Air India has also issued a series of ‘dos and don’ts’ on denial of service. (representative)
New Delhi:
In the wake of recent incidents of rowdy passenger behavior, Air India has changed its in-flight alcohol service policy, instructing flight attendants to tactfully refuse to serve more alcohol when necessary.
The Tata Group-owned airline has been fined by the DGCA in recent days in connection with the unruly behavior of passengers boarding two international flights.
According to a revised policy issued on January 19, guests should not be allowed to drink alcohol unless flight attendants are serving them, and flight attendants may be consuming their own alcohol. Care should be taken to identify potential guests.
“Alcoholic beverages must be served in a reasonable and safe manner, including (and) skillfully refusing to serve alcohol to guests,” the policy states. It has been.
Air India has also issued a series of ‘dos and don’ts’ on denial of service.
These require flight attendants to be courteous, avoid value judgments, be quick-witted, and politely inform guests that they will no longer serve alcohol.
According to the policy, “Don’t call guests ‘drunk’. Politely warn them that their behavior is unacceptable.”
“Don’t speak up. If they speak up, lower yours…don’t put off the refusal, act while the guest can still explain why,” said the airline. The company states in its policy.
In addition, I tell the flight attendants that just because you’ve addressed it verbally, they shouldn’t assume the problem is over. “Management of overly intoxicated patrons should be done proactively and respectfully,” he added.
Serving alcoholic beverages to passengers is a long-standing practice, but airlines said there is a difference between consuming alcohol for pleasure and getting drunk as a result of consuming it. .
“Air India does not believe that the flight attendants have the authority to refuse boarding, to refuse the service of alcoholic beverages or if the guest is drinking himself and that the guest’s functioning is impaired by alcohol to the extent that it poses a danger. Authorize the aircraft, passengers (crew or guests), or guests themselves to remove unconsumed alcohol when there is a legitimate reason to do so,” the policy states.
Serving alcoholic beverages must be done in a reasonable and safe manner. This includes (even) tactfully refusing to serve alcohol to guests, the airline said.
Guests should not be allowed to drink alcohol unless served by flight attendants, and it is important that flight attendants take care to identify guests who may be consuming their own alcohol. is.
In a statement, an Air India spokesperson said the airline had reviewed its existing in-flight alcohol service policy, referenced practices of other airlines and was informed by guidelines from the National Restaurant Association.
“While these were largely in line with Air India’s existing practices, some adjustments were made to provide greater clarity and help crews recognize and manage potential poisoning cases. An NRA traffic light system was included to help.
“The new policy has now been promulgated to our flight attendants and included in our training curriculum. Air India remains committed to the safety and well-being of our passengers and cabin crew, including but not limited to the responsible service of alcohol. ‘ said the spokesperson.
Air India says the NRA’s traffic light system should be used to recognize and manage potential poisonings. The system allows you to observe guest behavior and classify it as green, yellow or red.
“Flight attendants are responsible for monitoring customers for signs of excessive intoxication and should observe the customer’s speech, coordination, balance and behavior.
“Observations of guest behavior can be classified as green, yellow, or red,” he added.
Carriers may have behaviors that may simply be personality traits of the person, such as speaking loudly or laughing loudly, and may be the result of cultural background rather than unruly behavior. Emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between behaviors. A worried, upset, or rude customer should use conflict management techniques to de-escalate and avoid the escalation of the situation. Best dealt with.
On the ground, airlines say boarding should be checked for symptoms such as slurred speech, unsteady gait, use of foul language and threatening behavior. Any such symptoms should be reported to the cabin supervisor/captain.
(Except for the headline, this article is unedited by NDTV staff and published from a syndicated feed.)
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