acknowledge there are larger issues on the earth, however I write about premium airline merchandise, and airways make sure claims in regards to the ranges of service they provide. So I attempt to choose these experiences as pretty as I can, and repair on this flight fell method wanting my expectations.
I introduced this to the eye of the cabin supervisor
About 45 minutes earlier than touchdown, the crew began making ready the cabin for touchdown. It was a uncommon deal with to see the crew move by way of the cabin with no name button having been pushed. I noticed the cabin supervisor stroll by, so I finished him for a second.
That dialog began with one thing like this:
“Hello, I’m simply curious, is there no pre-landing snack on this flight?”
“Sure there’s a small snack, nevertheless it must be requested.”
“Is that the coverage that it’s not provided? I discover it unusual, I simply flew from Milan to Muscat on a 5.5 hour in a single day flight, and was proactively provided a pre-landing snack. This flight is 2 hours longer and a daytime flight, and I’m not provided something.”
“I’m sorry, that’s the coverage.”
“How would I even know it may be requested? It’s not on the menu, and the flight attendant didn’t point out this was even an choice.”
Since I had the cabin supervisor’s consideration, at this level I did one thing I’ve by no means executed earlier than — I figured I’d share some suggestions in regards to the unfavourable expertise I had with him instantly. OMAAT readers usually inform me I’m too passive and don’t rise up for myself, so I figured this might be a great factor to check out.
In spite of everything, on Gulf carriers cabin managers are literally answerable for the crew, and have some energy, so it appeared solely honest for him to concentrate on the problems, quite than him being caught off guard if I complained after the very fact.
I stated one thing alongside the strains of the next:
“I simply need you to bear in mind that the service on this flight has been very poor, and the flight attendant serving me hasn’t been skilled. I really like Oman Air and have flown with the airline many instances, however that is the worst service I’ve had on the airline.”
I went on to supply examples of the service, and to distinction that to the service I’ve had on previous Oman Air flights. He appeared borderline defensive, and I’m undecided my suggestions was truly registering with him. I don’t wish to badger individuals, particularly after I notice a dialog isn’t going anyplace, and subsequently isn’t actually constructive. I do know when to chop my losses.
I actually know on another Gulf carriers, they’d thanks for the suggestions and doc what occurred, whereas he appeared to largely be making excuses for what occurred.
For what it’s price, I imagine he was an Omani gents, and he didn’t appear significantly buyer centered both. He by no means got here by way of the cabin to greet passengers. As a degree of distinction, I had a superb Filipino cabin supervisor on the in a single day flight, and he or she got here by to introduce herself to every passenger throughout boarding, and to allow them to know that she was at their service.
The flight attendant confronted me about my suggestions
A couple of minutes later, the flight attendant who had been “serving” my part approached me:
“I heard you had some issues with my service.”
Oh, that is about to get awkward. Look, I hate the time period “gaslighting,” as a result of I feel individuals overuse it to play the sufferer card. However I feel what occurred over the subsequent couple of minutes was mainly the definition of it.
I’m not kidding after I say that I finished for a second after this interplay and questioned whether or not I used to be simply dropping my thoughts, and if I used to be actually provided wonderful service the entire flight, however was simply unable to understand it.
I shared related suggestions to what I wrote above. I hoped her response can be “oh, I’m sorry you’re disillusioned,” or “I’m having a foul day, I’m sorry,” or “thanks to your suggestions, I’ll use it to enhance sooner or later.” As a substitute I bought… largely the alternative, and one among us should have been hallucinating, as a result of we had completely completely different impressions of actuality. The place can we even start?
- “I really feel actually dangerous, as a result of I serve from the guts and all the time smile, and need my friends to be completely satisfied”
- “I continually undergo the cabin to see what my friends need, and I all the time give you no matter you need, each time you ask for one thing I get it for you”
- “The explanation I don’t convey the bottle to the seat is as a result of the captain stated perhaps there may be some turbulence”
- “All my passengers get pleasure from my service and have good flight”
- “While you have been sleeping I raised the partition for you so you may relaxation”
- “You’re so good and each time we work together, you say thanks, I even inform the crew within the galley how 12K is so good and he all the time respect what I do and say thanks”
- “Please, I don’t need you to depart sad, perhaps we fly collectively once more”
- “I often work first-class, and good service is vital to me”
Actually, for a second I questioned my sanity. Was I dropping it? However every little thing she stated was someplace between wishful pondering and a downright lie. If something, her response makes me really feel higher about sharing this suggestions publicly. As a result of it’s not “oh, I’m sorry, immediately wasn’t a great day for me.” Somewhat it was “my service is wonderful, what’s flawed with you?”
I didn’t even understand how to answer what she was saying:
- It’s fascinating how she justified not pouring drinks on the seat by claiming the captain stated the flight can be bumpy; the cabin supervisor didn’t point out this, and this was most likely the smoothest lengthy haul flight I’ve had in a very long time, as there was no turbulence the whole method (which isn’t to say it’s not true, nevertheless it certain is a handy excuse)
- She claimed she raised the partition for me so I might relaxation, which is a minor level to make, however can also be an outright lie; it was raised after I boarded, as you possibly can see within the photos I took after I boarded the aircraft, and even after I took photos of the seat in mattress mode
- The one factor she stated that was correct is that she bought me no matter I requested for; sure, after I pushed the flight attendant name button to ask for some water, she didn’t deny me, how beneficiant!
- Simply because I used to be raised proper and say “thanks” after I’m served one thing, doesn’t imply that you just’re offering good service
- I really like how she tried to control me into saying she was offering good service by telling me that I used to be very good to her, and the way she was telling the crew about that; like, what does that should do with something?
Our dialog should have gone on for 5 minutes, and it basically consisted of her attempting to persuade me that my notion was flawed. She did 80% of the speaking, and I did perhaps 20% of the speaking. It appeared like she didn’t need to finish the dialog till I apologized to her for misinterpreting her service, and acknowledging that it was truly world class.
So I used to be the one to finish the dialog. I simply stated “I’m sorry, I don’t know what to let you know, clearly we now have very completely different impressions of what occurred.”
I discover it extremely unprofessional how the cabin supervisor relayed this suggestions to the flight attendant after which “unleashed” her on me. That’s terrible management. If something, he ought to have accompanied her if she was going to method me instantly, or make it clear that she ought to maintain the dialog transient and be apologetic, quite than attempting to persuade me of a non-existent actuality by which she’s offering service that’s worthy of an award.
Suffice it to say that deplaning was a little bit awkward…
Backside line
#%&@, I had one unusual flight on Oman Air. The service was dangerous, a complete distinction to the distinctive service I had on my Oman Air flight the evening earlier than. The flight attendant taking good care of me simply wasn’t good at her job, didn’t care, or each.
I’m not a combative individual, although OMAAT readers have usually advised me I’m too passive, so I figured this was the proper alternative to share some suggestions with the cabin supervisor. For airways which have cabin managers, the intent is that they’re answerable for the crew, and are individuals you possibly can share suggestions with in a constructive method.
Properly, that’s formally the final time I’ll be attempting that. The cabin supervisor was defensive, whereas the flight attendant then tried to basically persuade me of a unique actuality.
Expensive OMAAT readers, what do you make of this mess?!
