Antrak Air Flight EU-KUL, on board to Tamale

I have had times to complain about the kind of customer service that our airlines offer us. Sometimes it either leaves you wondering whether it is a privilege to be using their airline or that you entered their plane by mistake.

An Antrak Air plane

On one of my journeys on (name withheld) airline, a tall and slim male flight attendant was so disrespectful to another passenger that I felt very bad. The passenger, a man younger than I, was seated next to me. We were the first from the back, as there was no one on the back row.

He had served us the usual packed light meal, turned and served those on the opposite side and just when he was about moving away, my seating mate tapped him on his arm in an attempt to draw his attention to himself. Apparently, he had just realised he needed some water.

Surprisingly, the host ignored him and went pass. I was so sad because I could see that the guy was embarrassed and uncomfortable. When the flight host returned and finished serving tea to one of the passengers, I excused him and asked why he had ignored the gentleman. In response, he asked me, arrogantly, whether it was right for the guy to touch him.

“Ah, so is that why you ignored him,” I asked, with disbelief. I could see he was getting angrier. He disappeared and returned after sometime with the water.

A few days after that, I joined this same domestic flight and I was shocked again by another happening. When the air host who was serving got to our row, towards the end, he apologised and said that the sandwich/tuna/chicken had finished and so he could only offer juice.

Unbelievable, right? That was the reality and whilst I was still trying to come to terms with such appalling customer service, the one seated next stared at me and asked “Are these people serious.”

“Hmmm....,” was all I could say and shook my head.

I have a different story to tell, however, about Antrak Air flight – EU-KUL – to Tamale on Saturday – Nov 2, 2013.

There was a young female flight attendant, of medium height, black beauty and light-heavy figure. Depending on the situation, she either had smiles on or a serious look, that seem to suggest that ‘flying is serious business, check that your seat belt is on’.

For the first time, I walked straight to one of the seats in the front row and the following conversation ensued between this beautiful damsel and me.

“I hope you know what it means to be seated here,” she asked, with a smile.

“Yes.” “Oh, well, no.”

Initially, I thought I understood her well, but in a moment I noticed she actually meant that there was special information for anyone who sat on the front row.

“You are sitting next to the emergency exit and so you would ...bla bla. Please read the instructions brochure. And try not to sleep,” she said, with laughing smiles.

“Hmm, thank you.” I replied, adding “I am in control” and she smiled once again and resumed her duties, making sure she was seated when the pilot sounded “Cabin crew, prepare for take-off.”

Her subsequent interactions were excellent. I think flight attendants like this lady would surely make every customer say “I would use that flight again, again and again.”

Meanwhile, there was also something exciting about this particular flight, for which reason I counted myself very lucky to be on board.

On board was a fascinating mix of professionals, including musicians, such as D-Black and Sherifatu Gunu and Nana Agyemang, the popular sports analyst on television.

I saw on board Alhaji A. Y. M. Ibrahim, a notable politician and educationist in Tamale. I am not too sure if Dr Sulley Gariba, Policy Adviser to the President, got on board, although I saw him at the boarding gate 6.

There were NGO workers as well, particularly staff of IBIS in Ghana. Surely, we could not have had such a combination without foreigners. I counted six of them on board.

Last, but not the least, a middle-aged man and two old ladies clad, beautifully, in white were equally on board. Your guess is as good as mine. They were newly baptized Muslims who just returned from a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

As I stole glances at them, I formed pictures of myself returning from Mecca, one day.

 

The language

“Welcome to Antrak Air Flight....” What about it, you would ask. Well, I have a feeling Ghana could use the airline industry to promote our local languages. Yes, I will explain. Our local languages are so crucial to our lives. They are a core component of our identity and without it all other forms of culture would suffer.

So what? Well, we must be exploring various ways to promote these languages. Would it not be wonderful if the pilots could in addition to issuing out instructions and information in English, play a recorded bit of the instructions in a local language predominant in the area of departure?

From Accra, it could be a Ga recording. From Kumasi, twi of course and from Tamale, Dagomba. Imagine what questions foreigners on board would be asking: “What language is that. Oh, what does this mean? Oh, nice. I will learn that.”

Also, imagine the feeling when you hear your own language from the speakers in the plane. Maybe it is a stupid idea, but we can still think about it. We must set our own standards us a country to reflect our identity and sense of purpose.

Well, after responding to the “Chicken, Tuna Salad or Sandwich,” request and enjoying my book – Playing Dad (Chals Wontewe) – the journey ended peacefully as the pilot made a good landing at the Tamale Airport.

Hope to see you on board next time.