Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
China: Flight delays result in rampage at airport
3 China Southern Airline flights were delayed because of bad weather conditions and the closure of one of the local destinations due to runway repairs. Result: 170 passengers were left at the airport in Kunming (southwest China) and landed up breaking desks and smashing computers in a state of outrage and frustration.Beyond these facts, the story is a little blurry.
The airline denies they mistreated their passengers, they state that there were enough staff at the airport looking after them, and that 100 of their customers stayed in the hotel they were offered. Also, they have agreed to compensate each passenger with 100 Yuan (approx. $14). However, other media reports say that most passengers went to look for hotels with vacancies for the night without much luck, and they landed up sleeping on the aircraft or in the departure hall; no food was offered and not enough airline staff were around to fix the situation.
The situation was delicate and naturally volatile, but at the same time not an unfamiliar one. As for what happened at the airport, it's the airline's word against the passenger's -- two completely different perspectives -- so what actually happened will only be clear to those who were there. It's amazing how personal perceptions of a situation can be so relative, depending which side you are on.
Anyway, I think what's important is that after 17 hours of waiting, all passengers were put on other flights to their respective destinations, as well as compensated (although miserably). However, many passengers still want a public apology printed in the newspaper. Sigh. What does it take for people to just let things go once they are fixed!
Filed under: Asia, China, Airlines, Airports, News, Consumer Activism
Reader Comments (Page 7 of 7)
Lillian Jul 30th 2008 12:38AM
Causing that kind of damage isn't a way to solve the problem. It seems there were legitimate reasons for the delays, or at least they sounded good. I would rather be stranded in an airport than on a dark, lonely highway in a strange country, or even in the USA for that matter. This was way too much over reaction. What did they gain???
Richelle Jul 30th 2008 12:43AM
The ppl that work at the airlines are doing their jobs and trying very hard to take care of everyone as much as they can to the best of their abilities and for those ppl to go crazy over being delayed because of a weather situation is an outrage; and their is no right for it. People wander why i freakin hate ppl like that it's because of how ppl can be so ignorant and they freakin dont understand shit. They also come to the USA from different countries and treat us like shit also all because they dont understand our cultures over here well before coming over here learn some english and how to be polite cuz i guarentee you people over here dont like to be rude to and yelled at for no reason. Why aren't those ppl who ripped that airport apart in freakin jail. Isn't that something called Vandalism. THIS PISSES ME OFF ALOT!!!
clarence Aug 28th 2008 12:27AM
air lines have been looking for a way to rip us off for years. Id like some empty sute CEO tell us what they are going to do when jet fuel goes back down, if they are going to drop all thies stupid fees they a charging us for.hundreds of million dollors are being collected for so called 911 fees, where is all that money going to?its not for better security. or more people in security lines.how many thouslands of bags have they lost? why is it they can go changing a flight time on a whim after i paid my money for the flight i want. and they confermed. if i want to change my flight they charge me $100.00 to change but they can do it and not compensate me.air lines know they have a monoply and they dont give a dam about us.i pray one day they pay for the way they treat us. when will we have to start paing to use the toilet? Clarence
Peter Zimmermann Jul 30th 2008 1:20AM
Retired 777 Captain:
You should know it was Jimmy Carter who was responsible for airline deregulation, not the dope from hope.
Aamarra Jul 30th 2008 1:15AM
I travel constantly by airplane and find that service has flown away. It cost more to fly and you get less service with that cost. If I do not arrive at the airport on time do they accomodate me? NO! I must pay astronomical prices to purchase a new ticket. But what happens if I arrive on time and prepared to travel, but they are not, due to whatever circumstances, I get nothing! No astronomical amounts of money for me, just inconvience. No matter how much money I might lose from not making my business meeting. I find that you must yell sometimes just to get their attention!!!!!!!!
nik Jul 30th 2008 1:12AM
well speaking as a proud airline employee, one that does take pride in my customer service and company(the only US carrier still making money), it's not always easy to smile on the other end when MOST of the people that call expect you to solve all the worlds problems and still feel sorry for them because they booked that 6am flight that you insisted they would never make and then got mad at you when they overslept and had to pay a diff in fare..... Grow up people...... Let's all go back to the good ol days when people were nice to each other just because it was the right thing to do!
GerardNYC Jul 30th 2008 3:39AM
our world has gone bonkers as we know it.. if anyone typed something right here as a joke that sounded 'dangerous' which is I realize and agree is wrong but just to make a point.. a group of men in suits would knock on your door first thing in the morning.. I mean I'm torn here, is this a good thing or has the world just gone crazy?
daniel Jul 30th 2008 10:58PM
I am asian and I am a Commercial Pilot for a U.S. Airline. So I guess to some of you I am "just one of the asians from those UNCIVILIZED asian countries right?" (To think, I served in the US Marines to defend this kinda of talk.) Others may say "great another airline pilot defending the airline"
What happends with bad weather and why does it delay flights?
