Ansett, MAS flight nightmare

Ansett, MAS flight nightmare

Over the Lebaran period, my wife and I went to Penang to visit
my father's grave; he was the Judge there, and died in 1933. The
journey there was reasonable. We flew with Ansett Australian
Airlines to Kuala Lumpur and then to Penang with MAS (Malaysian
Airlines). But the return journey was a nightmare.

Our flight from Penang was 2 hours and 15 minutes late because
of problems with the aircraft and the need to round up a new crew
to fly the replacement aircraft which was a different type.

Therefore we missed our connection with Ansett by a matter of
minutes. A telex had supposedly been sent to Ansett to hold the
flight, but it was no use. The Ansett staff at Kuala Lumpur were
arrogant and totally unhelpful. "We don't delay our departures
for late arrivals by other carriers," they sneered.

Then phase two of the saga unfolded. A senior MAS official
came and apologized (marks for this) and gave us hotel and meal
vouchers to stay overnight and to depart next day with MH711 at
10:40 a.m. He kindly checked us in and gave us our boarding
passes, and promised that our baggage (one suitcase) would be on
flight MH711 the next day. After faxing my office, calling home
and a not very nice dinner, I went to bed.

The next morning we telephoned to tell our driver when to meet
us (he had spent hours at the airport the previous night because
the message we asked MAS to broadcast/announce for him to go home
was never made) we checked out and went to Terminal I to catch
MH711 (boarding 10:15 a.m., departure 10:40). After a few minutes
came announcement No. 1: "Sorry, MH711 is delayed by one hour."
Too bad; sit back and read a newspaper. Later, announcement No.
2: "Sorry, MH711 to be postponed until 12:50 p.m." At that point,
we were issued with refreshment vouchers. I went to inspect the
refreshment counter, but it was, like Mother Hubbard's cupboard,
bare. As I went back to tell my wife the sad news, and to
complain to MAS, came announcement No. 3: "MH711 is now boarding
at gate 13 for departure at 11:50." So I leapt onto my
wheelchair, and after three or four minutes, my "pusher" realized
she was pushing in the wrong direction but a swift about turn got
us to gate 13 on time.

On arrival at Sukarno-Hatta we went to claim our baggage. But
it was not there. So we had long dialogue with the "Lost
Property" office, while our poor driver continued to wait.

At home at 8 p.m. we finally got a call from Ansett to say
they had our bag. So how come the MAS supervisor promised to put
it on MH711? And how come Ansett takes a passenger's luggage but
doesn't wait for the passenger? I was naturally nervous about the
fate of our suitcase because a few years ago we went to the UK
with MAS. Once again, we were obliged to stop over in Kuala
Lumpur, and on arrival at London Heathrow, there was no baggage.
Eventually, one bag was discovered, having been misrouted to
Frankfurt; the other was never found, and it was only after
endless argument that I got adequate compensation from MAS.

R.B. SAWREY-COOKSON

Jakarta