Compromising on the business model

In the same week that His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, was profusely praising a 37-year-old blind Emirati woman who conquered the odds connected to her disability, flydubai barred a blind passenger from boarding the regional low-cost carrier without a travelling companion.

It was at the Rehabilitation Centre, Fujairah that Shaikh Mohammad paid a visit to Salma Ali Saeed, the blind Emirati woman who managed to achieve her dreams through her determination and dedication.

Salma, a native of Fujairah, lost her eyesight at the tender age of four. She was sent to a school in Bahrain, where she studied for 11 years before returning to the UAE. In that period, it was only through her strong faith and determination that she managed to pursue her education at regular schools, albeit their initial reluctance to enrol a blind student.

Salma then moved on to Egypt to pursue her studies and graduated from a university with distinction. On returning to the UAE, she took up employment with a rehabilitation centre to teach science to blind students using the Braille script — with the purpose of giving them hope and a positive path to the future.

In hailing her ambitious journey, despite the odds stacked against her, Shaikh Mohammad lauded her as an "example for every young Emirati citizen".

"Salma, you are an example not only for blind girls, but for all young people in the UAE, in their ambition and their will and determination to succeed. I admire your spirit and your power. This is the spirit we want in all the youth in our country," he said.

Shaikh Mohammad expressed his admiration for her sense of patriotism, espoused in her returning to the UAE to participate positively in the country's development process.

Meanwhile, flydubai was involved in a different script with a blind individual. Zuhair Mahmoud, a blind passenger who was booked to fly from Dubai to Jordan was denied permission to board the low-cost carrier without a travelling companion. According to Mahmoud, the airport check-in staff told him that he would be denied permission to board the aircraft because disabled passengers must travel with a companion.

"I've travelled all over the world and fly regularly and I have never encountered anything like this. They asked if anyone was travelling with me. When I said ‘No' they said I wasn't allowed on board," Mahmoud said.

"I asked to speak to a supervisor but was told that was the policy and there was no room for discussion and I was sent away. When you come up against ignorance like this, it's never pleasant," he added.

The incident had certainly left a bitter, long-lasting taste in his mouth, especially when he recalled how his travelling solo on the same carrier into Dubai was without objection.

Public apology

The incident which was promptly flashed across the world's press forced flyDubai's hand to issue a public apology. Gaith Al Gaith, flydubai chief executive officer, said: "On behalf of flydubai I would like to unreservedly apologise to Zuhair Mahmoud. Flydubai welcomes all passengers and does not in any way discriminate against disabled, blind or any other passengers with special needs. We will conduct a full investigation to find out what went wrong in this situation and take all means necessary to ensure it does not happen again."

It brought to mind an unrelated event I had with the same airline this past Ramadan. My son, a minor, who was travelling unaccompanied from Dubai to Bahrain, failed to reach his destination after he had completed check-in and immigration formalities at the airport.

After a series of phone calls between family members in Jeddah, Bahrain and Dubai, we were able to ascertain that although he had boarded the aircraft, he was subsequently told to disembark, along with several other passengers. He eventually made it back to where he was staying.

I immediately contacted flydubai, demanding a full explanation. Although I did receive a confirmation e-mail that my query was received, there was no further response, despite additional requests for an explanation. Since my son was safe and sound, I finally gave up. Unlike Mahmoud, I do not expect a public apology.

This column is not about picking a fight with flydubai. It could have been with anyone. But regionally, we have often witnessed that in the quest to get bigger, grander and faster, companies and establishments often fail to realise the one key ingredient that would make their business a success, and that is customer service.

Spectacular fireworks and splashy water shows may initially attract me. But would that be enough to keep me coming round?

Tariq A. Al Maeena is a Saudi socio-political commentator. He lives in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.