Established and accomplished, Omar is the main distributor of a popular cosmetic brand in the U.A.E. At 52, he loves to read and write poems as a way to express himself and relief some inner angst. Furthermore, he’s become a frequent traveler. He has flown more than 15 times in the last year alone. He has been living in Dubai for the past 23 years and believes he’s made the right choice due to the fact that Dubai is a major business hub and most importantly it’s close to his native country, Pakistan. It’s very convenient for him to fly in or out Dubai no matter where he’s going or where he’s coming from. For him, nothing beats the convenience of flying, unless one has time for cruising during leisure travel.
Not at all affected by the crisis, Omar didn’t hold back on his leisure travel. Vacationing is essential so he can spoil his wife and his two sons; “they deserve it”. The future of the travel industry doesn’t keep him up at night; however, he expresses some of his concerns on the issue of security. “Companies and governments are coming up with strict rules and regulations making the traveler’s life miserable and causing unnecessary pain for him”. While he acknowledges that people affected by the crises started flying less, he’s affirmative that people will continue to travel in the future because people who live in Dubai always need to get away for a while either for a vacation or to go home. “We live in over populated cities and there comes a time when one has to get away from the traffic and the malls to a sanctuary to unwind”. Furthermore, Omar claims that the travel industry will have to adapt to travelers needs at risk of being outdone by low cost airlines, “with more low cost airlines, the price of tickets will come down and there will be severe pressure on the other airlines to do the same”. When ask about the future role of technology in the travel industry Omar immediately mentioned that he was a huge tech-geek and the he loved spending time at Sharf DG . Agreeing that this is one of the most influential factors on the travel industry, he believe that one day all will be done via cell phones. “No more tickets, no more paper IDs, no more need for multiple currencies or visa cards, just your portable phone, I can’t wait!”
An immense fan of exclusivity and outstanding service, he doesn’t believe that anyone should settle for average or the norm. Unfortunately, in several of his travels he was appalled by the services provided. Still in the quest of finding an airline that offers the total package, he’s never shy of sharing the names of his most and least favorite airlines. He can swear by the services and comfort of Cathay Pacific, British airways and Singapore airlines, but would rather not travel Emirates unless he had to, “the services of Emirates airlines have greatly deteriorated to an intolerable level. The crew is impolite and they are not enough”. He compares his Emirates experience to a rudimentary airline, “Delta airlines’ service is far more superior to those of Emirates airlines”. Heated, he explained that he had flown first class and expected exclusive treatment which he didn’t receive. With only 8 passengers travelling in first class, he was frustrated with the lengthy amount of time it took to serve the food. Keeping track of the time, he was bewildered that it took the staff 10 minutes to serve the 5 passengers that were in front of him. Moreover, while he does not deny that the airhostesses were pleasant to look at, he seemed to be very unhappy with the way they treated him. According to him, Emirates’ hostesses do not give sufficient individual attention to passengers, especially in first class where he was expecting superior treatment. “I pay a crucial amount of money thinking that I will get a comfortable trip. I am faced with the contrary whenever I travel with Emirates. I am always stressed about incompetent service or rude treatment. You don’t get value for my money”. Not wanting to be overly negative and wanting to be more constructive, he started to describe what his perfect airline would be like. Using Porsche as an example, he explained that nothing comes close to the excellent service and to the attention to detail provided. “I pay a large amount of money every time I take my car for service, but I don’t mind at all because I get nothing but the best in return”. Every time he goes to Porsche for service, Omar feels like he is the only customer. “I feel royal and important and nothing can beat that feeling!”
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