Flight attendants leave bags inside Starbucks for hours
In some countries like Singapore, “chope-ing”, or reserving seats at food establishments using belongings, is acceptable.
However, it’s a different story when this practice leaves the tables unoccupied for hours on end.
In Seoul, South Korea, a large group of new flight attendants, reportedly from Asiana Airlines, were recently slammed for leaving their bags at a Starbucks Reserve near the historical landmark Gwanghwamun Square.
This reportedly inconvenienced other customers and consequently drew criticism online, MBC reported.
20 to 30 flight attendants left bags at Starbucks outlet
According to The Korea Herald on Feb 11, about 30 flight attendants arrived at the Starbucks outlet to order just a few drinks.
Among the large group, they only ordered five to 10 beverages before leaving their bags behind to attend visa interviews at the nearby US Embassy.
Source: Insight
As their bags occupied the seats, other customers who wanted drinks were reportedly forced to leave the premises without finding a seat.
Flight attendants have been leaving luggages at outlet for weeks
The Starbucks official reportedly told The Chosun Daily that similar incidents have occurred at the outlet at least four to five times over the past few weeks.
“When we ask them to remove their luggage, they respond, ‘We ordered something, so why are you doing this?’,” the official claimed, adding that this has significantly made their operations difficult.
Source: 패션 매거진 – RAMA on Facebook
The company also advised customers not to leave their belongings behind, especially for extended periods, citing the risk of theft.
Airline halted bus service for flight attendants attending visa interviews
According to local reports, the US Embassy in South Korea prohibits bringing large bags during visa interviews due to the risk of terrorism.
As such, companies typically rent buses for their staff during group visa interviews, but the airline involved reportedly halted this service recently.
This has subsequently led to flight attendants leaving their personal items at nearby cafes to attend their interviews.
Following criticism, the airline reportedly apologised, saying, “We had to pack our luggage for training after the visa interview, but we failed to properly manage it.”
It added that it would strengthen guidance and training for employees to prevent similar incidents from occurring.
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Woman in Indonesia detained after impersonating Batik Air cabin crew, failed recruitment attempt
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Featured image adapted from Google Maps, Insight.
