Monday, March 13, 2006
SUBTERFUGE IN THE SKIES
There are many emotions that familiarity over long periods can help abate, with a growing fondness quelling the more prosaic components of even frigid and rational relationships. It is usually the case that serial offenders rely wholly on this very intimacy to abase and suborn the relationship that they have lost interest in or passed over.
The most visible airline over the last few years has now set a record. For me, it is now precisely fifty, that is five zero, successive times that the stipulated arrival times have not been met. While this might represent a wee minuscule portion of all the journeys undertaken, for an individual they embody all the travel attempted. And hence, it does appear a little more significant, more substantial.
There still might be a case for misplaced clemency in the above set of errant schedules, although if one were to compute and monetize the collective time lost on account of delayed flights, instant rescission might ensue. But what excoriates and exacerbates is that the airline seems to have mastered the fine art of combining two flights without announcement. The modus operandi appears to be this—Do not make an announcement till well after departure time, then proclaim a delay due to “late arrival” of aircraft ( as if this itself were force majeure !) , then shepherd and placate the mulling passengers before letting the craft take off after the passengers for the next flight join the first lot.
There are many emotions that familiarity over long periods can help abate, with a growing fondness quelling the more prosaic components of even frigid and rational relationships. It is usually the case that serial offenders rely wholly on this very intimacy to abase and suborn the relationship that they have lost interest in or passed over.
The most visible airline over the last few years has now set a record. For me, it is now precisely fifty, that is five zero, successive times that the stipulated arrival times have not been met. While this might represent a wee minuscule portion of all the journeys undertaken, for an individual they embody all the travel attempted. And hence, it does appear a little more significant, more substantial.
There still might be a case for misplaced clemency in the above set of errant schedules, although if one were to compute and monetize the collective time lost on account of delayed flights, instant rescission might ensue. But what excoriates and exacerbates is that the airline seems to have mastered the fine art of combining two flights without announcement. The modus operandi appears to be this—Do not make an announcement till well after departure time, then proclaim a delay due to “late arrival” of aircraft ( as if this itself were force majeure !) , then shepherd and placate the mulling passengers before letting the craft take off after the passengers for the next flight join the first lot.
The key point is under no circumstance draw attention to the fact that even a toddler were to tot up the number of flights for any one day, he would find one entire flight missing. This rather pathetic ploy is laid bare by the fact that after all the passengers have boarded, there is no apology for the delay. Hence the crafty ( sic) crooks save on air turbine fuel or whatever beverage the rickety contraption runs on which on last count is not something to scoff at. Not to mention the moolah that they are required to fork out for use of the runway and hangar space.
This is chicanery, sharp practice—and we thought the era of corporate cheating had ended with all the zations !!!
This is chicanery, sharp practice—and we thought the era of corporate cheating had ended with all the zations !!!
