There are three things that matter when it comes to air travel: punctuality, baggage not being lost and in-flight comfort. 

There has been a lot of chatter recently on the national carrier the SriLankan Airlines and I want to add my own experience in the interest of the silent majority. Too often, the opinion of a single traveller, when voiced aloud on the internet, is taken to be the general perception of all. This is far from the truth.

There is something I learnt when I spoke about my personal experience with SriLankan Airlines pilot Captain Rajind Ranatunga, one of the proudest employees of the national carrier. Typically, he said, much noise is made when there is a bad experience but those who have nothing to complain about or feel that the entire experience was as good as in any other airline, would, at best, say ‘thank you’. They do not whip out their smartphones and hammer out a story as though they have been appointed to represent all the passengers. I belong to this category of passengers. 

Therefore, I caution the reader not to extrapolate. This is my story and I speak for myself. 

I boarded a SriLankan flight UL 318 from Colombo to Malaysia few days ago. The check-in process was as smooth as in any other airline counter, but the SriLankan managed lounge experience was a cut above the rest - excellent cuisine, good ambience and everything, washrooms included, all spick and span. I mentioned restrooms because I am a firm believer that the status of such facilities says a lot about an organisation. Furthermore, someone travelling with his wife and two young daughters does tend to notice anything that is even slightly askew. I did not. 

The flight left and arrived on time. We all had a very good onboard experience. The food and the service were excellent. The cabin crew was particularly nice to the children, I noticed with much appreciation. 

We were not kept waiting at the baggage carousels. We picked up our luggage and reached our destination much earlier than expected.

I might have considered the possibility that my positive experience was an exception after reading some negative comments about the Airline, except that I have never had any issue with the SriLankan Airlines. I have not forgotten the fact that in 2018 and 2019, the SriLankan was considered the most punctual airline in the world.

This obviously does not mean that excellence in all things is the norm at the SriLankan Airlines. There is always room for improvement. Those who complain obviously had reason to do so. The Airline should address these issues promptly and take measures to ensure that whatever it was that bothered the particular passenger does not arise thereafter. 

The Airline has been hampered in the past by political interference. In this context, it was heartening to see one of the Board Directors, Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya, travelling on the same flight like just another passenger without being accorded any special privileges; just the courtesies offered to the rest of the passengers, as should be the case always.

I also recalled the time when business tycoon Harry Jayawardena was the Chairman of the SriLankan Airlines. Those ‘golden days’ are still talked of by employees, for it was a time when the Airline not only made profits but was able to grant bonuses to the staff.

The SriLankan, in my opinion, with the right management team, can achieve those standards and improve on them. Indeed, the Airline would do well to set itself a target of not leaving any room for anyone to complain, not even a random, ill tempered passenger who is having a bad day.  

For now, I have no complaints and I wish them well.

(The writer is a media personality and political analyst.)