I have to agree with the last 2 posts. The exhaust from the APUs (and especially air-starts, if one was used) is pretty stinky.
As for the explanation you were given in "broken english," maybe the crew was trying to dumb it down as much as possible for the people not familiar with airplane mechanics (kinda like when the doctor has to explain in layman terms what is happening in your body when you don't understand the medical terminology). I know the pilots and flight attendants sometimes have trouble explaining exactly what the maintenance problem is. Particularly when they're only privy to what the mechanics
tell them. There are also some pilots that just don't have the people skills to articulate what the problem is. I remember years ago hearing about how some airline was supposedly going to send their pilots to public speaking seminars to help them better comminicate with the flying public. Don't know if it was really true or not.
Now to the maintenance issues on the (i'm thinking?) numerous a/c you were to take...I understand that you were delayed for what you consider an extensive ammount of time. I also understand that you feel the excuses and explanations you received were, essentially, unacceptable. If the situation was that "intolerable," why not just ask to go the next day? With maintenance issues that incur a delay, I have no problem when someone tells me they'd rather just go tomorrow, or on a later flight. As long as there are seats available, I'd change you, no questions asked.
You even said some passengers chose to get off. You must have thought getting to the Bahamas
that night, on whatever plane you could, was better than delaying your trip, possibly a whole day. And as far as I can tell, you reached Nassau SAFELY. So the situation
was tolerable. Unfortunate, but tolerable.
Quote:
|
It is a sad testimony on how the quality and service in the airline industry on some carriers fallen to levels not seen in my 37 years of air travel.
|
Thirty-seven years ago, you would have had:
1. fewer people flying
2. fewer airline choices to get you to Nassau
3. a way more expensive ticket (in comparison to the cost of living)
4. higher paid agents who usually had to "know" someone to even get an
interview with an airline.
Each year that has passed since then has resulted in a little more desintegration of the entire process. Right now, flying on pretty much any carrier, you get the service of a fast food restaurant. You can't expect filet mignon for $5 when you roll up to McDonalds. The employees of every airline are doing the best they can with what they are given, most of the time. Notice i said MOST of the time.