MY PATROTISM OR MY EXTREME FOOLISHNESS?

javed · 05-17-2007, 02:42 AM

I am retired. My family is a frequent flyer. During last 24 years except for one on death of a relative I have never used anyother airline except PIA. Due to my Due to my Department much cheaper with more free bagge allowance other airlines of repute were available but I always preferred national carrier. My belief is PIA still is one of the best operationally but its reservation is always a headachage. My this attachment with PIA was on my same theology due to which ever after 25 years, 18 years as an officer in Pakistan, startng from Pakistanâs most lucrative income tax department, I am still homeless due to my foolish theology of Rozq-e-Hilan over which some time in this old age I feel regret. PIA has only once a week flight which reaches 04.00 am the most dangerous time for travel towards city. One other airline has daily flight some touching Karachi daytime. Even then my preference always is PIA.

I was due for my operation on Monday 14 May in Karachi. The date was given to me specially knowing the gracity of my condition. On 2nd May I approached PIA Bahrain for reservation where I got it despite 5 continous days the System was still down. The people were being divered to private travel agents. 3rd May early morning in writing I seeked the help of Mr. Zafar A. Khan the new Chairman and Chief Executive who according to a TV channel was saluted on his new post by 8 flat tyres of one single flight. Thursday 10the evening till 1730 hrs I was desparately waiting in PIA Bahrain for a ticket failing which I obtained ticket for next flight on 17 May. What about my operation appointment I do not know.

December 2006 when my family was to travel Bahrain/Karachi reservation was refused that flight was heavily booked. Knowing well seats were still available I faxed PIA to confirm when within few hours seats were made available to me. January 2007 my daughter was to travel Karachi/Bahrain when for a month her name remained on waiting list. Knowing well bogus bookings were there when I addressed PIA very next day the seat was confirmed. In November 2006 I had thrice to visit Karachi PIA as I was continuously on waiting list. In the wide body flight (perhaps airbus) there were only 17 passengers in the economy class and I was wonder would any other airline take off with this number of passengers. PIA Head Office promised to investigate but tactfully time is being killed. The other day my friend told me he had to struggle a lot but in Lahore/Bahrain flight more than a dozen seats were vacant. Lahore High Court Judges and Federal Ombudsman some years back took suo moto notice when they saw people waiting at airport inside the plane there were seats available.

PIA flight to Bahrain is a shuttle flight initiating from Karachi to Bahrain as PK-281 and at Bahrain changing its number as PK-282 goes to Dhoa and then ti Karachi. On 10th PIA Bahrain had 22 seats confirmed rest including myself on waiting list. On arrival from Karachi, 40 passengers at Bahrain were to disembark thus 18 waiting list passengers could had been well in advance confirmed. No senior at PIA Bahrain and PIA Reservation Control at Karachi had the time to hourly monitor and update the reservation status as everybody;s job is secured and behind everyone stands a poltical might. Till this Sunday 13th May PIA Chairman has not felt his moral duty at least acknowledge me.

Friday 11 Gulf Air flight was there to take me to Karachi to meet my operation date but here again my crazy patriotism struck me and I preferred ti avail next weeksâ flight of national airline risking my medical condition deteriorating with each passing day. His Excellency General Musharraf claims he has too much care for workers abroad and has reformed the administrative system. My above suffering is a self speaking proof.

Seeing the treatment of the Airline with a very long patronaging customer and that of it gives to âfree loadersâ, and more particularly feeling the my pain having increased in these three days I wonder if really it is my patriotism or my shere foolishne.

kamranACA · 05-17-2007, 06:56 PM

Dear Mr. Javed,

Your feelings are very true and appear to be the most patriotic.

We need a big change in our attitudes. People all over the world are losing their confidence in muslims generally and in Pakistanies particularly. Still, we are commonly mistaken to think that we are the best on the earth and we can do this and that provided that these nominal problems of our attitudes are solved. I dont feel it to be so much easily correctable dilemma. PIA has already faced big restrictions.

I understand that there might be some outdated planes with PIA, as I have personally observed it and the recent abondonment of Fokers was also in the hot news. Still, I believe that even having inferior planes, other airlines are not made to face such restrictions. Besides the political issues, the only reason which I can look for is the quality of services provided by PIA internationally. Anything else, if would be there, it would certainly be our attitude. I mean the attitude of our institutions. Attitude is mainly drivin by the honesty level. Honesty with one's responsibilities. I dont feel mistaken in declaring that honesty is the thing which is severly scarce and could be least found in Pakistanies and Pak institutions.

