Filling the gaps

To their credit, airlines seem to be making an ever-increasing effort to share information with their customers.

There will always be those passengers with a desire to hold the airlines accountable for every undesirable situation that may arise. However, the communication channels of airlines have increased in recent years, particularly with the growth of instantaneous online reporting and social media outlets.

Airlines realised that they needed to at least be keeping pace with the travelling public, if not ahead of the curve. Otherwise, the information in circulation would be third-hand and out of their grasp.

If they failed to keep travellers informed, a random Tweet could see 280 characters become hearsay and, in turn, become perception. As we all know, in the court of public opinion, perception can quickly become the accepted truth and spread like wildfire. Recovering this situation is nearly impossible, whereas being proactive in the process returns a high degree of control. This process extends far beyond the ash-laden skies of Bali.

On a very micro-scale, the flightcrew will often illuminate the seatbelt sign if the possibility of turbulence lies ahead. Clear air turbulence can be very difficult to predict, but reports from other aircraft and meteorological information can sometimes raise the hair on the back of the neck of a pilot. In the interest of safety, they may well err on the side of caution and have the crew and passengers seated and galley carts secured, even though the current ride is as smooth as silk. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

There will be days when the turbulence never eventuates, and the collective eye-rolling of the passengers can almost be sensed through the flightdeck door, even though the conservative option was designed to keep them safe.

Once again, a few honest words over the public address system at the outset can do wonders for the mood in the cabin as the passengers feel informed and part of the process.

Notably, there is an emphasis on “a few words” as there can be an excessive number of announcements to the cabin at times.

If passengers are informed, then they have some degree of control – and it is a lack of control that is possibly their most common grievance. We must always remember that a huge degree of trust is placed in airlines and their staff to take fare-paying passengers into the upper atmosphere and at a high rate of knots before returning them safely to the earth.

For around 200,000 years, the highest a human climbed was a mountain-top. In a century we have constructed one of humankind’s greatest leaps of faith. For those of us familiar with aviation the processes seem logical, but for the majority, all aspects of air travel are still a great unknown. It is our responsibility to fill in the gaps.

If a flight is delayed, but passengers are given the best up-todate information, they can decide whether to wait or change their plans.

If the seatbelt sign is on in smooth conditions they can understand why or if their recovery flight from Bali is cancelled at the last minute due to a wind shift, it is not a mystery. And if that information is relayed before they even leave home then significant costs can possibly be saved by the customer in terms of time, transfers and accommodation.

Also, knowledge goes a long way towards dispelling fear. Nervous flyers can lash out and even frequent flyers can feel trepidation when uncertainty surrounds any aspect of their flight.

Ground staff and crew alike need to respect this and ensure that part of their process is to communicate with their passengers at the appropriate time, even though a million other duties may seem to be calling.

On occasions disruptive inflight incidents involving passengers are not purely acts of anti-social behaviour. While many undoubtedly fit that bill, there are also those that are manifestations of very nervous passengers. Some drink or medicate to alleviate those fears and unfortunately their strategy fails. This doesn’t excuse their behaviour, but for some, their anxiety may be alleviated through communication and information before it festers.

The goal of flightcrew and their airline is to deliver their precious passengers to their destination in a timely manner. However, their first and foremost responsibility is to do this safely and sometimes the two do not necessarily co-exist in harmony.

Bridging that gap between duty-ofcare and schedules can occur through the transfer of information in a timely and easy-to-understand style.

And there are very few passengers who will sincerely complain or argue with a sentence that begins with the phrase, “In the interest of safety”.

‘There will be days when the turbulence never eventuates. ’