I flew back this morning with Air Baltic from Helsinki to Dusseldorf via Riga.
Check in Helsinki (08h55 AM)- My suitcase was 25 Kilo heavy, 5 kilo overweight. I had my computer screen and other video equipment as we had a video day in Finland. I could have taken out some of my things and put it in my hand luggage if necessary.
I asked the ground staff at check in: how much I need to pay for the overweight and she calculated it as 55 EURO. I agreed to pay for the overweight and let my suitcase go.
When I went to pay (in another counter) I was informed that I need to pay 155 EURO instead the agreed 55 EURO.
I explained that I was told to pay 55 EURO. The clerk smiled and said that the check in ground staff are wrong as I go via Riga I need to pay more because ......(no further explanation).
I said that this isn’t fair and I want my suitcase so that I take out some of my things and put them in my hand luggage. He said, we can not do it....your suitcase went....
I said that I was misled by the ground staff.he said: “it is not my problem”..I said: “It isn’t my problem too...I was misled...”
The clerk called his boss and after discussing this issue over the phone with this other guy...the clerk concluded that I need to pay 155 EURO and i can not have my luggage back to avoid the costs...
I did not have a choice as I needed to be back in germany a.s.a.p and i paid.
I asked for the name of the clerk and he said STEPHAN and did not agree to give me his family name...He called his boss and said that giving his personal name is enough. I asked to talk with his boss and he appeared after a while repeating the same texts as the clerk said. I asked for his name and he asked WHY? I answered that i would like to write a comment to Baltic Air about this situation and code of customer service. He said that his name is JP or PJ and refused to give his name.
This will be the first time in my life that I am going to submit a complaint!!!
While waiting to board the plane I thought to myself how could I avoid this situation?
I came to the following conclusion:
- With better planning I could have avoided taking some of the things that I packed.
- With better planning I could have avoided going to finland at all.
- Everything that you do and has extra weight will make you pay a fine
- Extra space
- Extra staff
- Extra advertisement that does not work and you just do it without serious thinking/planning.
- Extra weight etc...
- Extra things that take your time and your concentration from the real things that you should be busy doing.
I believe that every business should run a checklist (starting with the upper 8 points) of all the things that they should get rid off and let them go...
You will save money, avoid paying on going expenses and penalties and free those resources for the real things that you should be really doing!!!
The above rationals of avoiding extra weight/excess doesn't compensate the terrible customer service of Air Baltic.
During the flight I read the Air Baltic Magazine and the CEO Mr Bertolt Flick says that Air Baltic ordered 8 Bombardier Q400s...I suggest to Mr. Bertolt Flick that before investing in new aircrafts, he should b listening to customer complaints and do something about Air Baltic customer service......otherwise, the NEW AIRPLANES will fly empty because of angry and frustrated passengers.
I will never again fly AIR BALTIC!!!
Conclusions:
- Better planning and getting rid of extra weight and all the extras mentioned in the upper 8 points will make your business easier, more flexible and react faster to the changes in the market.
- You will be able to use the new resources that will become free for better and more effective investments.
- Before investing in any business expansion- first invest in your staff and in your customer service as customers are the most important part of your business.
I looked at what other passengers think about Air Baltic and found this link- read and see for yourself...
As you know- Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3,000
PS- I think this was a code sharing flight with SAS as I flew to Finland with SAS, SO, SAS should check their partner airlines and not agree to cooperate with AIRLINES such as AIR BALTIC (tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are...)
