O

n May 3, my friend and I flew on Singapore Airlines flight number SQ 957 from Jakarta to Singapore.

The flight was delayed by 20 minutes, but that wasn't the only thing that bothered us.

Our seats were on the first row of economy-class. Shortly after boarding, one of the crew dropped a kitchen towel on the pantry floor, leaving half of it lying in the aisle. Nobody bothered to pick it up. I glanced at my friend and she nodded. She'd also seen it. We waited and waited for someone to pick it up, but nothing happened. Finally, one of the crew members kicked the towel aside.

My friend and I breathed in relief. We thought of picking it up because it just bothered us and we were worried someone might trip on it, but we decided to see what happened next. Finally, when the captain announced we were landing, one of the crew members kicked the towel into the pantry.

As soon as we boarded the plane, my friend asked for a blanket. She had to repeat the request four times before someone finally gave it to her. Worse, the food was served when we reached Singapore airspace (we could see the island from our window) and we had to gobble it down in a hurry because the captain had announced that we would shortly land. We had barely finished the meal when the crew asked if they could clear the table.

A similar incident happened on the flight back to Jakarta, minus the towel. The crew was frantic. There's a difference between being fast and being frantic and this crew was firmly in the latter category, creating an uneasy feeling as if they were rushing us.

Once again, the food was served after the captain had announced we would shortly land. Once again, we had to race against time. It was the last flight from Singapore and I was tired and hungry and the last thing I wanted was to arrive home on an empty stomach. Unfortunately, there was simply no time to finish the meal, let alone enjoy it.

I'm was big fan and admirer of Singapore Airlines for its good services in the past, but I simply could not believe how bad it had become my first flight with the airline back in 1983. The good old Singapore Airlines is no more. What a pity.

Lela E. Madjiah
Jakarta