I will try and answer this question the best I can. When bad weather arrives it can cause the airport to close certain departure corridors. Just because it is an airplane doesn't always mean we can just take off and fly any direction. The airtraffic system is very dynamic. These corridors are like Freeways in the sky. If you want to drive to the market and the only way is down a certain street and the strees is flooded you are stuck right? In someways the skys near airports are the same. Airtraffic control cannot let an airplane just take off and fly and direction. Many cases arrival corridors and departure corridors are 90-180 degrees from each other. SO for example if the arrival corridor is north of the airport and the dep is south. Weather comes in from the south and that is the dep corridor. They cannot just have planes take off and turn to the north, that will go right at planes trying to come in on the north ARRIVAL. Now this is a really simple example and obviously there is more sky than that. Why is it sometimes you see planes take off and your flight cannot? There are more than just one departure corridors usually one for N and W and one for E and S. But again they cannot just let you take off on the NW because you are trying to go SE. Then there is the issue if timing. Once weather clears away you may still have to sit and wait because now you have thousands of planes that have been flying in circles (hold) waiting for the weather to clear. Other airplanes in the area and at the airport going to the same place you are. They cannot just let us all take off at once otherwise we will overwelm the destination airport and we will just have to fly circles in the sky and wait for a chance to land. (what if we don't have to fuel to hold for 2 hrs?) Then there is the issue of why can we just go back to the gate. That also isn't always so easy because now the taxi ways are congested with planes, the gates probubly have planes there already because they expected us to be gone. So this means now the airport has more planes than gates. Operations at this magnitude is really hard to operate without some kind of delays. It is unfortunate that this happends but mother nature is one that we cannot control.
As pilots we are well aware of these conditions and we try HARD to make the best of it. Unlike what some of you said on your comments that we don't respect our jobs, that is totally untrue. We love our jobs and we would do anything to fly for you all. It is our responsibility to make sure the flight is operated in a safe manner. You the public entrusted your lives in our hands when you purchased your ticket and that burden lays on our hands when you board. I would never want to walk up to the gates of heaven knowing the people with me are there because I failed to do my job. The airlines themselves don't delay your flight on purpose, that is just bad buisness and we want you to return. So for us to delay a flight, there is a darn good reason. It is just hard to explain. I have many passengers come to me after a delay and say "what afraid of some rain?" granted that is a slap in the face to me, I know that atleast our delay gave him a chance to see you family again. There have been times where weather has popped up on us inflight, plane gets bounced around pretty hard and passengers cry. It is these very conditions we try to avoid. We want to get these flights done just as much as you do, we get to go home. I hope anyone that reads this will have walked away with some basic understanding of why things like this happends. Also I hope with knowing this you will feel safer in you future travels. If you have any questions feel free to ask and I would be happy to answer them.
Sandra Z Ciaramitaro Jul 30th 2008 9:22AM
The author of this article seems a little immature, and inexperienced. This airline also seems to have lied to save face. But bottomline, these passengers did not get that mad without being provoked. Giving the passengers $14 compensation for 17 hours of waiting in an airport, with no place to sleep, and eat is not what I consider appropriate assistance from an airline. the author, again, not very worldly, says, "As for what happened at the airport, it's the airline's word against the passenger's -- two completely different perspectives -- so what actually happened will only be clear to those who were there. It's amazing how personal perceptions of a situation can be so relative, depending which side you are on. " She stated right in the first paragraph of her story that other media reports supported the passengers. So, why does she act as though this is a story like, "he said, she said?" It's obvious that the passengers were telling t he truth.
Sandra Z Ciaramitaro Jul 30th 2008 9:32AM
The author of this article seems a little immature, and inexperienced. This airline also seems to have lied to save face.
But bottomline, these passengers did not get that mad without being provoked. Giving the passengers $14 compensation for 17 hours of waiting in an airport, with no place to sleep, and eat is not what I consider appropriate assistance from an airline.
The author, again, not very worldly, says, "As for what happened at the airport, it's the airline's word against the passenger's -- two completely different perspectives -- so what actually happened will only be clear to those who were there. It's amazing how personal perceptions of a situation can be so relative, depending which side you are on. "
She stated right in the first paragraph of her story that other media reports supported the passengers.
So, why does she act as though this is a story like, "he said, she said?" It's obvious that the passengers were telling the truth.
This writer should should not be worried to insult one side "the airline" by telling the truth.
steve Jul 30th 2008 9:26AM
why would anyone expect more from the chinese ?
Darin Aug 3rd 2008 9:37AM
China the Paper Tiger...Want to help a family? Hi, I just signed the petition "Feller Family In Need Of Help". I'm asking you to sign this petition to help us reach our goal of 50,000 signatures. I care deeply about this cause, and I hope you will support our efforts. Go to the link below and in the search put Feller
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/health
Feller Family In Need Of Help - The Petition Site