I was looking forward to getting some writing done on the 15-hour flight from Melbourne to Los Angeles. While not as good as some of its competitors, I had reasonable room in my business class seat on Qantas. Everything looked to be in my favor. As I arranged my power cord for my Mac, I tried to make myself comfortable.
“You may want to be careful.”
The steward’s voice caught me off guard.
“Your notebook will likely trip the electrical circuit for everyone in business class.”
“Why?”
“Macs draw a lot of power. It is my experience that passengers with Macs want to much from the system. We cannot handle it.”
“So, what am I supposed to do?”
“If you want to recharge your machine, do it while you are not using it. It is the one way that passengers have used to make things work.”
In that moment, I would love to have a conversation with the two Chief Operating Officers of Singapore Airlines and Qantas sitting together. In my imagination, the conversation unfolds along the following lines.
“How do you approach the needs of the business traveler?”
Singapore Airlines; “I didn’t skimp or trim in any way.” (Acts 20.19)
Qantas; “I weigh the pros and cons (costs) and determine what s/he needs.”
“What happens if you fall short of their needs?”
“We learn and strive to get it right. We are here to serve.”
“We weigh their needs and do what is best for all involved.”
I think the real conversation sound better. However, the outcome would not be any different. With one, there is a chance my needs would be met. With the other, their needs would stand equal to mine.
I did not see the warning in the fine print. I missed the explanation in their advertisements. I did not anticipate the attitude hidden in their warm smiles that welcomed me on board. I expected something very different. I thought I was joining a community where the needs of everyone would be met. I heard an invitation and found something else.