You were talking about your planned surgery. May God bless you with perfect health. You know in my loving country, If some patient goes to the doctor in emergency without getting prior appointment, he is rarely entertained, but if he offers some KHIDMAT (bribe) to the attendants of the doctor, the patient is treated like VIP. Once I was at some client's office, I received a telephone call from a friend (a very simple hearted and noble guy) that his uncle was in severe condition and he has taken him to the clinic of -- doctor in emergency but no one was even listening to his cries. Just after listening these words on my cell phone, I said that please meet the attendant separately, pay him Rupees 200 and then ask him for his favor (Meharbaani). Then I terminated the call. Soon after this conversation, I again received his (my friend's) call. He was a happy man. He said he has done the same and his uncle has been placed in the list of patients to be checked by doctor. I know that along with RAASHI, the MURTASHI is also subject to the anger of God (Naar). But what a man can do in this society where every one is corrupt and everything goes with money. What can one do? If some one will opt to go against this culture for any of his tasks, he will face the situation similar to you.

So much can be written in favor and against my views. But this would never change the culture.

For you Mr. Javed. You must not blame yourself for your honesty. You have done this all for complying the orders of ALLAH and of course we all have to get back to him and would be answerable for our deeds.

As far as your patriotism is concerned, it is very good but you must know that dealing with others is not prohibited in Islam. Prophet PBUH himself had been dealing (trading) with others including non-muslims and non-arabics. Your earnings and savings are from Rizq-e-Halaal and must not waste them. You have a humanly and islamic right to expense out your halaal money for all permitted benefits. In these situations, I must advise/suggest you to opt some other good International Airline like Emirates or Qatar etc.

Best regards,

Kamran.

Pracs · 05-18-2007, 06:17 AM

Javed sb,

My Dad has had similar customer loyalty with the national carrier and well all things national, he has been an expatriate for some 30 years and we always flew home in PIA, despite the fact that our tickets were company paid. Ofcourse things have gone from bad to worst over the years and the biggest hurdle is ofcourse 'reservation' and the need of some sort of 'a sifarish' to get yourselves a seat in, despite aircrafts operating on partial occupancy !

As an adult I have avoided the national career when I can and gone with Emirates, Eitihad, British Airways even Easy Jet.. I would definately want the money I pay to give me the utlity its meant to be and not the other way around. I see this as being a smart customer, because if we continue to patronise for shoddy service that is what we'll get as a consumer. Consumer awareness is some thing completely missing. A number of such instance and experiences have completely left me shocked.

Last December I was in Etihad airways reservation office in Lahore and went in simply to 'confirm my reservation' (a thing that is done on line or on the phone in most of the civilised world). I was greated by some two dozen would be passangers in the small offices and a lot chaos going on, 15 minutes later it dawned upon me that a 'ticket' was needed to get to one of the two customer services rep,.. who you would not believe I had to argue for 10 minutes to get one out (in where again the same number had been issued to three people), because of my shouting at the staff (and they shouting back at me) 10 other people realised that they required tickets as well, but believe you me not one of them seconded me in my greviences against the staff and all of them took on their tickets like sheeps being herded! Ofcourse I got my seats done after having threatened the staff that I would report to their corporate offices in Abu Dhabi and giving them another 15 minutes of lecture on customer services ethics and what their job was.

I say we will keep getting shoddy services and customs until we as consumers speak up for ourselves and demand that we get our money's worth. Things will only change then, in today's world the likes of PIA have to grow out of their deoformed middle ages plethora of an existence. Its the day and age of Open skies and Global service providers

derivativetrader · 05-18-2007, 09:47 AM

<blockquote id="quote">quote<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Pracs
 

to 'confirm my reservation' (a thing that is done on line or on the phone in most of the civilised world).

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Of course, you can re-confirm your reservation on phone even in Pakistan. About two years ago, I used PIA and were able to re-confirm my seats through their call centre..

I think you couldn't book an open return seat or change your booking over the phone because for latter I was asked to visit a local booking office.

DT

Pracs · 05-19-2007, 08:41 AM

<blockquote id="quote">quote<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by derivativetrader
 <blockquote id="quote">quote<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Pracs
 

to 'confirm my reservation' (a thing that is done on line or on the phone in most of the civilised world).

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Of course, you can re-confirm your reservation on phone even in Pakistan. About two years ago, I used PIA and were able to re-confirm my seats through their call centre..

I think you couldn't book an open return seat or change your booking over the phone because for latter I was asked to visit a local booking office.

DT
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

DT I popped into their office after two days of contiuous calling their line; needless to say there was just a staff of three there who were also supposed to 'man' the phones, on my visit I got to witness the constant ringing of the phone, simply being ignored...O hyeah my ticket was not an open one,, so technically I should not have had the need to go there... but alas..