With the holiday season upon us, travel is the one topic that springs up these days when Saudi men gather at their Mirkaaz (meeting place). And, inevitably, their discussions lead to the problems they encounter when dealing with airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines in particular. Attending some of these meetings, Okaz Arabic daily found general agreement that Saudia needs to upgrade its services, on the ground and in the air. One major complaint about air travel in general was the high price of tickets caused by high oil prices which airlines are passing on to passengers. Worldwide, the price of air and ground travel has increased sharply and airlines are now charging passengers for almost everything from food to checked bags. At the Mirkaaz gatherings, the Saudi men agree that oil price-rise problem has not affected the airline industry here as much as it has elsewhere. But what they take issue with is the disparity between the prices Saudia offers and the services it provides. At one gathering, Mabrouk Al-Shihri, a Saudi national, said the high air fares of both international and domestic travel must match the quality of the service provided if airlines were to satisfy their customers. Two other Saudis, Hasan Hibah and Bandar Al-Zahrani, complained about finding seats on flights to countries in the region; the flights are fully booked for weeks in a row. They said Saudia should address the problem by increasing the number of its flights to Syria, Egypt and Jordan. There should also be more flights within the Kingdom, they added. Hasan Hibah said it has become torturous to visit the crowded offices of travel agencies and airline companies as people struggle to find seats for destinations inside and outside the Kingdom. “Every summer there is a real crisis with reservations,” Hibah said. “Why doesn't Saudia learn from the annual crisis and dealt with it?” “Many passengers are not lucky enough to find a seat on flights so they are forced to travel by land despite their dire need to arrive at their destinations as soon as possible. Has Saudia taken this into consideration?” Al-Fadhl Al-Shafi agreed with Hasan Hibah that Saudia must learn from the past mistakes and work on better serving its summer-travel passengers. Khalid Al-Mash'houdi said Saudia needs to improve its services onboard as well as in the airport terminals. Al-Mash'houdi also complained about insufficient domestic flights serving regions such as Asir, Jeddah and the Eastern Province which are the main summer holiday destinations within the country. There is never enough staff available and there are always long lines of people at Saudia booking offices during peak travel seasons, Al-Mash'houdi said. Al-Zahrani raised the issue of passengers being stranded in airport terminals. He said it is the Saudia's responsibility to provide such passengers with hotel accommodation instead of abandoning them at the airport terminals. Flight delays are inevitable during peak seasons Mabrouk Al-Shihri said in defense of Saudia. However, he agreed that the national airline should do more to minimize delays. As Abdul Aziz Al-Zahrani pointed out, Saudia's primary concern should be the comfort of its passengers, particularly since they must now pay through their nose for its services. – Okaz __
