Stranded: a right way, and a wrong way
Once more, with feeling: this over here is how you handle a crisis, and this over there is how you don’t.
As I type this in the departure lounge at Ottawa International Airport, an Air Canada staffer is on the horn, patiently explaining why it is that standby passengers won’t be getting to Toronto tonight. She’s walking people through it step by step: flight crews are stranded too because of the ice storm; they’re very sorry; they’re trying to bring a larger plane tomorrow to absorb the overflow; here’s how to get on board.
Meanwhile, a hundred metres away, this is the scene:
According to several passengers I spoke to, Zoom staff left them on the plane… on the runway… for seven hours, starting at six a.m. The lucky passengers got a drink of water, a snack and if I remember correctly, pop.
Then, when they finally left the plane at one in the afternoon, Zoom ordered them not to go home, even though the revised departure time was eight o’clock at night. By the time Zoom relented, going home was pointless.
Meanwhile, frustrated passengers had to hector the staff into coughing up the traditional food vouchers; Zoom insisted you don’t get vouchers when the weather’s to blame.
Throughout the day, passengers – Zoom’s customers – have been starved for both food and information. It’s a spectacularly lousy way to treat the people who ultimately pay your bills.
Oh, one more thing… the last time I encountered anything like this, it was these guys running that particular show. As history and the bankruptcy trustee have noted, karma wasn’t too impressed.
Subscribe to comments on this post
February 21st, 2006 at 12:03
Derek Featherstone says:
Oh – you were here in Ottawa. Please tell me it wasn’t for long and that there would have been no chance of us getting together, ok? Humour me, at least? :)
February 21st, 2006 at 12:14
Rob says:
Heh – I knew I’d get in trouble for mentioning that. :) And in fact, I was pretty much chained to a meeting room the entire time, apart from the time I spent in my hotel room to work on the report I was writing.
The one social note was going to be a rushed dinner with two of my brothers and one of their families after the committee meeting. But even that fell by the wayside as flight after flight was cancelled, and I scooted to YOW four hours early to avoid being bumped.
But I made it to my destination, which is more than I can say for a lot of the folks in that departure lounge…
February 21st, 2006 at 17:11
RossK says:
Hmmmm…..
Wonder if that nice, patient AC staffer used to work for the ‘other’ airline?
Case in point – not that long ago one Friday morning I got hauled off an A/C plane because I was travelling on a cheap ticket (doing volunteer duty for a non-profit trying to save money) during a gathering snowstorm at Pearson and then I could not get help getting on a later flight that day for love nor money.
Clearly, the elite frequent flyer business types were getting first dibs on all remaining seats that day.
This went on all day and with a weekend looming and no possibility of any voucher whatsoever in sight, finally a very nice ticket agent took pity and got me on the next flight out (about 10 hours after I was first forced from my already buckled seat in the 23rd row) in business class.
As I was leaving I asked, “Why the heck did you make the effort to help me when my ticket clearly must of said ‘don’t'?”
She just smiled and flipped up her lapel.
Underneath there was a small pin.
It said……..
“Canadian”.
.