PIA is the Best, but the Difference Lies in Passengers' Attitude

[KSKJADOON]

I found this fantastic article on Facebook. Credit goes to the writer.

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"PIA is the Best, but the Difference Lies in Passengers' Attitude: An Honest Analysis"
Include your opinion as well.
During my travels, one thing I have consistently noticed is the behavior of our people. On airlines other than PIA, our passengers exhibit remarkable politeness and discipline. They sit in their assigned seats, fully comply with crew instructions, and immediately turn off their mobile phones after just one announcement. Seat belts are fastened on time, and there are no complaints about delays. Conversations with flight attendants are conducted in a courteous and humble tone, and in case of language barriers, passengers seek assistance from those around them. These behaviors project the image of a civilized nation.
However, the moment our brothers board a PIA flight, everything changes dramatically. From stowing hand luggage to selecting seats, disorganization becomes evident. Instead of sitting in their assigned seats, they occupy seats of their choice. This behavior becomes even more prominent during landing, as passengers ignore instructions to fasten seat belts or remain seated until the aircraft has come to a complete stop. As a result, every issue is blamed on PIA, and ultimately, criticizing the airline almost seems obligatory.
It is important to understand that technical issues are not limited to aircraft malfunctions; they can also stem from bad weather, aviation challenges, or other unforeseen circumstances. Even the world's best airlines face delays, yet our people tend to place unrealistic expectations on PIA.
Therefore, if we treat PIA like any other airline and exhibit the same level of civility and discipline as we do with others, things will undoubtedly improve. PIA is our national carrier, and we must value it.
PIA passengers are not only a representation of the airline but also a beautiful part of its journey. By making small improvements in our behavior, we can certainly enhance PIA’s standards and help it reclaim its place among the world’s top airlines.

Hyder Solangi.
A retired employee of PIA

[faisal-777]

Been a while i travelled on PIA but what the author wrote sounds correct on some sectory maybe. I have mainly flown with PIA on ISB/LHE - KHI sector and found the crowd to be okay.

[AviationLover2020]

Very true. It’s also something you will see on international sectors. Flights from Europe/US to destinations like Doha and Dubai, even when full of Pakistani pax, will be orderly. People will board according to zone numbers, not push in line, not stand up just as the plane lands, etc. Same passengers attitude changes on the Doha/Dubai - Pakistan leg. They will all stand up to board regardless of zone, push in line, etc.

It becomes worse on PIA because along with the destination/origin being Pakistan, the airline is Pakistani so ‘sab chalta hai’.

[Averagespotter]

In my personal experience, Ive felt pax from the GCC countries to Pakistan are a bit disorderly. Flights within Pakistan on the other hand have a relatively more orderly embarkation and disembarkation process. A few months ago I flew to ISB from KHI with PIA and passengers very peacefully disembarked when their row numbers were announced.

[muradmohsin]

In my personal experience, Ive felt pax from the GCC countries to Pakistan are a bit disorderly. Flights within Pakistan on the other hand have a relatively more orderly embarkation and disembarkation process. A few months ago I flew to ISB from KHI with PIA and passengers very peacefully disembarked when their row numbers were announced.

I definitely agree. I’ve flown PIA to Istanbul return in executive economy, and domestic flights fairly frequently. I’ve never encountered any disruptive passengers, who acted out of line or were generally rude to the crew or other passengers. Most I’ve seen is first time travellers being a little confused about SOPs and boarding groups, along with staying seated once the plane lands. I’ve connected on Saudia and the passengers on Lahore-Jeddah leg were much more difficult to deal with, this is due to most of them flying for the first time and usually in larger groups, which means that they’ll be very excited and generally louder.

I’m not sure how this can be fixed. I guess that with air travel growing exponentially, it’ll become less of an occasion and more of a routine thing for most people, getting used to the SOPs and norms.

[Averagespotter]

In my personal experience, Ive felt pax from the GCC countries to Pakistan are a bit disorderly. Flights within Pakistan on the other hand have a relatively more orderly embarkation and disembarkation process. A few months ago I flew to ISB from KHI with PIA and passengers very peacefully disembarked when their row numbers were announced.

I’m not sure how this can be fixed. I guess that with air travel growing exponentially, it’ll become less of an occasion and more of a routine thing for most people, getting used to the SOPs and norms.

I agree, Pakistan has a very low rate of air travel which probably results in circumstances like the ones mentioned. Encouraging the growth of our emerging middle class population and more competitive pricing from airlines will definitely help mitigate this issue.

[ba260]

Whether its PIA or not our passengers behave like animals. With recent times its starting to change I've noticed more families now coming from abroad and less labor class people on flights. Though most of the time some of these families think the airlines will baby sit their children and behave like the aircraft is their TV lounge. I've even been on business class flights to Lahore and seen people act jahil. It's all about education and our people must erase this "I am a nawab mentality" out their head.