Recent flight from Abidjan to Entebbe via Douala and Nairobi. Economy class. Passengers usually nervous on this one because of the dreadful May crash at Douala. The cargo door flailed to close at Douala (Take off was to be 2300 local). We were told this, but then had to sit for about three hours until we were informed that it would probably be necessary for engineers to come from Nairobi, and then we would not be able to take off until 1600 local because of pilots' rest requirements.
By 3 am we were in hotels, despite the efforts of the ground staff who only communicated when prompted and then initially only in English though most of the passengers were French speaking (Abidjan, Douala, get it?). In my case we all squeezed (about 20 of us) into a minibus for 14 (the authentic Nairobi matatu experience) because no one trusted that it would come back again.
We had all left the airport without passing through immigration so we were woken up at 4 am (assuming you had got to bed) to hand over our passports. (When we got back tot he airport KQ had left them in one of their offices and expressed surprise that we had not known this (by telepathy?) before reaching the lounge! The fact we reached the lounge without our passports was alarming from the security point of view also.
The engineers arrived early on a diverted KQ plane and the plane was apparently fixed early. But we didn't go till 1600. And then the departure was delayed because $100 vouchers were being given out one by one in the lounge and being filled in by hand by one person. (There had been ten hours at least to fill out the vouchers).
Why could spare pilots not have come with the engineers?
Then we arrived into Nairobi at 2230 (half an hour early or 18 hours late depending on your point of view) with ZERO information given on the plane before landing. The passengers nevertheless applauded on landing.
Then in transit only one hostess in attendance at the connections desk to deal with at least 100 passengers. Since at least 80% of the passengers were going beyond Nairobi and had missed their connections, why was there no information ready, announced, about what we were supposed to do?
Simply preparing the new boarding cards before we arrived would not have been beyond possibility (and Ethiopian would certainly have done that). Even the broadest announcement on the plane that 'Dubai passengers will be leaving at 3 a.m, Guangzhou on Wednesday etc' would have reassured people that someone cared.
I accidentally discovered that the last Entebbe flight(timetabled for 22h) had not left (engine trouble); I am not sure anyone else discovered it. So, I was in Entebbe at 2 am only 27 hours after take off.
I am familiar with KQ, speak English French and Swahili and could even partially understand the pilot who sparingly gave out (accurate but insufficient) information in a voice so gruff and clipped that most native speakers would not understand it. Though there was French speaking steward on board no effort was made to translate.
Most other people had no idea what was going on.
The good side?
1) Well, in the morning the ground staff in Douala were a bit more informative and the hotel had a clear letter telling us what would happen (and sensibly they asked the hotel to get us to the airport). The hotel was of good quality (but virtually impossible to get water at that time, and then I had to pay for it).
2) The man on the gate in Nairobi got me onto the Entebbe flight(once I discovered it had not left) without fuss, and was really trying to help.
3) My bag which understandably didn't make the Entebbe flight was well handled and I was called up to collect it (on Sunday they don't deliver). No problem for me as I live near the airport, a real problem if I didn't).
And before all that the office staff in Abidjan were good and very helpful (they usually are).
Does anyone from KQ read this site? Don't they realise how much easier everything would be if they were more communicative at all stages? Their staff need training in sensitivity - when we realised our passports were elsewhere we were told 'not to worry', but of course you worry. if you are experienced you worry even more!
