Still, PALpak

NO HOLDS BARRED

Still, PALpak

By Armida Siguion-Reyna

Wondering whether to join the fray for or against the impeachment of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, I got a few e-mail soon after my last outing, regarding Philippine Airlines, and then, some. One reads in between the lines and realizes the comments say so much about us, as travellers.

First, from Florencio Q. Pacis, who said that five years ago, “The plane had a non-working lavatory. Of course, they put a big sign about its being “OUT OF ORDER.” So I e-mailed PAL my concern… The response was that they had a maintenance crew that could have overlooked and let go of the problem.

“With regard to the binababoy part, I believe it is partly due to our kababayan’s lack of self-discipline and consideration despite their many years of living in America. It is plain common sense for men to lift the toilet bowl lid when emptying our bladders. Or if they are too lazy to lift it up they should at least wipe their droplets with toilet tissue when they are done.

“At my place, in my frustration, I posted a sign a year ago at the common bathroom… addressed to males: ‘Please lift up the toilet lid before emptying your bladder.’ No one in the household has seen droplets from visiting male friends since then.

“Maybe PAL should do the same.”

Florencio, airplane lavatories carry reminders for “common courtesy to the next passenger” so PAL has long been doing the same. Sure, kulang tayo sa self-discipline and consideration for others, but never as worse as when we are using PAL. I’ve followed kababayans in the restroomss of Singapore Airlines, Qatar, British Airways and many other airlines, and with a few exceptions na hindi naman ganoon ka-grabe, generally malinis ang gamit ng mga naturang kababayan sa mga nasabing facilities.

Look also at how Pinoys line up by the PAL counters at the San Francisco and Los Angeles international airports, and see how unruly the behavior is, the jostling and the pushing people out of line, the number of boxes passengers bring — unbelievable. And yet, pagka para sa ibang airline nakapila, how so almost perfectly well-behaved, walang tulakan, walang eskandalosong mga kahun-kahon na dala.

Similarly, study how Filipinos stay in position for immigration counters worldwide, ang bait, di makabasag-pinggan, families that get separated don’t panic and merely quietly signal to meet by the carousel to pick up their luggage. Check them out at the immigration counters at the Centennial airport, na ewan ko naman talaga kung bakit the demeanor hits dismally low only when riding PAL, for Pinoys at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport don’t do this — aba, at pami-pamilya kung lumaktaw sa pila.

A father runs as if competing for an Olympic medal, to get to the head of an immigration line. His family arrive a little later, during which time others have fallen in line behind the father, but still they claim the many slots behind the padre de pamilya: the family that make pila together, stays together, and how.

Here’s e-mail # 2, from Ian Benedict:

“I’m an OFW based in Saudi Arabia… PAL has stopped flying in the Middle East because they can’t compete with the fare prices of GCC Airlines. I’ve also stopped flying PAL internationally because of that. As part of my contract, I have a choice on which airline I should fly and hands down, it’s always Gulf Air. A lot of our kabayans would say that it’s bulok but it has a good schedule and (is) always on time. Even if their departure (ETD) is delayed, they can catch up and still land on the expected time of arrival (ETA). The flight attendants are also very helpful and always cheerful.

“My onward flight, because I hail from the South, would always be PAL. What I don’t like about PAL is that the flight attendants don’t smile. I think that’s because of their labor problems. Younger female flight attendants look older because they do heavy make up even on a morning flight. It’s a striking contrast with the budget airline Cebu Pacific where you’ll see fresh faces, slight make up female flight attendants. PAL flight attendants are not helpful, unlike the flight attendants of other international carriers. They wouldn’t even help passengers lift their baggage to the overhead compartment. When the plane disembarks in the destination, all the flight attendants could do is say a robotic thank you.”

Here perhaps I’m luckier, for PAL flight attendants are usually nice to me, no matter the many times I complain in a flight, over things that don’t work. I don’t know if it’s because they know me, or if they’re kinder toward senior citizens, basta’t they patiently pay attention to me.

And, yes. While there’s so much that a smile can do, especially to a passenger who maybe flying home for a death in the family, PAL workers had been carrying quite a load on their shoulders for years and years now. If I’m using the past tense, it’s not that the load’s been taken off, it’s that most of the PAL workers are no longer with the company. How really sad, for the cookie to have crumbled that way.

Finally, from nikka_23_99@yahoo.com: “Let’s be models of decorum while lining-up for PAL counters, in the few remaining countries where the airline continues to fly. The people who man those counters are no longer PAL employees, but outsiders hired to check us in, weigh our luggage, process our tickets, so on and so forth, let’s not be abusive when dealing with them.

“They’re stricter and admittedly less understanding than the Filipinos who used to be doing the work. The average Pinoy traveler wants to board with a hefty handbag slung over her shoulder, a rollerboard and two huge paper bags of pasalubong, when the rules clearly say she can’t. She goes into a screaming match with the counter person to get her way. Never mind who wins the round; the counter person goes home; he’s not likely to tell his own kababayan of how awful PAL is, guess whom he’ll condemn?

“Repeat the scenario in Bangkok, Hong Kong, Australia and the United States. Hindi po PAL ang talo, kundi tayo.”

So on this note, I once more ask: What’s with PAL, that it brings out the worst in the Filipino biyahero?

(For comments, write to: armida114@yahoo.com)