It feels odd to be running with the fox rather than riding with the hounds.
Lost? Let me explain. In my 22 years in Lebanon, June was always the month in which we not only felt initial blasts of summer heat, but also the rumblings of suitcase wheels on arrival hall floors as the advance guard of expatriate families jetted in for the summer season.
“Don’t they have anywhere else to go on holiday?” I would ask my wife. “They come over here and block the roads, crowd the restaurants and turn up unannounced with smelly teenagers in tow.”
They were easy to spot: on the streets; in shops and in the restaurants, bars and clubs.
The Lebanese who make up the 300,000 working in the GCC countries were the most visible. The logos were bigger, the watches and the jewellery flashier and the kids brattier.
The other lot, the diaspora across Europe, North America, Africa and Australia, were more harassed. They had travelled further, often in greater numbers and in cramped economy-class cabins. With no domestic staff to rely on, they were more hands-on.
Anyway, this year, it is our turn to do the expatriate thing (hence the fox and hound analogy). Lebanon is expecting another 1 million tourists this summer. They should contribute about US$4 billion to the national coffers, about 10 per cent of GDP.
Our national carrier, Middle East Airlines (MEA) and its 17-aircraft fleet, should also enjoy another bumper season.
As Lebanon’s sole airline, a status protected by government decree, MEA enjoys a monopoly of sorts.
This year’s financial figures have not been announced, but in 2012, MEA posted a net profit of $58 million, up 44 per cent from the meagre $40.4m it made in 2011.
I say “meagre” because in 2009, arguably Lebanon’s best year since the end of the civil war in 1990, MEA racked up a net profit of $118.1m, before it dipped to $90.6m in 2010. Even the lean years were good.
Airline seats are at a premium at this time of the year. If you want to fly direct from London, there is only MEA or British Airways (which matches MEA’s rates) and it is going to cost me north of $3,500 for four adult tickets.
Still, having just watched the short film on YouTube that captures two tired and emotional male passengers having a good old go at each other on an MEA flight to Beirut, I was reminded that it is also the time of the year when cracks can appear in MEA’s thin veneer.
Part of MEA’s appeal to the Lebanese is that it feels like home, which is all very well. But there are limits of just how much homeliness you can get away with when you are charging top dollar and want to be taken seriously as a boutique carrier with a serious pedigree.
Last month I took the four-hour overnight flight from London to Beirut. The food was flung at us almost as soon as the plane had taken off and then the cabin crew disappeared, presumably assuming that we were bedding down for the trip. At $800 a ticket, passengers deserve more.
Last week, MEA said it had bought an Embraer Legacy 500 aircraft, with an option to buy a second, as part of what it no doubt hopes will be a money-spinning private jet sideline.
This is a smart move by MEA. It knows it will have no shortage of takers among status-conscious Lebanese, but at the same time, if the airline is serious about its core business it needs to raise its game.
Take any airline that aspires to modern service norms – the role and performance of the cabin crew is crucial to the smooth running of any flight.
Their function is explained in detail, and in doing so, boundaries are set. There appear to be no such boundaries on MEA and no one appears to be in any hurry to set them. Service, by and large, has no smile, only attitude.
Good service in a large company must be built on the cornerstone of a healthy corporate philosophy, and this is where leadership at the top is needed.
Here ends the lesson. In the meantime, let’s pray for a peaceful and prosperous summer. Lebanon needs it.
Michael Karam is a freelance writer who lives between Beirut and Brighton.
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