Pandemic with the new coronavirus it has affected industries, affected billions of people and over 150 territories and countries. It paralyzed an entire planet. Or rather, the authorities have implemented some drastic measures in the hope that they will be able to slow down and even stop the spread of the virus, measures that have led to the paralysis of the global economy.
Among the industries most affected by the measures imposed by the authorities are aviation, tourism and hospitality. I have written hundreds of articles about suspended routes, about layoffs in the aviation industry, about millions of flights canceled and tens of millions of passengers affected. Everyone is wondering what is going on plane tickets for canceled flights. Is money being lost?
We also looked for answers and published information to people. I also wrote about future new routes, about resumption of flights to Romania, which have been announced by various airlines. I also wrote about companies that have gone bankrupt. I also published information with the rules applied in air travel.
We know this is not a comfortable time for many of us. We understand the difficulties of some airlines and the difficulties that travel agencies and horeca companies go through.
SILENCE is not a solution
But do you know what I didn't understand during that time? The fact that most airlines and in general companies in various fields, which were visibly affected by the measures imposed by the authorities, they chose SILENCE. At least during the emergency, we hardly found information communicated by the airlines to their passengers. Even I have encountered difficulties in contacting certain brands to solve various problems.
In times of crisis, the biggest mistake is to put your head in the sand and wait for the effect of the crisis to pass. People are not upset when you communicate good and bad news with them, when you communicate transparently. But when you don't communicate, people start to have doubts, fear, fear of losing money, etc. It also matters a lot the tone in which it is communicated, the way in which the message is transmitted.
At the same time, it should to find the right solutions for all those affected. In the present case, passengers complain to a very large extent that they have canceled flights and have not been notified of this, plus that they have not received alternatives to the affected flights. Some people get a voucher on their neck, but they also have difficulty showing how they can get a refund.
Many passengers complain that they are not taken into account, that no one answers their questions, that there are no active phones. Some may just want some useful information, but they can hardly get it. I understand that there is a very large volume of requests, but a solution must be found for all customers to receive answers. Even though flights have frequently been canceled as a result of measures imposed by the authorities, people end up accusing the airlines precisely of the lack of communication.
I hope that airline operators will communicate more with their direct customers, give them advice and answers to questions. Passengers will be assured that they will not lose their money and that, in the near future, they will be able to travel to their desired destination.