Rule no 1: Never leave passengers’ baggage behind

‘MAS decision to limit baggage due to longer flight route’

 Anonymous #31081882: I believe MAS made the correct decision in the interest of safety. However, the way they explained this situation is very, very poor indeed.

If they had shown charts and explained the operational range of their aircraft, most people will understand even if the customers are unhappy.

What MAS really needed to do was to offer alternatives to their customers, especially those who could afford to delay their travels or to have their baggage delivered on a later date.

MAS hasn’t learnt how to communicate well enough. Time to learn some PR skills from AirAsia’s Tony Fernandes.

Fateh: As if MAS has not suffered enough from the two air disasters in 2014, MAS made another blunder by limiting check-in baggage on long-haul flights to Paris and Amsterdam.

What a stupid decision, and it will really need miracles to save this airline. Where is this once shining airline heading?

Anonymous_3e86: This is a public relations disaster indeed. Yes, most airlines would have restricted the number of passengers.

But as it was a last-minute strategy in order to make it to the destination and perhaps all the seats were sold, it was going to be difficult for the airlines to offload some of the passengers.

The Malaysia Airlines B777 has a shorter range than some other B777 variants, while the A380 had no such problems as it was built for extended range.

MAS should have utilised the A380, or mount an extra B777 flight instead if the Dutch and French aviation authorities allowed it. Another option was to do a refuelling stop in Dubai.

I can understand MAS didn’t want to pay the higher fees for the shorter route, but if the cost of using the shorter route is only slightly higher than other options, why make this disastrous PR decision?

After all, this was only going to be a temporary situation of exceptionally strong winds. Options were available but the people in charge made a bad decision and a very bad one indeed.

Anonymous 2299391436500295: Yes, it’s better to find a refuelling airport than leave passengers’ luggage behind.

If an airline purposely left my luggage behind, I would rail about it all over the Internet.

Gaji Buta: So if the winds pick up during mid-flight, there is a risk that the planes may run out of fuel?

Isn’t it safer to just cancel all flights to Amsterdam and Paris until the planes are replaced with newer models?

Xiao Zhu: Every winter there are strong head winds to Europe. Just reduce the booked passengers load, and don’t take any cargo.

Don’t inconvenience the passengers who are most likely travelling with baggage. After all, MAS is not the only airline to fly to Europe.

MAS suffers latest snafu from ‘no suitcases’ order

Anonymous #59879079: Everyone thought with Christoph Mueller at the helm, MAS will improve. But it’s all a fairy tale. How can such a baggage policy even see the light of day?

Even mental retards will not come up with such a policy. MAS might as well cancel the flight if they cannot ensure that the baggage reach the destination at the same time as the passengers.

Anonymous 2325191438313157: “When they do things like this they alienate passengers, even their loyal passengers,” said aviation consultancy firm Endau Analytics founder Shukor Yusof.

Yes, Shukor, you are correct. I’ve been a loyal MAS customer for 20 years. Come this April, I’m on another airline.

Pluto: I have been one of the loyal MAS customers for years, flying at least five international sectors annually.

Just a week ago my fellow staff member asked me why I support MAS all these years and my answer was it’s my national carrier.

I guess this is the final straw that breaks the camel’s back.

Che: MAS chief operation officer Peter Bellew couldn’t have been long in the job, yet he quickly learned the GLCs (government-linked companies) way of doing things – never admit you are wrong even though all others say you are in the wrong.

Anonymous 2299391436500295: There you go. “What airlines usually do is limit the number of passengers. Malaysia opted to take the revenue and aggregate the bags.”

MAS confirms it took longer route, adding 2hrs to flight time

GE14Now!: Indeed, the way to have solved this would have been to limit the number of passengers rather than tell them that their bags cannot go with them.

The average adult would weigh the equivalent of two or even three pieces of luggage. But MAS, as usual, failed to think through the issues carefully.

It has a rebranding exercise to do and it cannot afford to make snafus of this sort. But true to form, it continues to do so.

Wg321: Potential passengers have a simple solution. Why should they fly MAS if it takes an extra two hours to fly to London? Besides, their luggage may arrive late.

On top of that, they don’t have to face sobbing MAS stewardesses who are reluctant to serve alcohol. They can choose to fly on so many other airlines.

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