THE DAY WE ALMOST ‘GROUNDED’ AN AIRLINER

By M. Govind Nair

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KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 17 (Bernama) -- In October 2024, my wife, sister-in-law, and I found ourselves in an awkward situation on a Malaysia Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur to Chennai, India. Our inaction regarding the occupation of seats almost resulted in the aircraft being "grounded".

We were told to vacate the exit row seats we had booked online, or "the plane will not take off”.

Having selected these exit row seats for the extra legroom they offered — the primary reason for booking them in the first place — we boarded the plane and settled into our seats without issue.

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Shortly thereafter, a steward asked my sister-in-law for her age, and upon learning that she was over 70, informed her that she could not occupy that seat. He then turned to my wife and me, and after determining our ages, insisted that all three of us move to other seats.

He explained that the exit row seats were reserved for passengers under 60. Despite our ages, all three of us are in excellent health — perhaps fitter than people half our age.

When we pointed out that no such restriction (of needing to be under 60) had been stated when booking the seats online, the steward insisted we move or the plane would not take off. He even mentioned he would summon ground staff to speak to us, which made us feel as though we had committed a serious infraction.

It was never our intention to delay the flight, which was carrying a full load of passengers. So we reluctantly complied and exchanged seats with three younger passengers seated two rows behind us. Naturally, there was no legroom in those seats.

The steward suggested we could file a complaint with the airline.

After returning from our trip a week later, I promptly wrote to the airline's customer relations department.

Weeks later, I received this reply:
Quote: Warmest greetings from Malaysia Airlines and we hope you are in the best of health. Thank you for reaching out to us and for your patience while we addressed your concern. First and foremost, please accept our heartfelt apologies for the delay in responding to your inquiry. We understand how important it is to receive timely and efficient assistance, and we regret any frustration this may have caused. Please know that we are committed to ensuring that such delays are minimized moving forward.

We would like to inform you that the selection of exit row seats on our flights is subject to specific terms and conditions. These regulations are in place to ensure the safety of all passengers on board. Passengers seated in exit rows must meet specific criteria, including being physically able to assist in the event of an emergency, understanding safety instructions, and being willing to perform the required actions if needed.

If it is determined that a passenger does not meet one or more of these safety requirements, we are obligated to reassign their seat to another passenger to comply with aviation safety standards. We understand that this can be disappointing, and we sincerely regret any inconvenience or discomfort you may have experienced due to this process. For more info, you can refer to this link: https://www.malaysiaairlines.com/nz/en/plan-your-trip/seat.html

Additionally, we deeply apologise for the way you were treated by our staff. We strive to maintain a high standard of professionalism, respect, and courtesy in all interactions, and we are truly sorry if your experience fell short of these expectations. Please know that we take such feedback seriously, and this matter will be addressed to ensure all staff members consistently provide the attentive and respectful service our passengers deserve.

We deeply regret the situation you faced and any disruption it may have caused during your journey. Please rest assured that we take your feedback seriously and will use it as an opportunity to improve our communication, training, and processes. We are committed to providing a seamless travel experience for all our passengers, and your feedback helps us identify areas where we can do better.

Once again, we truly apologise for any inconvenience and for how you were treated. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this matter. Thank you for choosing Malaysia Airlines. Unquote.

It was not stated anywhere in the terms and conditions (see link) that people above 60 years of age cannot occupy the exit row seats.

Presumably, we may have been removed from our original seats under the second clause of Item 7 in the Terms and Conditions: "Malaysia Airlines reserves the right to vary, delete, or add to any of these Terms and Conditions without prior notice."

This clause grants the airline the flexibility to make changes to their seat selection policies without notifying passengers in advance, which may explain why the steward enforced a condition not clearly outlined during my booking. 

It highlights the importance of understanding that terms and conditions can change, potentially impacting one’s travel experience without prior notice. 

This was a lesson learned the hard way. I hope that this experience serves as a cautionary account for others.

-- BERNAMA