Monday, November 16, 2015





Must not mention it if elderly people slow others down

Another bit of reality that may not be mentioned

An elderly woman was reduced to tears when she was blamed for delaying a flight.

Alicia Staveley was travelling back from Wellington after treatment for ovarian cancer when she was blamed for delaying an Air New Zealand flight because a passenger lift she required, had not turned up as planned.

Ms Staveley waited 15 to 20 minutes while the lift was brought which inadvertently delayed the plane's departure.

Once she was boarded the already fragile Ms Staveley was shocked and hurt to hear the plane’s captain announcing: ‘Sorry for the delay folks. We were waiting for the forklift so the disabled person can get on the plane’.

Ms Staveley’s daughter Kylie Rush who was travelling with her was ‘angry’ that the captain had made her mother feel so ‘awful.’ Ms Rush told Stuff that Ms Staveley had cried and that it had been a ‘big thing for her because she wants to be independent.’

Airline Pilots' Association president Mark Rammell told Stuff: ‘I don't think it's a mistake – it's factual.’

Mr Rammel said ‘It was the first complaint of its type he knew of in his seven years as president, and he did not see a need for a change in how announcements were made.’

Air New Zealand had been apologetic to Ms Staveley and Ms Rush and told Stuff it had ‘let its customers down.’

SOURCE

The old lady was weeping over her own decline, nothing more.


7 comments:

Anonymous said...

It was not the old lady's fault, it was the fault of incompetent staff at the airport.

Anonymous said...

Bullshit. If the airline had an air bridge to the aircraft there wouldn't be a problem. The fault purely lays with the airline and the should apologise and compensate the woman for the misery they put her though.

Anonymous said...

Very poor customer relations and the airline will suffer from reduced fares in future (who cares about on-board announcements that can be made as vague as they wish and usually are!)

Anonymous said...

"Weeping over her decline?" No. She was weeping over the fact that she was probably bone-tired, sick from cancer treatment, and then was blamed in front of everyone for being the reason the plane was late, when the problem was really with the airline staff who couldn't get the lift there on time. Terrible customer relations.

Anonymous said...

I don't think the pilot blamed the lady - but perhaps some people took it that way.
The announcement said they were waiting for the forklift - the question is, who is most likely to be responsible for organising the forklift, the airline or the woman.
They are the ones to blame.

Bird of Paradise said...

Eldery people are faster then any buricrats and the mail as well

Larry Sheldon said...

Better yet, return to the years when customers came first and promised-and-paid-for wheel chairs and lifts where provide as contracted ON TIME.