Yes ...the pax are listening and reading and reacting .....
I have taken a keen interest in the toxic air syndrome, in recent years and regularly engage with air and cabin crew when I can to ascertain if they are aware of the issue.
Many Cabin Crew seem to be ignorant of the condition but have noted the AeroToxic.org website as well as the aopis.org site when i have provided the details. Some of flight crew I have spoken remain sceptical and cautious about the existence of the condition, and others (like many respondents in this thread) are in total denial of it.
If I am on a flight and notice any 'smells & odurs' out of the ordinary, I shall make the point to a member of the crew to see if they concur. I normally follow it up with a comment card to the airline.
I had reason to report 2 incidents on flights during the summer months on BA flights ( B744 & 767) when on push back and subsequent 'start-up' there were definite pungent 'fuel' odurs in the cabin. On both occasions the stewards agreed that they were also aware of the smell and reported it to the Purser.
I filled in the comment cards with my observations of the incidents and passed them to the Purser at the end of the flight.
I shall share you with you the response that I received on both occasions from BA customer relations...exactly the same letter....and no mention of the actual sort of complaint I was bringing to their attention!
I wonder if BA is trying to 'buy' my silence on this subject of contaminated air by providing me with additional Executive Airmiles??!!
"Dear Mr ………
Thank you for getting in touch with us about your concerns. Please forgive me for taking longer than usual to respond and for not writing back to you in as much detail as I would like. We are at the peak of our summer season and are much busier than usual.
We take our customer’s views very seriously and I am disappointed to learn you are not satisfied with your experience with British Airways. I want to reassure you that we have a number of initiatives underway to address shortfalls in our customer service and to improve the products and services we offer. Our customer feedback is very valuable to us and is used to help us identify and prioritise these improvements.
I have arranged for your Executive Club account to be credited with 20,000 BA Miles as a gesture of goodwill on our part to recognise the problems you have raised.
I am very sorry we have let you down on this occasion. I hope we have the opportunity to welcome you back on board again soon and restore your confidence in British Airways.
Best regards
J……… K…….
British Airways Customer Relations
Your case reference is:......."
When I thanked them for their generosity, but felt that i should like to understand the 'number of initiatives' that the airline is going to introduce in regard this matter, I did not receive any further comment.
Hopefully with pax as well as crews raising the matter more frequently & openly, the resources to undertake more independent research across all aircraft types will be made available. The subsequent findings should provided to an independent policy board as well as the airline industry for further action.
Given the interests of the various airlines, engine manufacturers, aircraft manufacturers & large petroleum firms, and a CAA that is more concerned with the health of the airlines rather than the Public's health and safety interests, I suspect that the chances of this occurring are slim.