PIA flight delayed over poor seating

[Abbas Ali]

By Zulqernain Tahir

LAHORE, 30: A London-bound PIA flight was postponed when a good number of its Business Class passengers refused to sit on ‘substandard seats’.

Sources in the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the national airline told DAWN that PK-757 was to leave for London at 11:45am on Saturday (December 30). However most of the Business Class passengers disembarked, complaining that seats were substandard.

“They (passengers) disembarked from the plane and sat in the boarding area,” the sources said and added that the airline officials tried to persuade them but to no avail, as they were persistently demanding replacement of the Airbus A310 or adjusting them in another flight.

When the passengers agreed to board the plane after a four hour long persuasion, the pilot refused to take off on the ground that he was feeling depressed and could not fly the plane after going through the situation,” the sources further informed.

After the pilot’s refusal the officials concerned were left with not other option but to put off the flight for Sunday (today).

Sources said the announcement of the flight postponement annoyed passengers of the Economy Class.

PIA spokespersons in Lahore were not available for comments.

Source: DAWN

[Amaad Lone]

The business class passengers should have been offloaded along with their luggage, and the flight should have left leaving them behind.

[PK757]

I dunno y this happened! i mean the aircraft reg was AP-BEC it has been refitted with the 777 like business plus seats. There shudn't have been this display . I mean the aircraft is not in that bad a condition, the worst cabin appearence title goes to the ex-aeroflot 310s had it been one from those series it would have made sense. There hasd gotta be more to it than just bad seats, i guess unservice dcabin or improper function of some cabin features might have annoyed the passengers.
T.A.P is operating A310s with similar seats, they have never witnessed such a walkout from passengers!

[DEZI]

Business Class passengers do not fancy the A310 or any other semi wide bodied airplane for the long hauls. A revenue passeger and that too a Business class one must get value for money. period.

[PK777]

But if ur getting seats that are the same as the B777s! What difference does sitting on a B777 and A310 - apart from size? Or was that these passengers know the PIA incidents involving PIA's A310s?

[PK757]

may i also add that, the same pax are more than happy and content with flying gulf air'S CRAMPED AND FilTHY A320S AND THAI AIRWAY'S A300S that are far more dilapedated and have such old tattered , hideous lilac seats with improper seat trims , broken hatracks and dysfuncitonal or mono IFE .
I dunno why our ppl complain soo much!

[SalamPaks]

Business Class passengers do not fancy the A310 or any other semi wide bodied airplane for the long hauls. A revenue passeger and that too a Business class one must get value for money. period.

The aircraft has little to do with it. I suspect these passengers sat down and found that the seat reclining mechanisms, individual lights and power pors were not working in the Business cabin. I have been on several PIA aircraft where the crew did not know how to reset the seats/IFE/Power.

[F.K]

this whole story is nothing short of bullshit. the flight carrying full load had to offload passengers since the fuel burn would ve been too high using 310 aircraft to london. serves them right for trying to substitute a 310 for the 747s to the busiest route during this season

[FULLTHRUST]

this whole story is nothing short of bullshit. the flight carrying full load had to offload passengers since the fuel burn would ve been too high using 310 aircraft to london. serves them right for trying to substitute a 310 for the 747s to the busiest route during this season

hahaha, what a crap!!

[sadiqhassan]

im surprised that PIA just didn't leave them behind. I imagine that LHR (or STN) will fine then heavily for being so delayed. Maybe PK could have arranged some Y and J pax to switch with eachother since the business class seats were so substandard

[Moin]

Pakistanion ke nakhray khatam nahi hon gay!

[Charliedelta11]

ok..this story is a load of crap..what FK said is a greater load of crap..

the reason why this flight was delayed was because the flight ccrew was exceeding duty limitations..and would not fly unless there was a multiple crew..and flt op's could not get its hands on any spare captain for the flight..thus the delay..tthats it...

[Mir]

Applying Occam’s razor to the above mentioned story and various suggested “crap”s , CD11 explanations seems most logical.

[PakN'US]

It never ceases to amaze me, why do PIA and Pakistani officials in general lie so consistently to cover their blunders.