Fly Aero
My first experience flying with Aero contractors — Along series reloaded
All is well that ends well, no? I want to say that Aero has been my best domestic airline so far, and to be candid, I’m a creature of habit, so I haven’t explored many options. Just like 6 so far to put it in context, there are about 23 airlines in Nigeria according to my Google search. It was a very good trip. I rate it 8.6/10. But it wasn’t this way on day one. Let’s start from the beginning.
The booking.
Booking my ticket was a long, nightmarish affair. I was drowning in an overwhelming workload and the angst associated with planning a trip, being unsure of my ability to leave work, and planning a tiny birthday surprise, the gift on the other side of the country was being delayed. A lot was happening. I had very limited funds, and I needed to make a sensible decision. Go Green Africa seemed like a decent option until I saw that they expected passengers to travel, then go and live naked in their destination. Just kidding. But why is there so little room for luggage? When you do the maths, the airline is not cheaper anything!
Anyway, after Hyeladzira Maryam Adamu encouraged me, I clicked on Areo, and the UX writer in me was having a systemic glitch. Ah! Please fix your website. It’s so difficult for neurodivergents to navigate. When it was time to pay, the page was speaking French. I even started seeing that as a sign to stay away, but I chose to stick with it. I sent an email and got a response a day later with account details to pay. And to cap it all off, I sent money; e no come dey reflect? Wdym I can’t see my 92k? Hello?! When I started seeing an error 404 page not found, I was already stressed in my soul. I tried sending distress emails, but they were aired. I called the numbers on the website; one was switched off, and the other rerouted me to a Betnaija thing. Seeeeee, I was stressed to my toes. But after a lot of drama, payment was confirmed. When it was time to move up the flight because I couldn’t make the trip, another wahala began.
The rescheduling
Maybe I learnt my lesson from the booking. The rescheduling wanted to be dramatic on the website, but as the saying goes, “Once beaten, forever shy." So I humbled myself and called the number oh. I started sparking, and the customer service rep was sincerely patient because I was reading the riot act of inclusivity and neurodivergence accessibility for her. Bless her heart; she was very helpful and polite. In a few hours, I got my reschedule done. I’m usually too calm and polite so on days when I need to get results from Nigerian organisations, there’s a persona to turn on.
The check-in
I usually have anxiety around check-ins at Nigerian airports. Why? I always have excess luggage. Don’t ask me how. The last time I travelled, the lady at Arik’s counter kept asking me if I wasn’t a businesswoman in addition to being a writer as I told her. She looked stunned at my excess luggage and I guess, my size too. Well, I almost always do, and the whole process of paying for excess luggage is unbelievably unsustainable and unnecessarily complicated. I understand if they do it to dissuade people from doing that but still — Haba mana. Anyway, for the first time in my life, from the check-in counter, I was clear. Everyone, including the ground staff who usually do traffic control at the check-in counter, was nice. I checked my clothes, just in case I did something special; it was very basic. I was directed to the payment counter; they were not charging like armed robbers! Where Arik and their cousins were charging 1000 per KG, Aero was doing 600. I was elated. I found it a small incentive, really.
The boarding
This was the clearest boarding and pre-take-off protocol of my life. Everyone else speaks as if they’re whispering enchantments in unknown tongues to secret deities. Their words were clear and direct, the mic was not vibrating, and the crew spoke in our native accent yet very proper English. This was an entirely new experience for me and I loved it. I don’t know what unnatural colonial attachments people in the aviation industry have that stop them from choosing to achieve proper communication but rather, to do smrsmrsmsrhjkdbk in a manner that confuses passengers and costs some people. I talked about how a mom with a child almost missed her flight because of this nonsense. The non-inclusivity is appalling. But Aero won my heart oh, I cannot lie. From the call on the speaker around the boarding area, to how prompt and efficient they were. Their female security officers were excellent. No one was groping body parts in an uncomfortable manner, and soon enough, we were on board.
You can imagine that the flight, landing, and disembarkment were as seamless as the boarding. This is not a paid promo; I just love to recommend good things. If you want to enjoy sensible travel without breaking the bank, try Aero Contractors. But please, anyone who knows them should tell them to fix their website. Or award me the contract to write their Website UX Copy. But they delivered on their brand promise—they are a reliable way to fly. Looking forward to my next trip with them.
What has your worst travelling experience been? I have many, but at least I have not had to travel with goats and sheep sitting beside me. Have you used Aero before? What was your experience? Which airline is your worst (mine is United Nigeria)? Which airline is your best? I look forward to hearing from you.
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Yours in service,
Ballie 💖
