Are you smarter than a 5th Grader?

They say that the test of a relationship is to travel together on a trip. The start of our holiday to Shenzhen indicated that we would have failed terribly should be appear on the show "Are you smarther than a 5th grader". Though panic and shock attacked us in the beginning, we ended up laughing at each other realising that we only had ourselves to blame.

Having said that, travelling on Air Asia today [Friday 5th Dec 2008, AK522] was quite an annoying experience. It was not so much on Air Asia's crew but more on the travellers and tour leader present on our flight.

At the check-in counter, someone checked in for her group - a big group. She then asked for 1 express boarding sticker. Hmmmm, one could imagine what she's planning.

It was practically a full flight and the queue lining up for the aircraft was so long. Due to our circumstances, my family and I were nearly at the end of the queue.

By the time we boarded the aircraft, there were so many passengers who have reserved seats for their fellow group members. This I can't tolerate. I approached the stewardess and informed her that there are so many people booking seats for their groups by placing their bags on these empty seats. One of the passengers who put bags on 2 seats told us that those seats are for his travelling buddies and that their tour leader told him to book those seats. They need to be close to their tour leader COME ON!

1) This is a free seating flight. You're not supposed to be booking seats.
2) From the moment we take off to the moment we land, we're all in the same single aircraft. How are you going to lose each other?
2) If it was so that they are in a tour group travelling together, why isn't the tour leader providing stickers or badges for her group so that she can find them easily in the aircraft?
3) Isn't there a code of ethics that need to be observed by such tour leaders?
4) Even though it was announced over and over that no such reservation of seats are allowed, no one bothered to adhere to them.
5) The stewardesses were personally telling the ignorant passengers that they cannot book seats, yet these passengers refused to give in. Where is the respect and courtesy?

Such blantant display of selfishness is a damper for other passengers. Not only do we have to walk up and down the aise to plead with each "bookie" to let us sit at the "sat by a bag" seats. Mind you, there were so many passengers who like us had to move up and down that aisle to try and get seats thus creating a traffic jam. This self centred attitude of these "bookies" protecting what they claim to be their rights is utterly NOT RIGHT. It really spoils the mood for what could have been a more pleasant trip for all.

There's a new form of advertising opportunity/revenue on Air Asia flights. Can you spot it?

To all tour or groups leaders taking groups travelling on Air Asia, please be more courteous to others. As a leader, you have a duty to demonstrate leadership qualities of professionalism and care. Efficiency without concern for others around you is nothing to be proud of. We, the ones who earlier failed the 5th Grader test could think of common decency and practice it. For the good of all, could think and act smarter? Please.

And oh yes, my family and I did manage to get seats in the end. Although each of us were staggered around the aircraft, but we didn't lose anyone. Being in the one aeroplane made sure of that.