Malaysian Airlines rakes in MYR851M net profit : What did they do right?

This morning I read in a Malaysian daily while on a business trip to KL that MAS has raked in MYR851M in net profit for 2007 and is declaring some dividends.

I was wondering whether the right question to ask is.. "what did they do right?" or "how did they do that?"

For almost a year now, I have traveled weekly to KL on a business trip. I have always taken a Malaysian Airlines (MAS) flight 95% of the time but only for the reason that it's the only airline i know that has the 10am flight from Singapore to KL.

Other than this very convenient time flight schedule, i have not found any decent reason why I should fly MAS, which for me is a classic example of why big airlines like this are bound to fail once competition steps in. If the flight from Sg to KL takes longer than hour, I don't think i can tolerate the torture of riding MAS planes.

I have many horror stories with MAS, 2 of which I will detail in this space for perspective as to why I believe this airline sucks.

One stressful day in August I missed the last MAS flight to SG from KL, after arriving some 15 minutes before flight time. As any customer who wanted to just come home from a stressful work week, I pleaded to be allowed to board the plane for 2 reasons which were obviously not acceptable to most airline policies, but for me then, was worthy of consideration for someone who has always patronized the airline and desperate to get home.

One reason I had in mind was that the plane had not taken off yet, and i presumed that passengers were still boarding. I knew that for sure as in all the time i have rode MAS flights, 60-70% of these flights were delayed in taking off.

Second reason is that it was the LAST flight for the day, thus I had the feeling that it would be considerate to loyal passengers whose intention is never to be late but to get on to a flight home. In my experience, MAS ground stewards or stewardesses seem to assume the former than the latter.

You know how I was treated as my companion and I pleaded to get to the plane?

We got shouted at by the ground steward and lectured on how we should have checked in 2 hours before flight time etc. etc. I told the steward that we know that, and that was why we were asking for a consideration. (He could have just pretended to try at least to call the pilot if its possible.) But no, he did not flinch at all as he continued lecturing us about our being late as our fault and all the crap.

I thought that was the end of such "hospitality" from MAS that day...

We experienced even far worse situation when we got to the ticketing office for re-booking. As my companion and I were re-booking our tickets, we told the booking teller of how we were late and not allowed in the plane in spite of our pleading. We said we were hoping that we will be allowed as we anyway patronize MAS every week. She discourteously barked at us, saying ..."You should know better, if you go here weekly!" My god, I almost slap the teller for such insensitivity.

I caught myself though. I realize that it may be a culture of "customer service mediocrity" or "customer hatred" would be more appropriate. Indeed it probably is. As I was experiencing this, my companion and I were witnessing another teller berating an elderly couple trying to claim for a ticket for some miles they probably earned, to the embarrassment of the elderly customers. And mind you, the supervisor behind the teller was not even trying to stop the teller. He even joined in to the fray by equally shouting at the couple at the top of his voice, on how they were wrong and that they don't understand what they were doing. My companion and I could only shake our heads.

Another recent event is just a few days ago. For 30 minutes, passengers of MH604 were subjected to extremely hot cabin experience before the pilot turned on the 'airconditioning' 5 minutes before taking off. The pilot did apologize and explained that it was due to a malfunction of some ground engine not working, which got me thinking...why the hell did they allow us into the plane when they exactly know that it is going to happen. And not even one of the flight crew was ever looking sorry or apologetic for what the passengers were experiencing...!

During the flight, passengers kept on asking flight stewards for the immigration cards, which the latter kept on replying that "It's not needed." Apparently, the stewards were correct. Indeed, the immigration authority did not look for any immigration card upon entry to KL, but not without a lot of apprehension for most of the passengers from that flight while lining up to the immigration desk, who kept on asking everyone like..."did you get a landing card?" or "Have you filled up an immigration card?."

The one thing that the MAS flight crew could have done as a basic "customer service" is to at least announce the change in the Malaysian immigration authority's guidelines, having seen that the passengers have been asking left and right for an immigration card.

I really wonder what MAS did Right to rake in generous profits in 2007. Maybe, there were a lot too many customers like me who tolerated their services because they had no other choice with the flight times.

Congratulations MAS!