PAL's Bulkhead Seats, A New Class Of Service

Really?! Really!

Few days ago, I flew PAL from Cebu to Manila on their 747 aircraft. Only them has that - other airliners in this country don't have 747s! AND, that flight booked via the web was cheaper than anything I could get from Cebu Pacific! But that was the best of it!

During boarding, when I saw that 42DEFG were unoccupied, I sat at 42G and no one reprimanded me. Snoozed the flight off after the daily papers and the snacks. Yes again, only PAL (still) has those and that's why I love PAL.

However, midway through the flight, a stewardess tapped my shoulder asking for my boarding pass. I asked why. She said she needed to see my seat number. As I was still trying to fish the boarding pass from my pocket, I said 46G. Then she said "oh, you cannot sit here sir"! I asked "bakit"? Her reply was, "it is against regulation". I asked "which regulation, the flight has already taken off, the seat-belt sign is off and we're even almost arriving, right?". Then she said, "sir, mas mahal ang bayad dito, these bulkhead seats are only for those who paid the corresponding fare, so if you were not given this seat in your boarding pass, you cannot sit here during the flight".

I was not only surprised, I was perplexed! So, half-smiling I asked (note I was not yet moving) "why don't I know that? Have you announced this? That you have a new fare-type? Has it been published? Does it say in your website?" Before she could give an answer a fag-sounding 'male' crew boomed-in from behind my seat, "sir that is the regulation po, we have to follow"! Surprised at his sudden appearance I said to him "why are you all of a sudden here, di nya ba kaya ipaliwanag sa akin ito? Yes I will follow" (got up to transfer to 46G) then asked him "tell me, is this really regulation as you just said or just one of your money-making tactics". His reply was "basta ganun po sir, mas mahal ang bayad sa mga bulkhead seats". I was stepping to my 46G and they were following me so I asked again "mas mahal, therefore a different class of service?". No reply. I repeated my question now looking at them "so the bulkhead seats are a different class of service?". She nodded and he said "ganun na nga po". I sat at 46G and said "okay". Then he still followed with "sir, you can transfer to any seat in the cabin except the bulkhead seats". I said "okay na ako dito". Ah he still had more to say! "Sir, I hope you understand". I said, "I DONT understand, pero bumalik na ako sa 46G di ba? okay na, iwanan nyo na ako!" Then I tried to snooze... again! I couldn't. The situation got me into thinking.

Some minutes later came another fag (just a bit older) approaching me with a mechanical smile and said "sir?". Now that irritated me so I said, "what else do you want, I am back in my seat, right?". He said "ipapaliwanag lang po sana..." and I cut him with a very rude "naliwanagan na ako! Ang ipaliwanag mo sa dalawang FA mo dun (pointing at take-off position front of 62HJK) na dapat they should have already told me even before we departed. Alam ba nila na me presyo ang mga seats na yan or pareho silang tatanga-tanga? Your regulation is all passengers should take their assigned seats during take-off for weight and balance purposes di ba? I was not apprehended. Now midway through the flight you ask me to transfer because those bulkhead seats are a different class of service. Ano yan business class, first class, tourist class, royal class? Don't explain anymore, whatever you say about that I won't understand because I don't want to understand, problema ko na yan, right?" Oh, he had more to say... "sir hindi naman po siguro tanga yung dalawang FA namin, masakit naman po yun, nakaligtaan lang siguro". Now he was fueling my ire... the more the topic was discussed the more my blood boiled, so I retorted with a firmer "that is how I want to call them and you can put that on record, I will even write that on a complaint letter if I want to, mas inuuna nyo ang kita kesa sa safety regulations for weight and balance purposes". Ah he still had more and offered "sir, if you want you can fill out our customer complaint form". Now I was totally angry and looked him in the eye and said "NO"! Then I closed my eyes taking deep breaths as I was already trembling with anger. So I don't know if he left me making a u-turn like your supermodels at the end of a rampway would sashay or he rolled his eyes or he made faces at me, whatever. I just closed my eyes and hoped the palpitation would ebb ASAP!

Minutes later I opened my eyes and watched those 'just for laughs' clips onscreen. That made me sane again!

Okie folks, I arrived home and made some calls. One said it started sometime March and another said April 1. Still another said "its just like other airlines". I checked their website, and as I write this, it is still there on "offer" as "CESS" or Choice Economy Seat Surcharge. Okay, fine. But let's do some little analysis on my "angalysis"...

First, the cabin crews' treatment of those bulkhead seats were as if they're a different class of service. They even affirmed it, right?!

