SQ business class passengers unable to board next flight after being made to get off 1st plane, airline cites ‘handling error’

[Huat Zai]

 

(Editor's Note: A previous version of this article said the 207 economy class passengers were rebooked onto SQ711. SIA has clarified that some passengers left on other flights. We have corrected the article to reflect this.)

Business class seats are expensive, luxurious affairs.

They can come up to double or triple the price of an economy class ticket, and with that comes an expectation of special treatment.

At the boarding gate, for instance, business and first class ticket holders are almost always called up first, while the rest of us wait in line.

Not this time, however.

 

What happened

 

On Apr. 4, 2024, an Airbus A350-900 operating on flight SQ709 from Bangkok to Singapore encountered a technical problem shortly after pushing from the gate on schedule at 3:21pm (Bangkok time).

The 245 passengers aboard the flight then had to get off the plane, while ground engineers worked to resolve the issue.

The technical issue was extensive enough, however, that it required spare parts and additional time for repairs. Hence, passengers were rebooked onto subsequent flights that would depart Bangkok for Singapore.

Some of the other passengers from economy class were successfully rebooked onto SQ711, which departed at 6:30pm (Bangkok time).

However, 38 passengers, all of whom were business class passengers on the original flight, could not be accommodated on the new flight due to a "handling error".

The resulting confusion at the airport was captured in a series of videos posted online on Apr. 5.

 

What the videos showed

 

A TikTok user by the name of "Uncle T" posted videos detailing a mishap concerning business class passengers who boarded Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight SQ709 flying from Bangkok to Singapore on Apr. 4, 2024.

 

 

 

 

The user claims that the flight was cancelled due to an "engine problem", and that all passengers were made to disembark after an hour.

The user then says that business class passengers were told that they would be given priority in being rebooked to the next flight departing at 5:30pm.

The user then goes on to say that SIA staff went back on this promise and gave priority transfer to economy class passengers instead, leaving all business class passengers "stranded" in Bangkok.

This video, uploaded by "Uncle T", claims to show a SIA staff member asking business passengers to "stand aside" while economy class passengers were filling the plane:

 

 

 

 

Apparently, some business passengers had to wait 24 hours for their rebooked flight.

 

 

 

Business class passengers were booked onto later flights

 

The handling error resulted from the flight being already full at the time of rebooking, SIA said in reply to queries from Mothership.

The 38 business class passengers therefore had to be rebooked onto later flights on Apr. 4 and Apr. 5.

26 passengers were booked onto flights which departed on Apr. 4, while 11 were rebooked onto flights departing the following day on Apr. 5. One passenger eventually decided not to travel.

 

Disgruntled passengers

 

The TikTok videos posted by “Uncle T” show the disgruntled reactions of several affected business class passengers.

One of the videos shows a passenger, who claimed to be a seasoned traveller with SIA, airing his frustration at airline staff:

 

 

 

The passenger claimed to be a 30-year Solitaire PPS Club member.

The Solitaire PPS Club is a premium service offered by SIA that promises members “more privileges, more personal attention and more recognition”.

 

Falsely promised rebooking

 

The passenger claimed, in the video, that airline staff told him that “only business class is allowed to go to” SQ711.

The passenger then said that he asked one of the staff managers if there was a seat for him, to which the manager apparently said “no problem”.

The passenger then said that the manager told him that his SQ711 seat would be a downgrade, to which the passenger acceded.

Corroborating this, another video on the same account appears to show a staff member announcing: “We can accommodate you on the economy class, for all business class on this flight”.

The passenger then claimed that while he was waiting for his ticket, the manager turned to the economy class passengers who were queuing up separately and replaced their tickets immediately.

The passenger then goes on to claim that when he pressed the manager on this, the manager apparently told him the passengers were buying new tickets.

The passenger, upon further inquiry, was then told that the tickets were for “jumpseats”.

Jumpseats are foldable seats found in the utility areas of passenger cabins and are almost exclusively used by flight attendants.

The passenger, clearly exasperated, then added: “Why [are you] lying? I’m a 30-year solitaire member and you are treating me like that.”

 

Reactions

 

Reactions to the videos were mixed, with some expressing sympathy for the affected passengers, while others were more critical.

Many felt that the business class passengers were not accorded the privileges they deserved as higher-paying customers.

One user commended the demeanour of the passenger who claimed to be a 30-year solitaire member, noting that he was “frustrated but still maintained a good tone”.

Some, however, were critical of the behaviour of the business class passengers and felt that they were acting in an entitled fashion.

Others opined that "Uncle T'''s choice to film staff members in an admittedly stressful situation and post their faces on social media was rude.

 

Statement from SIA

 

SIA told us that all 38 affected passengers were compensated on Apr. 4.

In addition to ensuring that passengers were successfully rebooked onto subsequent flights, SIA also provided complimentary refreshments, meals and hotel accommodations where necessary.

SIA also informed us that they are “reviewing [their] internal processes” and improving their “customer handling procedures” to prevent such a situation from happening again.

SIA said it "thanks all affected customers for their patience and understanding” and “sincerely apologises to all customers affected by the disruption to SQ709”.

 

https://mothership.sg/2024/04/business-passengers-miss-sq-flight/