OREANDA-NEWS.  July 24, 2013. Cathay Pacific and Dragonair served millions of passengers last year and there were many occasions when the airlines’ service staff had to go beyond the call of duty to help travellers in need.

19 frontline staff from around the two carriers’ networks were honoured for extraordinary acts of service in the annual Betsy Awards. In addition to receiving a unique Betsy pin and certificate, the winners also received the gratitude of passengers for going the extra mile and helping them overcome difficulties when they were most in need of support.

This year the top award went to Cathay Pacific Customer Services Officer Louis Lo. Louis received a request for urgent medical assistance from an elderly Australian passenger who had suffered a heart attack en route to Australia from Rome on 18 October 2012. Louis travelled with the passenger and his wife in an ambulance to the hospital. 

Sadly, the passenger passed away in the ambulance. Louis provided compassionate support to the wife, who knew no one in Hong Kong. He helped organise the cremation and funeral in Hong Kong in his own time, and met relatives off the plane when they arrived for the ceremony. Louis acted as the wife’s guide, translator, and organiser throughout the ordeal. But what is made clear in the letter of thanks CX later received from the family is that he also became a close family friend.
 
Speaking at the Betsy Awards presentation ceremony, Cathay Pacific Chief Executive John Slosar said, “As we all know, Cathay Pacific received the ‘World’s Best Cabin Staff’ and ‘Best Transpacific Airline’ in this year’s Skytrax Awards, while Dragonair had the honour of being named the ‘World’s Best Regional Airline. These awards are a reflection of the professionalism and service excellence of our teams and I would like to take this opportunity to once again thank staff for delivering the world’s best service to our passengers. I am very proud of their achievement.

“This is the ninth year we have run the Betsy Awards – the highest accolade that we give to Cathay Pacific and Dragonair staff for their excellent service. Today, we have 19 winners being honoured for their acts of kindness, resourcefulness and professionalism. We are also happy to recognise two teams for providing extraordinary service in unpredictable situations following flight diversions. They are shining examples of the great reputation that Cathay Pacific and Dragonair enjoy, and are a source of inspiration for us all,” Mr Slosar said.

Some highlights of this year’s winning stories include:
-Taking care of a sick elderly passenger who was invited to dinner at the staff member’s home and allowed to freshen up before the flight.

-Bringing warm homemade food, fresh clothes and amenities to stranded passengers for a number of days.

-Visiting a passenger in hospital and providing regular updates to the passenger’s relatives.
-Instinctively helping passengers injured in a car accident without realising that the staff member herself was injured.

A Betsy Award is the highest accolade to recognise the people and service excellence of Cathay Pacific and Dragonair staff. The Betsy awards were set up to show the company's appreciation for the extraordinary effort and contribution made by colleagues, and to ensure their success is widely known throughout the company.