According to a passenger survey released Wednesday,
the biggest problems encountered in air travel are experienced on
the ground, not in the air.
Delayed flights and bad food and insufficient
seating in airports were the main problems cited.
The civil aviation authority was quick to respond,
promising to implement tough measures to address the chronic
problem of flight delays.
"While improving coordination mechanisms to reduce
delays, quality standards for public air transport services will be
revised," said Li Jun, vice director of the General Administration
of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC).
"A regulation on managing consumer complaints about
poor service is being formulated," Li said yesterday after the
survey results were announced.
From last September, the China Civil Aviation
Society conducted a four-month survey of more than 40,000 air
passengers, seeking their opinions on the services of six major
airlines and 32 airports across the country.
Some 92.4 percent of the complaints involved
airlines not being candid about flight information.
A mounting number of complaints about delays
prompted the CAAC to issue a guideline last July. Airlines were
told they should compensate passengers if a flight delay was the
airline's fault.
This was followed by an escalation of complaints
and some passengers going to extreme lengths to be compensated,
such as refusing to board or leave the plane if their demands were
turned down.
More than 45 percent of delays last year were
caused by the airlines rather than weather conditions, air traffic
control or other factors, according to a CAAC investigation that
apparently backed passengers' suspicions.
A punctuality record was set last year, with 79.9
percent of air journeys taking place on schedule. This was 0.1
percentage points higher than 2003, but still short of the CAAC's
80 percent target.
"Improving the mechanism in dealing with flight
delays still tops the administration's agenda this year," said
Li.
According to the survey, airport ground services
deteriorated last year, particularly when it came to giving prompt
and accurate information on delays.
Wu Gaohan, deputy secretary-general of the China
Consumers' Association, said, "Civil aviators should respect a
passenger's right to know about flight delays," adding that the
CAAC should work out a suitable mechanism to settle disputes as
soon as possible.
Besides safety and efficiency, passengers also want
convenience and comfort during their air travel, said Yuan Heping,
a regular flier who works for a Beijing-based joint venture.
Some airlines said they have already taken measures
to respond to the administration's demand for improved
services.
Ma Xulun, president of Air China Limited, said his
company plans to inject 700 million yuan (US$84 million) into
improving cabin facilities to boost service quality.
In addition to delays, passengers complained about
overly complicated procedures before boarding, poor in-flight
catering and unreasonable prices in airport shops and
restaurants.
(China Daily, Xinhua News Agency March 3,
2005)