A moments silence

Yesterday I spent the day flying to Johannesburg and back again. An exploratory meeting for a big project. I used to fly plenty, about four times a week for almost four years. Now SAA has reduced my Voyager status to their lowest tier. I cannot say I am disappointed. Then again I generally avoid flying our National carrier due to my last experience where they left me behind. Sometimes it cannot be avoided...

The pilot told all on board that we were to expect a 30 minute delay due to there not being enough landing slots at O R Tambo airport in Johannesburg. Fair enough, but then he went on to say that it was not SAA’s, fault. Hearing those words, I had a flashback to my children. Anything that goes wrong is never their fault either. A more juvenile and blame avoiding statement is yet to be invented. Obviously the pilot went on the ‘we are not here for you’ customer service training course. Accepting responsibility and apologising profusely is one way to turn a bad customer experience into a better one. But only if you are not SAA!

There was a particularly poignant moment on takeoff. Perhaps all passengers were stunned into personal reveries as a result of the delay announcement. It was absolutely silent aboard the aircraft, unusual in the extreme. The plane took off in that silence, supposedly everyone lost in their own thoughts of the day. The mood was shattered by the noisy sniffing of the lady in the seat to my right. Big juicy thick phlem type sniffing! She got out her tissue, wiped her nose, and gave the remaining obnoxious goo an almighty snort. Chunky!

Perhaps the silence was to mourn the death of customer service. Regardless it was fascinating to be a part of an unoganised silence in a crowded place. Please give me more of it!

Off to West Africa

Today was a rough day. It all started out well. On my way out to the sea for my Monday morning board meeting, I met up with the chap who put one and one together and got one. Perhaps you remember the piece that I wrote on me breaking my good mate’s board. I showed him that I was still riding and that it was doing fine. We both had a look at the repair and saw that it was far from well and that it needed some serious love and attention. Perhaps after my surf session, I thought.

I had a fine session! I got some moves right and had heaps of waves. Eventually I dragged myself out of the sea in order to have a quick shower, get dressed, pack, hop into the car and get dropped off at the airport. A quick trip to Ghana was in order.

My wife dropped me off well early as she had to get back to sort out the children. Just as well. On checking in, I discovered that my flight had been cancelled. After a whole heap of conferencing and typing, I was upgraded to business class on an earlier flight. Had I been on time to check in, I would not have made my connection to Accra.

Eight and a bit hours of flying and I found myself in Accra, Ghana. I have a self catering apartment which is OK. Ghana is two hours behind the good old SA. I must have plonked myself into bed well after 1am and then proceeded not to sleep until I did not wake up for my alarm. Today has been filled with Coke, hopefully it will get me through...