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Cable News
If this is a rip-off, how come I can't spend any money?
By ADI IGNATIUS
September 13, 1999
Web posted at 9 a.m. Hong Kong time, 9 p.m. EDT
Warning: what follows is an airline-outrage story. It's not a classic, like the urban mythical pilot who locks himself out of the cockpit and has to crash his way back in with an ax. But it's a true story. And it's mine.
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I flew last week from Hong Kong to Singapore on Singapore Airlines. Great service, great seats, decent food. No problem. Then I noticed that my seat was equipped with an electrical power outlet. Neat! SIA, it turns out, is phasing in such outlets in all of its business- and first-class seats on select aircraft.
I've been swamped with stuff lately, so the idea of being able to work during the flight was appealing. (I warned you this wasn't a sexy story.) Normally, whenever I take my Mac G3 on the road, I get approximately four minutes of use before the battery dies. That's true no matter how many times I replace the batteries or how thoroughly I charge them before I leave home. This seemed to be a great opportunity.
The SIA outlets are oddly shaped; I've never seen a cable that would fit them. So I asked the air hostess if I could buy one of the airline's "Inseat Laptop Adapter Cables." "We don't sell them on the plane," she explained but added, helpfully, that I could buy one at the Singapore airport. The work piled up, and I settled back to watch the new Austin Powers.
A day later, when it came time for the return flight, I was so eager to try out the new gadget that I actually switched my ticket from Cathay Pacific to SIA. (Interesting, what can drive brand loyalty.) But after making the change, I learned that the airport does not in fact sell the cables.
Does anyone? The airline won't sell them onboard; the airport shops don't have them. I later learned that the only option I had was to order one via the SIA Inflight Mail Order magazine. That means waiting for several weeks. And get this: they cost US$112 apiece. For a power cable!
Here's a tip for SIA. If you're going to put forward a "deal" like this, make it a little easier. Catch us when we're desperate, a mile-high, and willing to hand over a credit card to purchase pretty much anything we think we can't do without.
Because if customers have the luxury of waiting, they sometimes decide not to buy. I still haven't filled out the form.
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