[WATERSTANDARDS]

ON 9TH NOVEMBER 2015, I POSTED THIS COMPLAINT IN THE THAI AIRWAYS WEBSITE:

I travel at least twice a year to & fro China from Kolkata (India), and fly Thai Airways although it costs much lower to travel by China Eastern from my city. I am also a Royal Orchid Plus member.

An unexpected unpleasant incident happened with me yesterday at Guangzhou Airport, which makes me rethink whether I should still continue availing and recommending Thai Airways for travel to others.

I understand that the ground services of Thai Airways are handled by China Southern in China. I approached one Ms. Wu Xiaoyan for check-in at the Thai Airways counter yesterday. She said that total weight of my registered baggage is 45 Kg. So, I must pay extra baggage charge. Upon requesting, she (in consultation with her supervisor, who was a male with Thai Airways labelled pocket) agreed to waive 5 Kg. and said she would charge for 10 Kg @ RMB 64 per Kg. I thanked them for their gesture and agreed to it since RMB 640 was within my means. She scribbled the amount on the back of my baggage tag and directed me to the China Southern Cash counter where I paid RMB 640 and was furnished a receipt.

Upon return to Ms. Wu Xiaoyan, I was stunned when she said that I should pay RMB 1600 @ RMB 160 per Kg. She scratched out her previous note of RMB 64 from the baggage ticket (you will observe it from the attachment) and wrote RMB 160 on it. She also took away my cash receipt of RMB 640. I told her that paying RMB 1600 is not within my means and so she should return one piece of my checked in baggage so that I can reduce 5 Kg. load from it and take them in my hand baggage since my hand baggage consisted only of a laptop weighing around 2 Kg. She said that I still will have to pay for 10 Kg. since she will not waive the 5 Kg. if I reduce the load from my checked in baggage. I was disturbed with such a statement and when logically questioned, she agreed that she will charge for 5 Kg. only. I asked her to give me one of my baggages to reduce the load and take it to my hand baggage. But, by this time she had already sent my registered baggage for loading on the aircraft without my permission. The supervisor told me that they are arranging to bring back my luggage. The time was around 1 pm. When I told him that I will be delayed since I have to buy something from duty-free, he said that the luggage will take only 20 minutes to arrive and my boarding time is 2 pm.

When several reminders to get the luggage back went unattended by both of them, at 1:45 pm, I had no other option but to pay RMB 1600 and rush for security check & immigration. There was heavy rush at both the stages, and I had to request passengers and officials to let me clear these stages faster so that I do not miss my flight. I had to run through to the boarding gate in spite of the fact that I suffer from breathing problems and is currently on inhalers.

My questions are as under:

1. How does Thai Airways wish to compensate for loss of my money, adverse health effect, and mental tension due to no fault of mine?

2. I was supposed to buy some special gifts from Duty Free Shops for the forthcoming celebrations of Diwali in India. Can Thai Airways return back the moments to me?

3. Does the amount to be paid for excess baggage by passengers depend on the whims and moods of the ground officials of Thai Airways?

4. I was told by another passenger by the name of M UMER LONE travelling by the same flight to Bangkok that he is neither a Gold Club Member nor Business Class passenger, and yet he was not charged a single penny by Thai Airways although his total checked-in baggage weighed 42 Kg. If this is true, then as a passenger of Thai Airways, may I know why there are different rules for different passengers of the same status in the same flight relating to excess baggage?

5. When I humbly requested for a “Complaint Form” from the Supervisor, he replied very aggressively and arrogantly to me and said “Go, go, do whatever complaints you want to do” and swore under his breath. Is this sort of behaviour normal for Thai Airways officials?

6. With 15 minutes in hand for boarding, Thai Airways officials were totally unconcerned with my plight and did not even take any step to see to it that my Security Check and Immigration are done on priority to reach the boarding gate in time. Is this nature of support normal for Thai Airways official when the fault for the delay is totally theirs?

I shall wait for an unbiased judicious action from Thai Airways in line with the high esteem in which I hold the airline. I will request you to kindly arrange for redressal of my grievances within 7 days from today, so that I do not have to consider any further course of action in this matter.


9 November 2015

I RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING TWO REPLIES FROM THAI AIRWAYS:

S4/00170327-TH November 13, 2015


Dear Mr. Das,

We would like to acknowledge receipt of your feedback and we thank you for taking the time to write.

We assure you that your comment will be given prompt attention by all functions concerned and you will receive further response in due course from our Customer Relations Department.

In the meantime, we send you our best wishes.



Customer Relations Service Department
Thai Airways International (PCL)




S4/00170327-TH November 17, 2015


Dear Mr. Das,

Thank you for your letter regarding your flight TG669 from Guangzhou to Bagnkok on 8th November 2015.

We regret to learn that you had difficulties upon check-in due to the restriction of checked baggage and the staff performance under this circumstance. We sincerely apologize for the dissatisfaction as described. May we explain to you that as state in condition of contract on the ticket, carriers are required to observe the following baggage regulations. For free baggage allowance, Royal Executive / Business Class Passenger is granted 40 kgs and Economy Class is granted 30 kgs. Please appreciate that Royal Orchid Plus Silver has additional baggage allowance of 10 kg without charge. That over than the free allowance should be considered as excess baggage with charge.

According to the investigation result , our staff reported that you had 2 pieces with weight 45kgs , thus 15kgs was over allowance. Our staff offered som additional baggage allowance 5kgs and eventually you were charged only 10kgs. However, they overlooked that your destination was in India not Bangkok thus the first rate CNY64/kg instead of CNY160/kg was error advised by check-in staff. We regret for any inconvenience caused.

The concerned staff will certainly be reminded to be more attentive in providing service with promptness and utmost courtesy at all times. Please kindly be assured that your unpleasant experience has now been brought to the attention of the Airport Service Manager in Guangzhou for appropriate action, through which we trust the quality of service will be improved as a result.

We hope that you will allow us the opportunity to be of service to you during your future travel as you are always be our most welcome guest on THAI's Royal Orchid Service. Meanwhile, we send you our best wishes.




Yours sincerely,



Thanida Saengsuwan
Asst. International Relations Manager


DO ANY OF THE LEARNED READERS OF THIS COMPLAINT FEEL THAT MY SIX QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED?
IS THIS THE STATE OF SUCH REPUTED INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES WHEN IT COMES TO COMPLAINT HANDLING?