Hopefully
this blog doesn't turn into just a rant on the airline industry, but
I have recently returned from a round trip to South Korea, work
related I promise, and would like to share some observations.
First,
I was utterly disappointed in the new 787 Dreamliner. While the
aircraft itself operated just fine, and carried us safely to our
destination; the advertising for said aircraft would lead one to
believe that all the seats would be the ultra-nice lay-down style
seating. We were, after all, sitting in this plane for over twelve
hours. Not only did I not get seated in one of these fancy seats, but
they make you walk past them (demeaning?) on your way to the super
cramped economy section were we sit shoulder to shoulder sardine
style for the entire flight. The recline option is a joke, and if you
want to sleep the flight away you better be dosed on sleeping meds.
Question: why wouldn't the airlines want to make these international
flights as pleasant as possible? I realize it is all about how many
people we can cram on the plane and per ticket pricing, but at what
point do we as customers "require" the airlines to make the
flights more physically comfortable.
This
brings me to point 2. My employer, who shall obviously remain
nameless (I can't afford to be fired right now), seems unwilling to
pony up for the seating which would actually allow us to sleep and
arrive on site rested and ready to work. Ding number two for the
start of the trip.
Third
Observation, and maybe the most pertinent for today; the people in
Tokyo and Busan (South Korea) were extremely pleasant, seemed
respectful to all, and actually appeared to be glad to be at work.
During a flight from Tokyo to Busan on Japan Airlines, I was amazed
at how happy the flight attendants appeared. They genuinely appeared
to enjoy their jobs, and to be glad to be assisting their customers.
This was refreshing, and would be nice to see more of this in the US.
During my stay in South Korea, I did not see any signs of crime or
conflict among the locals, in fact, I was told several times by
expats that you could leave your wallet outside on the curb and it
would be there in the morning, all contents in tact. The level of
courtesy and general respect displayed during everyday interactions
was surprising and made me ponder what has happened to my home
country. At what point did we as a country/culture become so negative
in our daily interactions that it would take me travelling to the
other side of the planet to realize just how differently we behave.
Don't get me wrong, I love the US, and what we stand for as a people
and nation, but it sure would be nice to be welcomed into my own
country with the same level of respect and courtesy as I was when
entering a foreign country as a stranger.
Just
my humble opinion...
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