MY FAMILY travels at least twice a year and Singapore Airlines (SIA) has always been our preferred choice. But a recent experience caused great disappointment. We are going to England next month.
We usually book our tickets online but this time, because I am five months pregnant and we are travelling with a two-year-old, we tried to get SIA's assistance to help reserve bulkhead seats. But that proved to be an ordeal.
After failing to find clear information online, we called the SIA hotline to make our request. We were put on hold by the operator for nearly an hour while she checked.
Eventually, we were told we might specially request bulkhead seats, but this could not be done online.
So we made our way to the service centre the next day. After a long wait, we found ourselves in front of an unsmiling counter staff officer.
Her first response was to ask if we were aware it would cost an additional $50 per passenger to book at the counter. We were not aware but agreed to the extra charge readily, if only she could help us with our request.
We received a curt "no", using policy as an excuse. She said bulkhead seats could be reserved only for those travelling with infants.
We should go home and book our tickets online, then return 48 hours before departure to vie with others for the seats.
We were taken aback. Nowadays, even trains and buses come with seats reserved for pregnant women.
Even if parents with infants take up all the bulkhead seats, SIA could show more empathy in dealing with customers.
SIA and Changi Airport are the pride of our nation, but it takes more than superb technology and successful branding to retain their world leadership status.
Karen Wilkinson (Ms)
This forum letter was first published in The Straits Times.
