We refer to the letter Tortured by MAS on long-haul flight .

 

It must have been frustrating for the writer on board the flight due to the faulty seat and the unavailability of in-flight entertainment (IFE) on board from London to Kuala Lumpur on Dec 24, 2009.

 

We truly apologise for the inconvenience. This is not an acceptable standard of service for us, and we would like to assure the writer that such occurrences are not common.  

When such instances happen, our priority is to ensure that the customer is moved to another seat. However, the cabin crew was unable to do so as the flight was full.

 

The IFE was actually in working order when the aircraft was on the ground. However, when the aircraft was airborne, there was a malfunction in the IFE system resulting in the unavailability of the IFE.

 

We are trying to get in touch with the passenger to explain and resolve this matter.

 

The writer also asked questions about over-booking and upgrading policies. The airline industry as a whole practices the policy of over-booking to ensure that flights do not depart with empty seats.

Upgrading of passengers from Economy to Business Class is another industry practice. There are standard operating procedures to upgrade passengers and in most cases, passengers who paid the highest level of fare (airlines have many fare brackets) are upgraded. All upgrading is done selectively and in a controlled manner.

 

On another note, we do not provide amenities kit for Economy Class passengers. The kits are available to Business and First Class passengers depending on the duration of the travel.

 

Once again, we apologise to the writer for the inconvenience experienced.

 

The writer is head, Customer Relations, Malaysia Airlines.