Second, the website's description of the CESS does not say that those seats, if vacant, may not be used by other passengers who did not pay CESS, even if perchance briefly during flight. Now, the exceptions written on the website does not consider people with long limbs like me and the elderly. Oops oops, don't be quick, I have never talked about an exit seat, the topic is just the bulkhead of a 747 aircraft specifically seats 62DEFG!

Now what is the problem? The problem is PAL went overboard again.

This offering of "choice seats" is not something new. In fact, it has been a practice of many airliners I wonder why PAL only thought about it now. What I am trying to say flatly is PAL has just copied this from many other airliners. This is not something original on their part. HOWEVER, their "offer" becomes an irritant instead of an "extra service" to passengers. Why?

Let us look at the "original" on this choice seat thing... Not very long ago, during reservation with all airlines in the world, people would insist on being given those choice seats. The usual handling done would be 1) "yes if you were our VIP or frequent flyer", 2) "NO, but if you really want it, go early and be first at the check-in counter". That's it. Fair enough, right? But some passengers who had friends or friends oF friends in the airlines still got away with reserving those choice seats and they did not have to go early to the airport.

So, some real-wise guys in the industry (certainly not PAL's) said, okay, let's once and for all accept reservations for choice seats but let them pay a certain premium for the bother. And fair enough! Passengers did bite the idea. It became standard for almost all airlines - except PAL. That is why, on Cebu Pacific's website, if you want a choice seat, there is an extra charge, right?

BUT... The big difference is THAT...

With Cebu Pacific and most airliners in the world, if not all choice seats were reserved with a fee (it happens many times esp during lean season) those that remain are given free to those who come EARLY to ask for them. Further (PAL people take note), it is the same story inside the plane, meaning - if not all choice seats were taken at check-in, you who are seated somewhere else can freely occupy it (at the very least after take-off until before landing)... PERIOD! Wala nang madaming "regulation" na sinasabi... PERIOD!

Now you might say that is unfair to those who paid for the extra premium (What PAL calls CESS). You are wrong. Don't be like PAL's pencil pushers whose brains cant seem to look at all six sides of a cube! The practice above is certainly NOT unfair. Why? Here is why... the premium that you pay is for the effort that airline personnel have to go through just to reserve that seat for you. It requires extra attention and extra steps from people at the reservations office to people at the airport just to ensure that the choice seat is associated with your name, thus, not anymore available to others. That is what you pay for. Kuha?!

I know you will say, eh di lugi ako, nagbayad ako ng extra, yun pala katabi ko hindi. Now I will say... hindi ka lang lugi, tanga ka pa! Alam mo na pala na hindi puno ang mga flights me pa-reserve-reserve ka pa ng choice seat with extra payment. Being first at the check-in counter should be enough in those situations. Ganun!

You want to know what's really unfair? Eto... You have an almost full flight, not very full, just a few seats vacant. Then you look at passengers in their seats, some of them tall, some of them old, some of them wanting that extra space for the laptop case and the external drive to be laid upon. Then you look at all your 'choice seats' vacant. As an airline you are unfair to passengers because those seats are technically economy seats too. They're not another class of service, and just because everyone who want them did not pay extra you deprive them of those seats EVEN IF those are vacant? You are also being unfair to the airline as a business and to its stockholders. Why? Because your unintelligent (okay, idiotic) "offer" that was implemented as a totally different class of service is making the riding public think ill of the airline as its coming out that you implemented hidden-charges and forgotten about service.

Here is more on what's unfair... on my flight, folks seated from 63HJK down to 65HJK were traveling as a group. They all witnessed my case and they were listening. At that point where I closed my eyes in anger, I heard a woman say, "grabe 'no?! intsik talaga". See?! THAT is unfair for I am sure walang kamalay-malay si Lucio Tan dyan. Poor old rich man, nadawit sa kabuktutan ng new product of his pencil pushers who have the brains of askal (asong-kalye)!

Now I'm thinkin... I smell something... if you declare an exclusive part of the aircraft by reason of fare paid, you are supposedly making it another class of service. And I think the authorities are supposedly consulted before such things can be implemented. Di ba?! Is there a CAA or CAB in this country? Do they know about this? A new class of service? Were they not consulted?

Summing this up... it is not as if a seat can be declared more expensive because it is a choice seat. The airline is just supposed to charge an extra premium WHEN you reserve for it. Otherwise, just like every other seat, it should be available on a first-come-first-served-basis - and for all intents and purposes IT IS an ECONOMY SEAT.