11-17-2007, 01:54 PM
PIA is the only airline in the world where Reservation is the most difficult task and most of the complaints against it pertain to Reservation. Since decades complaints both at home and from abroad through letter to Editors keep appearing. Both ordinary man and businessmen have the same problem. The Federal Ombudsman once observed that while people were standing at airport On Chance, inside the plane there were dozens of seats vacant. A group of LHC judges traveling Multan to Lahore found that while they got seats confirmed only after lot of problems the flight took off with many vacant seats. Both the Federal Ombudsman and those LHC Judges issued notices to PIA but what happened at least I do not know nor do I wish to know. A few months back thrice I visited PIA Karachi only to know I was still in waiting list for going abroad. Inside the wide body airbus there were only 17-18 passengers. On my complaint I was informed it was being investigated but as usual nothing was ever heard.
Recently my wife was to go to a Middle East country. PIA like in all fields of our economy say like banks in order to show increased income have created many divided classes within the Economy Class. While seat design-manufacturer, seat measurement, distance between two seats, meal etc all remain the same, fares within the same plane corridor differ in thousands. I wished my wife to book on âNâ class the lowest. My agent told me PIA had blocked computer access to âNâ class only to first sell higher class tickets. However on my request he put me on the waiting list. I approached PIA Head Office for confirmation of this waiting list code when the Incharge PIA Contact Center told me âyourâ agent had not mentioned expiry date of provisional booking which is illegal hence the code provided can not be confirmed. I informed the Incharge that the Agent was not âmineâ but appointed by PIA hence any fault by agent is fault of the Principal/PIA. But the PIA Contact Centre Incharge kept on his stand. I contacted PIA UAN for reservation only to find flight was fully booked. I went on PIA web site seat availability system only to find no seat whatsoever in Economy was available. Five minute later I explained this to a friend who within next 5 minutes booked me on a confirmed seat in âYâ Class (a division in Economy). It did not surprise me at all that only 5 minutes ago PIA web and UAN was telling me the flight was fully booked. The âYâ class had about Rs. 7000 excess which under no circumstances I wished to pay out of my Rize-e-Hilal.
This difference between website/UAN and practical was convincing me that the seats in N class were available. I contacted Senator Nisar Memon, Chairman Senate Committee on Defence requesting him to help in getting a seat. He was surprised why just for a small reservation matter he was approached. I respectfully requested him to visit President of Pakistan website and read only one entry on it amongst dozens and dozens. I specifically quoted him to read from a 70 plus years old sick heart patient saying right from telephone exchange to Karachi Phone GM he had approached for removal of phone fault but of no result. He finally approached the President. I questioned Mr. Memon can in any other country world over any one think of approaching Head of the State just for removal of a phone fault. If this is quoted in any other country like Iran, Saudia, or Sri Lanka let alone Europe people may perhaps laugh on your face. I told him where just for a small phone fault or issuance of an ID card people need to approach Head of State due to âgood governance prevailing in abundanceâ a passengerâs approach to a Senator should not be any surprise.
For a week later daily twice I went to PIA web site to find same story not even a single time I found a seat available. However using friendship I did get twice Y class confirmation and finally I got âTâ class (second lowest class). Had I waited a day more I would definitely had got my desired âNâ class but due to situation in Karachi particularly uncertainty due to 12-May case hearing in SHC I preferred to buy the âTâ ticket. When plane took off according to my wife there were more than 2 dozen seats vacant around her. Needless to add my daughter traveled a month back on a foreign airline at Rs. 15,180 while my wife for same destination in the same Economy class traveled at Rs. 17,800/- by PIA.
Recently my wife was to go to a Middle East country. PIA like in all fields of our economy say like banks in order to show increased income have created many divided classes within the Economy Class. While seat design-manufacturer, seat measurement, distance between two seats, meal etc all remain the same, fares within the same plane corridor differ in thousands. I wished my wife to book on âNâ class the lowest. My agent told me PIA had blocked computer access to âNâ class only to first sell higher class tickets. However on my request he put me on the waiting list. I approached PIA Head Office for confirmation of this waiting list code when the Incharge PIA Contact Center told me âyourâ agent had not mentioned expiry date of provisional booking which is illegal hence the code provided can not be confirmed. I informed the Incharge that the Agent was not âmineâ but appointed by PIA hence any fault by agent is fault of the Principal/PIA. But the PIA Contact Centre Incharge kept on his stand. I contacted PIA UAN for reservation only to find flight was fully booked. I went on PIA web site seat availability system only to find no seat whatsoever in Economy was available. Five minute later I explained this to a friend who within next 5 minutes booked me on a confirmed seat in âYâ Class (a division in Economy). It did not surprise me at all that only 5 minutes ago PIA web and UAN was telling me the flight was fully booked. The âYâ class had about Rs. 7000 excess which under no circumstances I wished to pay out of my Rize-e-Hilal.
This difference between website/UAN and practical was convincing me that the seats in N class were available. I contacted Senator Nisar Memon, Chairman Senate Committee on Defence requesting him to help in getting a seat. He was surprised why just for a small reservation matter he was approached. I respectfully requested him to visit President of Pakistan website and read only one entry on it amongst dozens and dozens. I specifically quoted him to read from a 70 plus years old sick heart patient saying right from telephone exchange to Karachi Phone GM he had approached for removal of phone fault but of no result. He finally approached the President. I questioned Mr. Memon can in any other country world over any one think of approaching Head of the State just for removal of a phone fault. If this is quoted in any other country like Iran, Saudia, or Sri Lanka let alone Europe people may perhaps laugh on your face. I told him where just for a small phone fault or issuance of an ID card people need to approach Head of State due to âgood governance prevailing in abundanceâ a passengerâs approach to a Senator should not be any surprise.
For a week later daily twice I went to PIA web site to find same story not even a single time I found a seat available. However using friendship I did get twice Y class confirmation and finally I got âTâ class (second lowest class). Had I waited a day more I would definitely had got my desired âNâ class but due to situation in Karachi particularly uncertainty due to 12-May case hearing in SHC I preferred to buy the âTâ ticket. When plane took off according to my wife there were more than 2 dozen seats vacant around her. Needless to add my daughter traveled a month back on a foreign airline at Rs. 15,180 while my wife for same destination in the same Economy class traveled at Rs. 17,800/- by PIA.