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Frequent Flyers of China, Unite!
China's got a lot of laws. Enforcing them is another story. Last week while waiting for my flight at Shanghai's Hongqiao airport, I witnessed an angry mob of passengers threaten and begin to attack gate agents after they found out they would not be compensated for their delayed flight. You can watch the video I shot of the mob after the jump.
Right before I started rolling, a petite Chinese woman in heels had her hands around the neck of a male gate agent twice her size, screaming at him. The police officer had to pry her off.
What's this all about? Starting last month, the China Air Transport Association required Chinese airlines to compensate passengers 200 RMB each if their flights are delayed for more than four hours because the carriers are at fault. These passengers knew this.
But the airline wasn't having it. It blamed the weather. It was a little foggy that day, scattered showers. Typical Shanghai weather. Nothing out of the ordinary. Thus, the angry mob.
Consumer associations in China have reported a 141 percent increase in the number of airline passenger complaints in the third quarter of 2010. Flight delays were the major contributor. With more people flying the 'friendly' skies above China, it's a good bet we'll see more of these incidents in airports around China.
If it happens enough, maybe more people will start looking into taking China's new network of bullet trains instead. I sure have.
I've been taking these 220 mph trains on trips to Wuxi and Hangzhou. The bullet train from Shanghai to Hangzhou has reduced a four-hour trip into a 38-minute one. The only problem was when we arrived to Hangzhou's dilapidated train station, we waited an hour for a taxi. It was an orderly line, though. No angry mob.
Unlike Rob, I have not had many experience riding an airplane. This past trip to China was my first time to China and first time outside of the country. So far, my experience with China’s airport service has not been that strict or outrageous. When I came through China’s airport services, the guards and regulators of China was not that strict. Compare China’s airport regulation and service to American transportation, China’s rules and regulation are somewhat small and ridiculous. While in America if something like a rule is broken in an airport, they are questioned for their actions and maybe go through a small interrogation system. Also while China has alternate transportation system to take to get to Shanghai or Beijing, in America getting from point A to Point B is harder to do and takes up more time. My professor explains in my economic class that because of China’s increase in demand in airplanes and fleets, there are constant changes made in the flying system that influence the Chinese people. Due to China’s growing and changing economy and development, there are changes in China’s flight system that can be easy for certain passengers such as foreigners and tourist but for China citizens this change could be hard and challenging.
Definitely the dark side of globalization. I am an advocate for progress, but I still question whether the dark side is darker than the light, or whether there are simply (but quite unfortunately) casualties along the way.
I once sat in on a lecture by an American professor who was making an argument about the perils of progress. His example was of the "good old days" where families sat around the table in the evening and played music on instruments - compared to today where people retreat to their respective rooms to listen to CDs. I couldn't help by think about the fact the that during that "good old time," black Americans were enslaved, and women couldn't vote, and had to ask their husband's permission to get a library card.
As I was having these thoughts, a woman in the front row raised her hand and pointed out that as a deaf person, technology had made the difference between institutionalization and normal life for her.
I would love to see our laws, our cultures, our ethics protect the vulnerable during times of change. But, I am not an advocate of ceasing progress because they don't.
I began traveling to China in 2010 due to work. I have been simply amazed by the people, culture and the workforce.
I can't imagine how I waited so long. I travel at least twice a year for several weeks at a time and have a mixed travel experience. First of all, take time to research in depth when traveling in China. Everything is a little confusing, but as you start understanding the culture and its day to day circumstances you will soon get around. The key to any culture is to respect its people. Once you understand this, you will find ways to get around to the language barriers.
In fact I have experienced many moments that a native Chinese that speaks english would stop and ask me if I need any help because they see the confusion with maps and trying to interpret signs.
There are so many nice people in China I have learned to appreciate them the more I travel to China. Just be patient, they are making adjustments as fast as the 1.3 billion citizens permit them.
Last year, China started some sort of air force training so all the planes in the PEK airport were kept from departing. I remember sitting on the plane with my dad for 3 hours waiting for the plane to take off. For the three hours that we waited, we were not given any reasons or explanations as to why we were waiting, while I was too tired to care, some were anxious to leave the capitol. This angry passenger stormed to the front to get an explanation out of the flight attendants. One of the flight attendants even ended up having to leave the cabin because he started arguing with the passenger.
When did it take 4 hours to get to Hangzhou from Shanghai? I've been doing this train trip for over a decade, and its never taken more than 3 hours.
As to the flight delays in Shanghai - I (and heaps of people I know) have commented on the fact that flight delays of 2 hours or more have become the norm at Hangzhou airport. Although its always attributed to "unseasonal weather", these delays happen all year round (and are due to military traffic as pointed out).
I fly monthly from Shanghai to Shenzhen, and have for the past 4 years. Everything single flight has been delayed.
After a 2 delay, boarded the plan and 90% of the way into the flight we started to take a steep bank. The announcement "Shenzhen airport is closed, we have to fly back to Shanghai" after talking with a few locals in the know it was due to military exercise and happens quite frequently. The 2 hour flight turned into a 12 hour adventure where we eventually made it to Shenzhen.
Having worked in China and quickly learned to love, yes love, the Chinese people, I can see them 'taking charge' sooner than later. but what a mess it will be.
As we say in Strine, "Good on 'em"
I've been a frequent flyer in China for 11 years. All I can say is that air travel in China works smoothly...until it doesn't.
All Chinese airlines treat passengers pretty much the same; I can't think of a singular Chinese airline that has service better than another's.
As far as delays, be they for weather or equipment, the fact is that the airlines never 'fess up to the true cause of the delay until the delay goes long, and the passengers get more and more pissed because they just know they're being lied to.
In some instances, if the weather delay is general (case in point, Spring Festival 2008), the airport administration ends up being charged with taking care of passengers.
But I think 99% of passenger dissatisfaction can be avoided if the passengers are told early on just what is causing the delay. The gate agents aren't told much either, but then they have to catch all the flack.
Years ago I was flying out of Changchun, and I glanced up at a notice board that announced a delayed flight. Flashing across the board in bright red lights was a helpful announcement in English, translated for the benefit of foreign passengers:
"SORRY ABOUT THIS, BUT FLIGHT MUXXXX IS DELAYED FOR ONE DAMNED REASON OR ANOTHER"
